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Earlier this week, I had a chance to speak with a high-ranking Texas administrator about a few topics related to Texas athletics. Here's are some of the highlights from the conversation.
Q: Tell me about Chris Del Conte. Your first impressions.
A: At a time where it seems like every deal we've made for athletics seems to eventually backfire, I can say with a strong amount of certainty that hiring (Del Conte) is the best investment we've made in a long time. He's even more impressive on day 75 than he was on day one and that's incredibly hard to pull off. He's the real deal.
Q: Give me an example of why you'd say that.
A: He's a great listener because he's genuine. Steve Patterson could be sitting right next to you and he'd seem like he's 5,000 miles away. I can't tell you how many people have commented that they've been impressed with the way he has quickly become the heart and soul of our departments and it all starts with being a genuine people-person who isn't afraid to listen to criticism and concerns. He's not just communicating well with the fans, he communicates well with everyone. I think people like him just as much as they like Mike Perrin, but he has such a commanding presence at the same time. One person who works in football said that you always know that he's the boss, but he doesn't make you feel threatened, despite the fact that he can fire you. I'd say the athletic department is more aligned than at any point I have been in my current role.
Q: Is there an area where you'd like to see improvement in with Del Conte.
A: None. He's a world-class chef that works well with everyone. I don't get the sense that anyone is trying to tell him what groceries to buy. We're going to let him cook.
Q: What are your thoughts on Tom Herman?
A: After his first season, I'm still very optimistic that he's the coach that we thought we were getting when we hired him. It's going to take some time. I think he's growing in his role and that would probably scare some people on the Internet to admit such a thing, but I think it means that the best of him hasn't risen to the surface and when it does, we're going to be the ones that enjoy the benefits from that.
Q: No concerns?
A: I wouldn't say I don't have any concerns, but I believe that the concerns that probably everyone has will be addressed.
Q: Give me a concern you have.
A: The offense last season was concerning, but (Herman) isn't blind or naive. His knowing what the problems are and being honest about those areas needing to improve is a great sign that he knows which direction to go in with those areas. I'm very optimistic.
Q: Speaking of optimism, let's talk Shaka.
A: Here's what I want you to know about our basketball coach. He's the reason this season hasn't fallen off a cliff. If you talk to anyone close to the basketball team, they'll tell you that our kids are still devastated about Andrew (Jones). They miss his voice, they miss his presence and they miss him as a young man. That pain hasn't gone away just because games keep showing up on the schedule. We're incredibly young. I'm not trying to make excuses for this season, but there are reasons this season hasn't been what we hoped it would be and it's pretty short-sighted to think it's just the coach. The team started well, but it's been an uphill walk for a couple of months and it's been a rough go.
Q: The people on Orangebloods are going to scream when they read your comments. (Laughing) I don't even know if I can tell them that. In all seriousness, Shaka has a real problem with confidence inside the fan-base. That is real.
A: There is a very serious commitment to having a top men's basketball program. We hired Shaka Smart because of that serious commitment to men's basketball. It has not worked out like we thought it would, but his support is strong. Sixteen months ago, everyone was worried he would leave us. Now everyone is worried that he doesn't know what he's doing. Our athletic department has to stop living in extremes. The fans will come around when the wins come around.
Q: And if that doesn't happen my next season?
A: I'm not going to say anything that you're readers don't already know. We have to make progress next season. Our AD knows that and our coach knows that. It's in the best interest of everyone who loves the program to support the program. Everyone wants the same thing.
Q: Is it fair to call his fourth season a make-or-break year?
A: I think that's obvious.
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(Suchomel)
Last weekend was busy for Texas with the Longhorns hosting a couple junior days. This weekend won’t be nearly as hectic, but it could once again be big for Texas, with top national cornerback Kenyatta Watson expected to make his way in for an unofficial visit.
Watson, out of Loganville (GA) Grayson, was a one-time Florida State commitment but has opened up the process. He ranks No. 112 nationally.
