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(From Anwar)
The Texas run game failed to meet anybody’s expectations last season.
Chris Warren III was supposed to lead a downhill running attack that Texas football coach Tom Herman wanted to replicate what he lead at Ohio State. Warren was going to carry the load, and Kyle Porter was supposed to be a better runner with a year under his belt. Freshmen running backs Toneil Carter and Daniel Young were going to be players who added depth to the room. Carter was the flashy runner who could be a home run hitter, while Young was a solid option coming off the bench.
More importantly, Texas running backs coach Stan Drayton was expected to be the guy who got the most out of his players. Drayton’s resume included working with Ezekiel Elliott and Carlos Hyde at Ohio State. As a running backs coach with the Chicago Bears, Drayton helped Jordan Howard, a fifth-round pick out of Indiana, set the Bears single-season rookie rushing record with 1,313 yards, breaking the previous mark held by Matt Forte. Drayton’s influence was expected to be exactly what the run game needed.
It did not happen last year, but this news should make Texas fans slightly optimistic about the upcoming season.
Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger led the Longhorns in rushing with 381 yards and two touchdowns. Young finished with 373 yards and three touchdowns, Warren had 314 yards and six touchdowns, Porter added 261 yards and four touchdowns, while Carter had 252 yards and three touchdowns. Texas’ rushing offense was ranked seventh in the Big 12, ahead of Baylor, Iowa State and Kansas. The Longhorns were ranked 89th nationally.
Obviously, last year’s difficulties were not entirely on the running backs.
Former Texas left tackle Connor Williams missed most of last season due to a knee injury. Texas offensive lineman Elijah Rodriguez missed most of last season due to an ankle injury. Texas center Zach Shackelford missed time due to a concussion. Texas guard Patrick Hudson missed most of last season because of an ACL injury. Patrick Vahe sprained his MCL last season. Jake McMillon missed a game after sustaining a hand injury. In addition, Texas tight end Andrew Beck missed last season because of a fractured foot.
Basically, it was impossible for the offensive line to gel because of the constant rotation, if we are going to be fair.
Speaking of health, here is the good news for Texas fans.
I spoke to a person associated with the program and asked about running back Kirk Johnson. Alex Dunlap recently watched a video posted by Johnson, and the athlete mentioned a setback during his ankle injury recovery. Johnson has battled knee and ankle injuries for the past few seasons at Texas, and some people associated with the program have questioned if he will ever play in another college game. Prior to last season, one person associated with the program told me he did not think Johnson would play again.
Well, from what I was told, Johnson has been fully participating in offseason workouts without any restrictions.
Basically, it appears Johnson is in better physical shape now than he has been in several years.
I asked if Johnson was at 100 percent and would be ready for training camp, but the person was scared to jinx the running back’s health with that statement. Instead, the person chose to knock on wood and stick to superstition.
If Johnson can remain healthy, the running back room will have a lot more juice this season.
Texas added Cal transfer running back Tre Watson this offseason. Watson (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) compiled 1,390 rushing yards, 657 kick return yards and 379 receiving yards at Cal. He started in eight games and scored 13 touchdowns. He had career highs in both rushing yards (709) and receiving yards (241) during the 2016 season. When I spoke to Watson in June, he was 95 percent recovered from a knee injury. Watson is expected to be at 100 percent before the season starts.
The Longhorns also added Rice grad transfer left tackle Calvin Anderson. He is not expected to be the second coming of Connor Williams, but will be a better option than Tristan Nickelson, who struggled as on offensive lineman due to his lack of speed. When I caught up with Herman at a Fort Worth speaking event in May, he told me Patrick Hudson went through individual drills and one-on-one pass rush against the defensive line during the last day in pads this spring. In addition, Beck is expected to be at 100 percent to start the season. A healthier offensive line should help Texas’ run game this season.
If Johnson can stay healthy, Texas will have another potential weapon this year.
Johnson and Carter were viewed as the team’s most explosive running backs by people associated with the program before Watson’s arrival. Unfortunately, Johnson was never healthy, which meant Carter was expected to have the most explosive plays last season. Instead, Warren’s longest carry last season was 41 yards, followed by Carter (38), Young (36) and Porter (16).
I am sure Herman will be asked about Johnson at Big 12 Media Days in Frisco next week.
It appears he will finally be able to share a positive report.
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One of Herman’s offseason goals was to strengthen the relationship between coaches and players.
Every Longhorn observer knows in Herman’s attempt to change the culture of losing last season, he had to lay down the law It was more important for Herman to establish the culture he wanted in the locker rooms, at practice, and day-to-day life of a Longhorn football player. Random hydration tests appeared extreme to outsiders, but to Herman, it was the push his team needed. The players loved Charlie Strong, but Herman inherited a team that finished 5-7 in back-to-back seasons and folded under pressure.
Even though the players did not enjoy the change, it is hard to deny Herman’s plan worked.
Texas finished with its first winning record since the 2013 season. Texas lost six games last season, but the Longhorns’ average margin of defeat was seven points in 2017. That number was nine points in 2016. More importantly, Herman’s team was not involved in the blowout losses that plagued Texas in 2014 and 2015.
As Herman continues to strengthen his bond with players at Texas, you should expect to hear this term a lot in the upcoming months.
Leadership council.
From what I was told, Herman as a group of players in his leadership council who he leans on to exchange ideas, listen to concerns, and make sure the team is unified.
Before you go there, I did ask for specific names of guys in Herman’s leadership council, but was not given that information. The names in that inner-circle are classified right now, and one reason is because some guys have been removed from the group for missing class, or failing to meet the expectations of a leader. Clearly, the other reason is a person associated with the program simply did not want that information released.
