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(From Anwar)
I reached out to multiple people associated with the Texas football team on Thursday, and there is an optimism surrounding the program that has not been there in a long time.
No matter how Longhorn observers outside the program view the Texas spring game, everyone inside the building believes it was a success. I spoke to multiple people who were excited about what occurred during spring, and each person is excited about the upcoming season. Last year, the people I spoke to voiced a lot of concerns about the team, staff, and 2017 season. When I spoke to the same people this week, they did not have any of the worries voiced a year ago.
Instead, everyone associated with the program appears to be on the same page, and the focus within the building is on getting ready for offseason workouts. Nobody I spoke to is worried about the things we often discuss- quarterback play, running backs, offensive line, or the new guys on defense. Instead, those associated with the program told me the locker room was “lit” after the spring game because players were happy with what they accomplished this spring, and they are excited about the possibilities of this season.
From what I was told, Texas strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight will begin working with the team on Monday. As you already know, McKnight is arguably the favorite position coach of every Texas player. He is viewed as the coach who gets noticeable results from his offseason program. Last season, McKnight was the bridge between the former staff and new regime. This year, every player believes in McKnight, and the team is eagerly anticipating offseason workouts.
In addition, I was told it is hard to generalize what coaches will really want from summer workouts. I asked if there was a specific thing coaches will look for this offseason and was told it would be kid specific. Each player will have individual goals he is expected to achieve this offseason. As a result, it appears the only thing that really matters is players achieving their individual goals.
I spoke to multiple people and was told Texas football coach Tom Herman met with every player on the roster this week. Obviously, I do not have the transcript of every conversation. Instead, I know this was a week when players received the truth from Herman. From what I know about Herman, he is not a guy who will BS a guy just to keep him around. Herman is brutally honest, and if he feels a player cannot cut it at Texas, trust me, the man will let that athlete know. It is safe to assume a few players might transfer at some point, but from what I can tell, those guys will leave because of where they are on the depth chart as opposed to any other possible factor.
I heard there has been a very specific plan laid out by the coaching staff for every player on this team. I was told, “Whether it’s leg strength, or hip flexibility, using your hands more in the pass rush, and the kid goes out to work on it. Yancy’s job is to continue building strength and explosion. As a team, we’ll do that.”
It is important for Longhorn observers to know there is a lot more running in McKnight’s summer program than any other time of the year. The summer goal is to get players ready for the regular season, which means exercising drills that work on speed development, coupled with getting the Longhorns in shape, too.
One person associated with the program told me players will work on metabolic plays during offseason workouts. I will be transparent and admit I had no clue what the heck that meant, but was told players would have a high exertion that simulated an eight-or-12-play drive. They will be allowed to rest for between 15 to 30 seconds before another practice simulation. The goal is to get the bodies of players used to the tempo of practice.
After asking about offseason workouts, I wanted to know what it would take for Texas football coach Tom Herman to be impressed by his quarterbacks this offseason.
Under the previous regime, the staff wanted its quarterback to organize offseason workouts. They wanted the quarterback get teammates together for seven-on-seven workouts and establish leadership.
However, offseason workouts under Herman are a lot different.
The coaches can be with players until a quarterback picks up the football and begins throwing. From what I can tell, the players will work on specific positioning drills from next week through the first weeks of June before the staff goes on vacation.
I asked a person associated with Herman if the coach wanted one of the quarterbacks to organize offseason workouts. In previous years, the quarterback who did that was viewed as the guy who had the inside track to be named the starter. The quarterback who organized seven-on-seven workouts was the guy viewed as the player who wanted the position more than any other passer in the room.
However, a person associated with the program told me, “Shane [Buechele] and Sam [Ehlinger] will set a time, and the time won’t change. They’re not going to the kids’ dorm rooms and dragging them out of bed. It’s doesn’t happen. It’s much more regimented.
“Very similar to before spring practice. Position specific conditioning. The only difference will be the running. It will be much more run and conditioning specific. A little more scientific about getting faster, quicker, and getting in shape.”
Texas football players and staff were singing a different tune last year.
The sentiments are much different this year.
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(From Suchomel)
Let’s start off with a quick look at this weekend’s expected visitors …
Kenyatta Watson – CB – Loganville (GA) Grayson – The nation’s No. 112-ranked prospect overall, Watson is down to Texas and Notre Dame, and he plans to announce his final decision next week, on May 1. Watson has visited UT previously with his parents and the entire family was blown away, including the time spent with the entire coaching staff and the straight-forward approach Texas used to deliver its message. I’d be shocked if Texas doesn’t blow the family away this weekend (his mother and father will both be joining him again) and with Texas getting the last visit, this one feels like it’s going to fall UT’s way. Landing Watson would give the Longhorns another huge out-of-state pledge to go along with De’Gabriel Floyd.
