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(Anwar)
*. The word most people associated with the program used to describe practice this week was “physical.” It appears this was one of those weeks when everyone was dialed in because of the opponent. There is a lot of respect for Kansas State and the staff did not have any challenges getting the attention of their players this week, which resulted in “aggressive” practices.
* One player who rose to the challenge this week was Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy. I was told Murphy was “chippy” at times throughout the week but in a good and competitive way. Apparently, offensive and defensive players talked trash to each other throughout the week, and Murphy was in the mix.
* Again, nobody was disrespectful. It sounded like a week of old-school football. A lot of pushing and shoving after the whistle. However, the players were fired up and bringing out the competitors among each other.
* Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers threw a limited number of passes on Wednesday. There is still no timetable for his return. There is optimism that Ewers might be healthy enough to increase his workload next week and have a shot to play against TCU. Right now, it is Murphy’s show.
*. Here is a nugget worth filing away. One NFL scout said it would be in Ewers’ best interest to finish get back on the field and finish this season. Ewers is currently recovering from an AC joint sprain in his shoulder. However, Ewers missed multiple games last season due to two sprains in his clavicle. In addition, needed double hernia surgery during his junior year of high school. Ewers sustained broken ribs during the high school playoffs. At least one scout wants to see Ewers finish this season to alleviate concerns about the quarterback’s ability to stay healthy for an entire season.
* I inquired about the lack of playing time for freshman receiver Johntay Cook II this season. I was told Cook "receives reps when he earns it in practice." It appears Cook is still developing and still must do more behind the scenes to earn more playing time.
*****
(Suchomel)
* Been a bit of an odd week on the recruiting front. With it being an 11 a.m. kick, we’re not expecting a ton of recruiting visitors to be in town. There was talk of official visitors, but we’re not expecting that to be the case. The Longhorns’ next (and final) home game is against Texas Tech, but that weekend traditionally is not used as a big recruiting event. Look for Texas to try to make a push with some of its top remaining targets in December as far as official visits go.
*. Reports surfaced this week that tight end Elija Lofton will be in Austin for a UT official visit. The Las Vegas Bishop Gorman product, who holds a UT offer, was at one-time scheduled to visit in June but that trip was cancelled and he committed to Miami on June 15. Per a source at his school earlier this week, Lofton was not planning to visit Texas. A source in Austin on Wednesday night also informed OB that Lofton is not expected in. We’ll keep an eye on that situation in case something changes in the next day or so.
* A couple weeks ago, defensive tackle Alex Foster informed Rivals.com that he would be taking a Texas official visit for the K-State game. Foster, a Baylor commitment from Mississippi, informed us this week that the visit is no longer happening. