(From Suchomel)
In case you missed it on Wednesday night, the Texas staff was active and aggressive in setting up a number of official visits for June.
It was an interesting change of course for Texas, since it looked like the Longhorns might wait to hear official word on whether or not the dead period ended, while other schools had set up some visits several weeks ago. This is a tricky one for all coaches to navigate … on one hand, you’d probably prefer to wait and set up late visits in November or December with some guys so you can make the last impression, but with other schools in the region (particularly A&M) setting up visits for June, it feels like a good call by Texas to go ahead and get some dates on the books with the Horns’ top prospects. Even if the dead period does get extended, having these visits set up shows these recruits that you’re interest is strong, and it probably all but guarantees the opportunity to get them back in town when official visits finally are allowed.
Beyond that, you have a handful of guys who have indicated recently they’d like to decide before their senior seasons begin. I wrote last week that Even Stewart was on that timeline, so Texas would have to figure out ways to (a) show him the new offense during the spring season (still gotta figure out that part) and (b) get him on campus for a visit. This solves the second part of that equation. Offensive lineman Kelvin Banks is another who told us recently that he wants to decide sometime this summer, and he already had visits set up for Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. No way Texas could let those trips go unchecked, so getting the big o-lineman in town on the 18th (with a large number of other targets/commits) seems like a no-brainer.
Many of these 2022 recruits have never really been on a college campus as a recruit since the dead period has been ongoing since the spring of their junior years. They’re eager for that to change, as evidenced by how quickly so many big-time players were willing to lock in official visits. If things go well, Texas can use these June visits as a solid foundation with most guys (maybe even reel in a commitment or two?) and then continue to recruit them full-steam ahead, and possibly even have other unofficial events in the summer and fall (say for a home game against Oklahoma State, for example). If things have to get canceled because the NCAA once again delays official visits, it’ll make it easy to reschedule with the same guys. Win/win the way I see it.
Here are the players who have confirmed (so far) that they’ll be taking visits. Remember, these are two-plus months away, so I’d expect a lot of movement on this list. If nothing else, it gives us a good glimpse of some guys who are priority targets and some guys that have a strong interest in Texas.
June 4
LB Derrick Brown - Texas High
June 11
WR Evan Stewart - Frisco Liberty
OL Cole Hutson - Frisco
June 18
QB Maalik Murphy - Gardena Serra
RB Jaydon Blue - Klein Cain
RB Tavorus Jones - El Paso Burges
WR Armani Winfield - Lewisville
WR Shazz Preston - St. James (LA)
OL Kelvin Banks - Summer Creek
DT Kristopher Ross - North Shore
LB Niuafe Tuihalamaka - Mission Hills (CA) Bishop Alemany
LB Trevell Johnson - Arlington Martin
CB Denver Harris - North Shore
S Bryan Allen Jr. - Aledo
S Jacoby Mathews - Ponchatoula (LA)
June 25
CB Jaylon Guilbeau - Port Arthur Memorial
DT Jaray Bledsoe - Bremond
Still trying to firm up date
OL Devon Campbell - Arlington Bowie
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I mentioned in last week’s War Room that I had heard the Longhorns continued to be in a good spot for Denver Harris despite a lot of chatter of late about the SEC schools remaining on his list (Texas A&M, Alabama, LSU). This tweet by Maalik Murphy was certainly worth taking note of …
Also, heard this week that Texas might be in a much better spot for OL Cole Hutson than people realize. I’m not quite ready to put in my FutureCast pick for the Frisco standout, but I might not be too far from that either.
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When North Shore defensive tackle Kristopher Ross announced his Texas commitment on Tuesday, it was the closing of a book on his recruitment (mostly), and one that had been on the final chapter for about a month. Ross had told us a couple weeks ago the choice would be UT, but he said he really didn’t finalize his decision until last weekend.
“It’s a feeling of relief. I can just focus on finishing out my senior year, focus on my relationship with the team going through off-season,” Ross said. “We already started boot camp and stuff. We’ve been doing it for about a month. I feel good. I’ve got some big shoes to fill (as a leader) with Dematrius (Davis) and Shadrach (Banks) leaving. I just have to step in.
“I knew I wanted Texas, but I wasn’t for sure, for sure, until like a couple days ago. That’s when I was 100 percent. I knew I wanted Texas, but wasn’t like 100 percent yet. There wasn’t really anybody nipping at their heels, but a lot of schools were talking to me like Oklahoma.”
Ross’s final decision basically came down to Texas and OU, and while he liked both schools, he said something just felt right about the Longhorns.