“Really, I’m just going to see if that’s somewhere I can stay and live for three or four years, however long it takes me to reach my goal of make it to on to the NFL, grow as a player and person,” Watson said. “I know football will take care of itself, it’s more about seeing if that’s a place I can call home.”
Watson will be joined by his mother and father on the visit. From there, he’s planning to visit USC on March 3. He does plan on taking a couple official visits in the spring, but said he’ll save most of those for the fall. The only school he knows will get an official visit is Notre Dame.
Watson’s thoughts on Texas …
“I just know Texas has been producing great athletes since I can’t even tell you, since before I was born and my dad’s time at Boston College,” Watson said.
The 6-2, 183-pounder said he talks to someone at Texas pretty much every other day. Usually it’s Bryan Carrington or Jason Washington.
“My relationship with those coaches is really good. I talk to Bryan Carrington the majority of the time,” Watson said. “He’s a really cool person. He wants to know his players other than someone who just plays football.”
Watson is part of a very talented class at Grayson (Texas has extended several offers to prospects at the school). The opportunity to play together is something that’s been discussed.
“It’s always cool to talk about it and stuff. For the most part, we just need to go where it’s best for us. No one school is going to be a perfect fit for all the guys we have at Grayson,” Watson said. “But it’s definitely something we talk about.”
Watson doesn’t have a concrete list of favorites and hasn’t set a firm timeline for when he’d like to commit. As for schools that have caught his attention, he mentioned Notre Dame, Texas, Michigan, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
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Arguably the top prospect to step foot on the Texas campus during last weekend’s junior days is North Shore running back Zachary Evans. Though he’s a member of the 2020 class, Evans is an elite-level talent and will have a chance to go down as one of the top overall prospects in his class. That’s great news for Texas, since the Longhorns appear to be in a good spot at this early stage.
Evans spent time with Tom Herman and Stan Drayton during the junior day, and the Texas coaches did a good job of showing him how he’d be utilized.
“We got into film, we broke down how I can perfect my craft, what else I can get better at in games, what I need help with,” Evans said.
The fact that he made it in last weekend was pretty telling about how strongly Evans feels about Texas. He was in the previous weekend as well for an unofficial visit.
“Texas is definitely separating itself,” Evans said. “I know now in the future of my recruiting process, they’ll be able to break it down for me, keep it real in the process. I don’t want to go to a school where they just tell me what I want to hear.”
Evans said the key in his final decision will be his relationship with the coaches and the team. So far, so good, as he has a strong connection with Drayton and Herman already.
“He (Drayton) produces good running backs. If he can produce good running backs that get into the league and rush for 1,000 yards their first year, I feel like that will be a big role,” Evans said. “The option is the league. I’m trying to go to the league.”
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We previewed the junior day visit of DB Marcus Banks in the War Room last week, and it looked good for Texas to land a commitment in the near future.
Banks made it to Austin on Sunday and things went very well, but he is no longer planning to commit on March 3. He told OB on Thursday night that he does not have another date in mind and is “taking things slowly.”
This one may take more time than originally expected, but it still looks good for Texas.
“It did (meet expectations). This visit opened my eyes more,” Banks said about his junior day visit. “They’re already pretty high on my list but this made things great.”
Banks said his talk with Herman during the junior day stood out.
“We had a very good talk. He reached out on being real, and building more of a relationship, especially with my mother too. This was her first time meeting him and she hadn’t really had a chance to really bond with him,” Banks said. “That kind of made her happy, so that was really good.”
Banks communicates with UT cornerbacks coach Jason Washington every couple days, and the two have struck up a very good relationship.
“I love coach Washington. He always brings energy. He’s a fun guy,” Banks said. “Today when I had seen him (at the junior day), I gave him a hug and he was like, ‘No, give me a better hug.’ We just have that type of relationship … me and him have a really fun relationship.”
Texas and Texas A&M are Banks’ top two choices. Texas sent Banks the following edit on Thursday.
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One of the few people to come away from last weekend’s junior days with a UT offer was offensive lineman Stacey Wilkins. The Camden (AR) Fairview product said it was a good visit, he likes Tom Herman’s visit and Texas has moved up his list.