Owen Pappoe – LB – Loganville (GA) Grayson – A borderline five-star talent, most people have Pappoe pegged to stay in the SEC region, but Texas will swing for the fences this weekend. Landing Pappoe, who ranks No. 21 on the Rivals100 and is the nation’s No. 1-ranked outside linebacker, may be a tall order, but this staff (and Todd Orlando) have shown that it can go toe to toe with anyone once it gets a prospect on campus. If Texas can land his teammate Watson, that would obviously boost UT’s chances.
Bru McCoy – ATH – Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei (unofficial visit) – McCoy is a West Coast kid who has gone back and forth on whether or not he’d give serious thought to leaving that region, but the most recent vibe from people who have talked to McCoy and people close to him is that he is keeping an open mind, and Texas is a school he and his father both like very much. USC is going to be tough to beat here but if Texas can blow him away this weekend, which should happen, I do expect the Longhorns to be right there near the top of his list coming out of the visit. McCoy is a five-star prospect and the nation’s No. 8-ranked prospect overall, so getting him in for an unofficial visit is huge for Texas. If the Longhorns can get him back again for an official, things could get really interesting.
Christian Harris – ATH – Baton Rouge University Lab (unofficial visit) – Harris holds a UT offer and told OB this week that he’ll visit both Texas and Texas A&M this weekend. He’ll be a tough pull from the SEC, especially LSU, but Texas will look to make a statement this weekend.
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We had some extensive notes on grad transfer RB Tre Watson’s UT official visit in our 3-2-1 Column on Tuesday and after talking to Watson, I get the impression Texas has a sizeable lead coming down the stretch.
Watson will still take his LSU visit this weekend, so things could certainly shift at the last minute, but he told me he pretty much loved everything about his UT official visit, especially the time spent in the film room with running backs coach Stan Drayton. Watson also felt comfortable with the players he met and liked what he saw from a Texas offensive line that had to battle in the Orange-White game but should only continue to improve.
“Those are big boys. Going both ways (for both teams in the scrimmage), that’s incredible to me. To show that fight and grit was amazing,” Watson said. “That definitely impressed me a lot that these dudes were that unselfish, to go out there and compete like that.”
If this one comes together and Texas does land Watson, it’s another incredible find by the staff. Watson would very much be an instant contributor and Texas made quick work in this one considering Bryan Carrington reached out to him fairly recently to get the ball rolling. We’ve seen it since the day this staff got on campus, but it’s very proactive in addressing needs and Watson could wind up being a big part of the Texas offense in 2018 if everything falls the right way.
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Texas quarterback commitment Roschon Johnson isn’t the most outwardly vocal prospect, but he is a player who carries himself in a way that his words (and his play on the field) help him earn the trust and respect of his peers. Last Saturday, Johnson was in Austin for the Orange-White game and he spent some time with a some of the Longhorns’ top recruiting targets.
“I got to talk to a lot of kids – (WR) Jake Smith, (OL) Javonne Shepherd, (WR) Garrett Wilson - a lot of those guys. As far as spring game went, it was pretty good. They had some up and down drives, but I saw a lot of good things from the offense with the people they had so it was good.”
Johnson weighed in on Smith and Wilson, two players he’s hoping he’ll be throwing to in college, after spending time with them on campus.
“I got to talk to Jake (Smith) a lot, just to see where he is. I feel pretty good about him,” Johnson said.
Smith has schools from around the country chasing his commitment, but the buzz coming out of the weekend was that he’s favoring USC, Texas and Clemson.
“I think it’ll be tough for him to pass us up,” Johnson said.
That’ll work. And Wilson?
“It’s out of us and Ohio State. Basically, we went over how we’d use him, just the basic stuff he’d need to know,” Johnson said. “It’s really on him. He’s seen everything. If he comes, he knows I’ll be right there with him.”
Johnson actually got to Austin on Saturday morning and stayed the whole day before taking in the game on Saturday night. Before the game, he was shadowing Tim Beck during warm-ups.
“On the field, before the game, we were just kind of watching the quarterbacks, seeing what they do before the game,” Johnson said. “Coach Beck was telling me what they were going to do before with the play calling, keeping it simple, things like that.
“I got to hang around all the coaches, talk to them before the game. It was good. Just having regular conversations. Not everything has to be about football. It was good to just sit and talk to the coaches, build a relationship face to face.”
Johnson, who will enroll at UT in January, is a dynamic athlete at the quarterback position. He says Texas has some really good QB talent on campus right now, but he feels he can bring another element to the offense.
“I feel like I can spread the field out. I have different skills - not better than the guys they have up there - but coach (Todd) Orlando was saying form a defensive standpoint, told me a quarterback that can really throw it and run it, be a true dual-threat, that can really put a stress on the defense.”