“They’re all great programs. Nobody was the wrong place. I had a good relationship with coach (Calvin Thibodeaux) and coach (Lincoln) Riley at Oklahoma. I have a great relationship with coach Bo (Davis) and coach Sark up here (at Texas),” Ross said. “It’s just a decision I had to make. I liked both schools, so it was just what I wanted to do. Both had great facilities, great coaches, great programs. It was really up to me to make my decision.”
Ross’s commitment announcement came on the six-year anniversary of his father passing away. Needless to say, it was a proud moment for Ross and his family.
“It feels good (to honor him). I know he would have been proud of me. I used to talk to him all the time about how I’m going to make it. I know he would have been proud of me, the man I’m becoming,” Ross said.
Ross was supposed to make a quiet trip to USC during spring break but canceled those plans, which worked out well for Texas. He did make a recent under-the-radar visit to Austin. Of note, he did say he still plans to take some other visits to “see some stuff I haven’t seen,” but this one feels like it’s pretty well locked in for Texas. Ross was supposed to visit USC during spring break but wound up canceling that trip. He did make an under-the-radar trip to Austin that helped solidify UT’s position.
“I have been on the Texas campus before. I came up recently, just kind of went on the 40 Acres and toured the campus,” Ross said. “I came with my mom. Austin is nice. It helped some. It’s a plus since they (family) can go up there pretty easily.
“My mom loved it. A lot of people were asking if I’d stay in state or go out of state. She said wherever I go, she’ll support me. But she was happy when I made my decision (to go to Texas).”
Up next, Ross said he’ll turn to a recruiter on the Longhorns’ behalf. His primary targets?
“I’m going to try to get Denver (Harris), of course. I’m trying to get Bryce (Anderson) and Connor (Robertson) out of Westlake too,” Ross said.
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Texarakana Texas High standout Derrick Brown set up his UT official visit this week, and he told OB recently he’d like to make his commitment either before his senior season begins, or sometime next fall. Texas will figure heavily into the mix.
“I know that Texas, they have great fans. I know Austin is a great place,” Brown said. “And Texas is a good program. They produce a lot of athletes, which is what I’m looking for.”
At this point, Brown has yet to release a formal list of favorites but he says there are a handful of schools that are showing him the most interest, including OU, Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Arizona State, Colorado, Kentucky and Texas Tech.
The 6-4, 208-pound Brown is a versatile defender who can play upfield coming off the edge, or sit back in a more traditional linebacker role. He said he wants to improve on his pass rush skills before his senior season begins, but also prides himself on his effort and versatility.
Former Texas High teammate Clayton Smith signed with Oklahoma in last year’s class, and there’s been speculation that those two could link up again in college. Smith is doing his part to persuade Brown to commit to OU.
“It’s a big factor. He’s like a brother. He tells me I have no choice but to go to OU,” Brown said.
As for Texas, the Longhorn coaches are selling Brown on a chance to contribute early if he comes in prepared.
“They say they want me there. They tell me I’ll be a quick impact to their team and as soon as I get there, they’re going to put me to work,” Brown said.
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Offensive lineman Jacob Sexton has a top five of Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Texas and Alabama. As of now, Sexton doesn’t have any official visits set up, but he told us he’ll begin working on that soon.
“My top five, I released that. I’d say all those schools are pushing really hard and I’m talking to them, multiple coaches weekly, sometimes multiple times a week,” Sexton said. “So that's been really good and here in the next six months I'd like to commit.
“I’d like to go see all these places in person. I've gotten to see OU and OSU you a whole bunch but I haven’t really gotten to see the facilities of everywhere else. So I'd really like to see those before I make my decision.”
Sexton, out of Edmond (OK) Deer Creek, is in regular contact with the UT coaches.
“I talk to coach Flood and coach Sark weekly and we're setting up Zooms and FaceTimes and everything,” Sexton said. “It’s been great. I’m really excited for that relationship to continue and see where we go from there.”
Interestingly, the 6-6, 308-pound Sexton said he actually grew up following the Longhorn program.
“Growing up, I was a fan of them. Other than that, they have really good facilities from what I've seen virtually and just really some great people,” Sexton said. “Even before coach (Kyle) Flood came over, it was coach Hand. Really all their staff, I've really gotten to know well and coming from Bama, so definitely still a great place to go.”
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(From McComas)
Let’s get right to it with Texas head basketball coach Shaka Smart. Earlier this week I wrote not to rule out any of these three options: Texas retains Smart; Texas fires Smart; Smart becomes the head coach at another program. Based on our sourcing throughout the week, I still believe that to be true.
Before diving into the details, I didn’t want these main points to get lost in the depth of the writing:
--- Chris Del Conte has not publicly commented on Smart’s status.
--- There are rumors the Marquette opening is worth following and a possible landing spot.
--- In recent days, donor chatter has grown increasingly louder about a possible buyout and there is concern about the status of the program heading into the new arena.