“Right now, they’re one of my top schools,” Wilkins said. “I like the way they have everything set up and what they have planned. Their coaches and what they have planned for their players, the academic situation. They’re one of the top 20 schools academic-wise and they’re the number one place in the U.S. to stay. I really like that. And they have one of the best o-line coaches in the country, coach (Herb) Hand.”
Herman told Wilkins he really likes his athleticism, and Wilkins spent quite a bit of time talking to new OL coach Herb Hand.
“I really like him a lot. I consider him the best offensive line coach in the country,” Wilkins said. “I was looking at him at Auburn, then I found out he came here and wanted to look at me. That kind of shocked me a little bit and made me happy.”
The 6-7, 285-pound Wilkins lists Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas as his top three. TCU is also in the mix. He’ll visit Arkansas this weekend and said he’ll probably visit Georgia soon. Texas will definitely get an official visit and Wilkins said he’d like to decide this summer. Most prospects from Arkansas don’t leave the state, but Wilkins said he’s very much willing to leave if he finds the right situations.
“I’m okay with getting out of state, whatever fits me best, as long as I have a good relationship with the coaching staff and they have everything set up for me to succeed in the future,” Wilkins said.
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Pearland defensive end Gilbert Ibeneme has some solid offers, including OU, TCU and Texas A&M, so he was a player I thought might nab one during last weekend’s junior day visit. That didn’t happen, and Texas told him (and the other d-linemen in attendance) they’re being very selective since they’re only taking five defensive linemen total in the 2019 class.
If the Longhorns do offer, Ibeneme said UT would be in his “top five, for sure.” OU, TCU and Texas Tech were other schools he mentioned. He’ll visit Houston this weekend and LSU next weekend.
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We previewed UT quarterback commitment Roschon Johnson’s junior day visit in last week’s War Room. In that report, Johnson said he was considering texting the other coaches that are recruiting him and telling them he’s completely locked into his UT pledge and not interested in looking around.
Johnson reiterated that point on Saturday as he was leaving the UT football offices.
“I’m in the process of shutting everything down and being straight Texas,” Johnson said.
Two weekends ago, Johnson was in Austin and had a throwing session with Austin receivers Garrett Wilson and Elijah Higgins. Both receivers told OB they enjoyed that experience, and Johnson said he’s continuing to work on building a relationship with both players.
“It’s very important to have that bond, but especially with a receiver,” Johnson said. “We talk about different stuff, from football to different schools coming after us. But it’s very crucial to get that connection with receivers.”
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(McComas)
Some good news on the basketball front (yes, it exists):
From what I’ve heard recently, Texas made a move with 2018 Webster Groves (Webster Groves, Missouri) point guard Courtney Ramey. The No. 43 recruit overall in the 2018 Rivals150, Ramey was at one point a key target for Villanova, who was positioned to be Texas’s toughest competition. Since Villanova elected to take five-star point guard Jahvon Quinerly and Ramey cancelled his visit, the Longhorns, after a couple more visits from head coach Shaka Smart, have moved into better position, and maybe even the top.
Oklahoma State remains a real threat, and continues to pitch to Ramey the idea of playing huge minutes right away. But it sounds like Texas appeals to Ramey more right now. Other schools, like Illinois and Ohio State, are trying to make late charges up the list. But right now, Texas has put itself in a solid position when it comes time to close.
If Ramey picked tomorrow, the most likely option would be Texas, although he and his family aren’t near decision-making mode yet. Expect them to tame their time because Ramey is, literally, one of the top available players nationally and doesn’t need to rush. Texas is going to have to hold on, though, and needs to show something down the stretch of this season.
Texas wants the ability to play two point guards at once, and landing Ramey would give next year's roster three true point guards in Matt Coleman, Elijah Long, and Ramey.
Rivals.com’s Eric Bossi published an update about Ramey today following an offer from Missouri. It’s unclear presently how much that offer affects the recruitment.
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