The best news from the conversation with Johnson? He has zero interest in any sales pitches other schools may want to present.
“As of lately, not really,” Johnson said of other schools recruiting him. “I haven’t talked to anybody. I basically told all other schools I’m shutting it down, I don’t want to communicate with them. I’ve shut it down.”
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Mansfiel Legacy safety Jalen Catalon was another repeat visitor to the Texas campus after making it in for the Orange-White game (he’d taken a couple other UT unofficial visits this spring). Catalon wasn’t planning on attending, but after his baseball game on Saturday, he was able to find a ride up to Austin and he said he was impressed yet again.
“It’s Texas. Any time you go there, they’re going to open your eyes to a lot,” Catalon said. “They’ll take care of you. The football is great, the atmosphere is amazing, the city itself is second to none. It’s great being up there, seeing the top recruits, seeing the players there. It’s definitely nice to see. I definitely will be back for an official.”
Catalon is planning to take officials to Texas, Clemson, Arkansas and Ohio State. He’s unsure of his fifth visit. He’s not rushing through the process and said he’ll take enough time as necessary to make sure he finds the right fit.
“I’m taking it slowly. I feel like if they give you this much time, you might as well talk it over, make sure I’m making the best decision for myself on the field and off the field,” Catalon said.
As we’ve discussed previously, Catalon is also a standout baseball player. Texas and Arkansas are the two schools that have actively talked to him about playing both, and TCU has also mentioned it. Catalon said it’s a subject he’ll discuss during his official visits, but the Longhorns offering the chance to play both sports is a positive for UT’s chances.
During the UT spring game visit, Catalon said he spent time talking to guys like Noah Cain, Darius Snow, Jake Smith, Garrett Wilson, Jordan Whittington and Chris Thompson Jr. If you’re looking for hints on Wilson’s decision, Catalon said he has none, putting it at 50/50 odds for both Texas and Ohio State.
“He loves Columbus, loves Texas in talking to him,” Catalon said. “He likes it up there (at Ohio State), says it’s good, that he loves the atmosphere there. But he said every time he goes to Texas, he said he loves the atmosphere there too.”
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A quick note on Rivals100 RB Noah Cain from someone who spent a lot of time with him at last weekend’s Orange-White game …
“I think he was pretty star-struck at what he saw at UT. He definitely liked the trip. And he was sporting some UT gear. He’s definitely feeling the vibe.”
Cain told OB that Texas definite improved its standing with the visit, and the people that spent time with him seem to feel like the Longhorns are in a pretty good spot right now.
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Lake Travis quarterback Hudson Card was one of several 2020 offers that went out from the staff this week. Card said he got to campus early in the afternoon and right before the spring game, he had a quick meeting with Tom Herman and that’s when he received the news on the offer.
“I was very excited for sure. I wasn’t expecting it so soon, but it happened so I’m grateful for that,” Card said.
Card played predominantly at receiver for Lake Travis last year but will make the move to full-time quarterback this year.
“I’d say I’m more of a dual-threat (QB) for sure,” Card said, before noting that he feels his passing skills are “pretty strong. Obviously, there are things I can improve on, but I feel pretty good about it.”
Card attended UT and Oklahoma State junior days earlier this spring. He’s now up to 12 scholarship offers, but says the Texas one grabbed his attention.
“It’s definitely one of the top (options),” Card said. “It’s always been one of my dream schools. They’re up there for sure. My mind is pretty open. I’m grateful for all of them.”
Along with Texas, Card said he’s always liked TCU and Arkansas, among others. He doesn’t have a formal list of favorites and said he’d like to visit more campuses before really sorting through the recruiting process. Texas has some obvious draws, although Card said proximity won’t be a huge factor in his decision.
“I have an open mind for wherever the right fit is,” he said. “I don’t have a preference, out of state or in state.
His thoughts on what stands out when he thinks about Texas …
“I would just say me growing up liking them, going to all their games. The tradition too, that’s definitely what I like about them. I just grew up liking them.”
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(From McComas)
This week could make a significant impact on Kerwin Roach II’s decision to either return to Texas or keep his name in the NBA Draft. It’s around this time last year when NBA Draft Combine invites were sent, and over the next week is when players will begin to hear from NBA teams about potential individual or group workouts.
From what we’ve heard, there’s been little communication between NBA teams and Roach about individual workouts thus far. If that communication doesn’t increase and Roach misses out on a NBA Draft Combine invite, it would be tough, obviously, to receive substantial feedback from NBA scouts and personnel, although the feedback being sent indirectly would be to return to school. A Texas source told OB that Roach has been a full participant in everything with his team, and academically; basically, nothing in his participation on campus as a student-athlete has changed at all.