--- Smart’s regular-season success this year and the Big 12 Tournament title being the first in program’s history is working in Smart’s favor.
--- Firing a respected, popular coach on campus - a campus dealing with issues - isn’t an attractive move.
Many of y’all will roll your eyes and classify this as idiotic, but multiple sources with strong ties to the college coaching circle suggested I keep an eye on Marquette to see what happens. Marquette, reportedly, will pursue Loyola Chicago head coach Porter Moser once his season ends, and people in the industry believe there is mutual interest. However, Moser balked at leaving Loyola once already and Indiana could enter the picture and provide Marquette competition. Speculation from national insiders suggests Marquette, a program that came very close to hiring Smart in the past, could see if Smart is interested, if it hasn’t already through his agent, should it miss on its initial target(s).
In an ideal world, I think that solution - Smart getting a fresh start at a job like Marquette - would be preferred on the Forty Acres. But ideal solutions, especially in this scenario, don’t often occur. If Smart is looking for any type of extension in Austin, he’s not likely to receive it following the shocking end to the season. So, Texas probably will have a decision to make.
In recent days, sources indicated some of the influential UT donor base is beginning to make its concerns heard about the status of the program, future season tickets and donations, and also concerns about the status of the program entering the new arena for the 2022-23 season. One person went as far as to say the financial temperature of the donor circle was being taken about Smart’s $7.1 million buyout. Those voices, and concerns about the program’s trajectory with the new arena looming, are being heard at top UT levels. Oh, the bill for UT’s new state-of-the-art training/practice facility is around $60 million and my understanding is someone has to pay the university for that cost.
Chris Del Conte has yet to comment publicly on Smart’s status as he weighs his options. Personally, I don’t think the silence bodes well for Smart given Del Conte’s track record of replacing Karen Aston and how Tom Herman’s tenure ended and how quickly Steve Sarkisian’s began. As multiple sources on campus told me this week, “nobody knows what he’s going to do.” Del Conte keeps people guessing behind the scenes and on campus, which gives him, an athletics director who likes to line all his ducks in a row before a move, the cover he needs.
However, Smart’s popularity on campus and the current climate on the Forty Acres could give Del Conte serious pause about firing a coach players adore, people respect and one coming off the school’s first Big 12 Tournament title. Forever at Texas, optics matter to at least some degree. While the vocal portion of UT’s fan base is done, generally speaking, with Smart and considers this an easy decision, it doesn’t sound like the people who matter view this as that easy.
So, we wait.
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A note on transfers Texas has contacted:
In addition to Northeastern’s Tyson Walker and Auburn’s Justin Powell (Kentucky reportedly the favorite if SEC allows intraconference transfers; don’t ask Lincoln Riley for his opinion), Texas has also contacted Sam Houston State combo guard Zach Nutall, made the top 13 list for Rhode Island guard Fatts Russell, and has reached out to North Carolina big and former five-star Walker Kessler. Northeastern’s Walker will decide this weekend. Originally, most of what I heard focused around Kansas, but Michigan State has been mentioned more prominently in addition to Maryland and Texas some.
I have no doubt the Longhorns, like pretty much every high-major program in college basketball, have contacted more than just this list. Buckle up for what is going to be the most ridiculously insane amount of college basketball players transferring we’ve ever seen. Ever! You’re probably asking, “why would a kid come to Texas during this uncertainty?” and it’s a fair question that will undoubtedly play a role. But I’ve seen kids commit to schools in shakier situations and who knows what those kids have heard about how hot or cold Shaka Smart’s seat is? That said, I have a difficult time putting the usual stock into UT’s recruiting pursuits given the current status of the program, which has yet to receive any sort of public backing.
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Some roster notes:
--- A source I spoke with wasn’t terribly surprised about Donovan Williams entering his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal and felt it had been brewing for some time because of Williams’s playing time.
--- Of the Texas seniors who aren’t in the NCAA Transfer Portal, Jase Febres is the most likely to return to Texas. Obviously, these upcoming roster discussion points are linked to the status of Smart. If he doesn’t return, who knows what happens from there? Anyway, Febres has already spoken publicly about pursuing a postgraduate degree.
--- Greg Brown is still expected to turn pro.
--- As for Matt Coleman, there were some whispers he could entertain a return to school because of the way the season ended and because of his very strong bond and relationship with Smart. However, my educated bet following a couple conversions is Coleman turns professional sooner than later.
--- Andrew Jones will likely pursue going through the NBA Draft process to receive feedback, but barring a change, he’s currently not expected to turn pro. Speaking of the NBA Draft, the early-entry dates, when to withdraw, etc. have yet to be determined, based on everything I’ve read.