However, I spoke to multiple people associated with the program this week and discovered some interesting details about Herman’s leadership council.
The council actually began meeting in January. From what I was told they met every 10 to 20 days for several months after the special group of players were formed.
In addition to Herman, strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight and Kevin White, director of player development, are in every meeting.
When this group meets, there is usually a curriculum given to the players that is formulated by Herman, McKnight and White. I do not know if players receive a print out, but considering how organized Herman is, I would not be surprised if they received a handout during those meetings.
During the meetings, players are given an open forum to discuss whatever topics they believe should be heard. There are no restrictions. From the way it was described to me, it sounded like the “circle of trust.”
Basically, they discuss what is going on in the locker room. Players are asked what can coaches do better in every area. Players are also told what they can do better on and off the field. Nothing is off limits.
However, being on the leadership council does come with a certain responsibility.
For instance, lets says a player on the team has an issue with one of the coaches and approaches a leadership council member. Maybe the player is upset about the lack of playing time or his status on the depth chart. Leadership council members are expected to talk with that player and get that person to understand what needs to occur to have more playing time. That is not a topic to be addressed in the meeting.
Instead, the leadership council addresses major concerns from multiple players.
For example, if 10 players were having trouble making it to class or study hall because McKnight is ending workouts too late, that would be something the leadership council would address in a meeting. In other words, it has to be something that affects most of the team, not a singular issue.
In fact, the leadership council previously voted on which players should attend Big 12 Media Days. From what I was told, Herman made the final decision, but not without hearing from his council before giving Breckyn Hager, Chris Nelson, Andrew Beck and Patrick Vahe the nod.
The last time this council met was around Father’s Day. There have not been any meetings since that time because coaches have been enjoying their vacation time before returning to work next week. The leadership council will likely resume meetings with training camp begins in a few weeks.
From what I can tell, the leadership council has been well-received among the players. Players understand the role of Herman’s inner-circle and respect the people he has chosen. Overall, it seems to be working for the Longhorns.
Herman started to win over the locker room late last season, and his support from the players has increased this offseason. His positive efforts have not garnered the attention of “mass exodus” and disgruntled players rumors after the 2017 regular season.
Nevertheless, it is important to note the impact Herman is having behind the scenes.
******
Texas is gearing up for what many associated with the program view as their most important recruiting weekend of this year.
The Longhorns will have their “Stars at Night” recruiting week on July 27. Texas has invited the top in-state and out-of-state players to this event in Austin. The event is huge for several reasons.
First, it is important to note the NCAA mandated recruiting dead period ends on July 24. According to SBNation, high school football practice starts in many places across the Southeast in the first week of August, with college football practices start a week or two later. Texas is expected to start practice on August 3.
Basically, this is the last weekend for college programs to get star players on campus before the regular season.
However, there are several colleges hosting recruiting events the same weekend. Texas is just one of many schools hoping to get key players on campus for a recruiting visit.
For example, Texas has invited Mesquite receiver Dylan Wright to its recruiting weekend. If Wright accepts the invitation, Texas knows it has a chance to sign him. However, if Wright decides to attend another program’s recruiting weekend, the staff will need to figure out if they will continue to pursue him, or put their efforts into another player.
Pay close attention to the players who do show up because those will be the guys who receive a lot of attention from this staff prior to signing day.
(From Dustin)
The first July evaluation period for high school hoops recruiting is underway. Texas coaches have already been spotted at the Under Armour event in Atlanta, and the Peach Jam in South Augusta, Georgia. Over the last couple weeks, I did some digging to come up with a list of prospects I believe are priority targets for Texas. Here’s what I have:
July is the month when both players and coaching staffs should be finalizing their lists and figuring out the interest both ways; during the final live evaluation period, coaches are often “babysitting” their top targets, which means they have their priority guys lined up and are showing their face at each game. There are other guys that could be mentioned too, like Donovan Williams (no offer yet, but he’s started Peach Jam strongly), Isaac Okoro, Kai Jones, and others that could be floating under the radar.
It’s pretty clear Texas would like to add a frontcourt player, and at least one wing/bigger guard that can shoot. It’s tough to find two better perimeter shooters than Williams and Williamson, and Texas fans should be thrilled if the Longhorns land any one of Timme, Stewart, and Baker.
Once July concludes, expect most Texas targets to begin scheduling visits as players know who wants them the most and coaches know who they have the best shot at. Right now, I think the class is going to be 2-3. The Longhorns have two seniors on the upcoming roster. Where would a third scholarship come from? Of course, attrition is always a candidate in college hoops, but I also continue to hear that Jericho Sims is wowing people in workouts, and has done a terrific job in the weight room changing his body into a freakish build. If Sims is as good as people think he could be, he’d attract lottery pick attention.
Speaking of current players, right now Texas is able to work with players for four hours a week, and is focusing a lot on skill development. Kamaka Hepa is shooting the ball as advertised, and Matt Coleman’s shot is coming along too as he blossoms into more of a leader; Courtney Ramey is turning heads in five-on-five settings with a feisty competitiveness and natural scoring ability; Elijah Long is definitely going to help Texas, and many players gravitate towards him for leadership and because of his personality. (McComas)
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One small note to pass along on the new Texas Baseball indoor facility: I don’t have many details at this moment, but the wheels are in motion for the project to begin soon. Some form of construction should begin this summer, sooner rather than later, and the original destination, where the batting cages are currently beyond the clubhouse and near the right field seats, is where the new facility will be. And it will be top notch.