Still, a decision is difficult to predict. Some close to Roach still envision him as a pro and are pushing that viewpoint, and feedback or lack of feedback might not matter much. And, of course, there’s always money to be made overseas. One person described it as a “toss up” after initially thinking Roach would very likely move on while another suggested the lack of NBA attention could have a real impact. We’ll see. I have a hard time dismissing the initial vibe when the decision was announced, but little to no NBA feedback would encourage a return to school. (McComas)
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We haven’t been able to connect yet with Albany graduate transfer Joe Cremo, but the vibe on the 40 Acres is the visit went very well. There haven’t been any reports thus far about more official visits upcoming, but have heard some buzz that Villanova and Kansas could enter the picture, and specifically Villanova. That could be why there’s a bit of a pause in the recruitment right now.
Texas will continue to recruit Cremo for as long as it takes, and that might be a while if he’s listening to Villanova, and Creighton is a definite factor too. What could help Texas, though, is Villanova might not be able to give him an answer right now about being able to take him, which would help the schools that can. (McComas)
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We reported earlier this week that Courtney Ramey’s recruitment is winding down towards a decision this week, and we still believe that to be true. It wouldn’t be a surprise if this thing wraps up before the end of the weekend, or maybe sooner.
Earlier this week, Ramey took an unofficial visit to Louisville. However, he arrived to the visit without his dad, and wasn’t able to spend much time on campus before heading back home for his high school basketball team’s banquet. Webster Groves recently won its second-straight state championship in Missouri, and Ramey became the program’s all-time leading scorer.
Ramey, the No. 40 overall prospect in the 2018 class, only took two official visits to Texas and Oklahoma State. The latter just added a graduate transfer point guard this week. Missouri and Louisville also remain firmly in the hunt, but I still like Texas’s chances the most. If the Longhorns are able to land the 6-4 guard, it would be an enormous late add to boost the backcourt now and in the future. (McComas)
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The 2019 recruiting cycle is truly underway, and programs’ top targets are coming into focus. While Texas, like all programs, is still evaluating options and evaluating where it stands with its options, there’s zero doubt that La Lumiere (La Porte, Indiana by way of Rochester, New York) big man Isaiah Stewart is a priority target for Texas.
Before he competed on the Nike EYBL circuit for Albany City Rocks this past weekend in Dallas, he made a visit to the UT campus.
“It was great. It was my first time on campus. Beautiful. Beautiful city. They’ve been trying so hard to get me down there,” said Stewart. “It definitely met my expectations. It’s a great place, especially for me. It’s somewhere I could picture myself in warm weather 24/7.”
The 6-8 prospect recently made a jump to No. 10 overall in the 2019 Rivals150 thanks to his awesome motor, physical style on the glass, and impressive skill inside and outside the paint. He wants to know how programs plan to use him and develop him at the next level, and Stewart liked what he heard from the Longhorns during his visit.
“Oh, man. It matters a lot because they actually… when I went on my visit, they showed me how they improved,” responded Stewart about Texas’s recent success with big men. “They showed in the beginning of the year, and they showed how they improved in that exact same spot. For example, he showed me how Mo (Bamba) lacked a little bit in defending ball-screens, and later in the year he showed me how that changed. He (Shaka Smart) showed me a little bit of Jarrett Allen too. He showed me a few of their big guys.”
It’s clear after talking to him the Texas visit made an impression, and the Longhorns are a serious contender in his recruitment thanks to their early work in the recruitment and success with bigs recently. However, Stewart is also being prioritized by seemingly every school in the country, including Duke, Georgetown, Kansas, Villanova, Michigan State, Syracuse, and more. Stewart plans to come out with a list and work towards a decision after USA Basketball, if he makes the team (I think that’s a pretty safe bet). (McComas)
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South Garland (2019) five-star guard Tyrese Maxey is contemplating a move into the 2018 class. Right now, though, he’s unsure if he’ll make that move.
“Honestly, I have no idea right now. Me and my family have to get together and talk about it,” he said about the reclassification decision. “Just if I’m ready or not. That’s about it. I feel like it’s just mentally. Basketball-wise I feel like I’m ready. It’s a big step of course, but you’ve been preparing your whole life for this. Mentally, you have to be really ready.”
How did this reclassification idea come about? It sounds like you can thank Kentucky head coach John Calipari, who already has a ton of guards for next year’s team, for that, and Maxey isn’t the only guard he’s trying to convince to make the move (Ashton Hagans, who is committed to Kentucky, and Jaden Lecque too). Why is Calipari doing it? Apparently, you can never have too much talent, but it’s believed some of it steps from trying to get ahead of the possible changes with the NBA G League and one-and-done rule.
Anyway, Kentucky remains the leader for Maxey, who hosted Kentucky, Michigan State, Texas, Oklahoma State and Michigan recently for official visits, and all five would take him if he reclassified.
As for Texas, it is hammering home the idea of Maxey staying home and representing his state at Texas.
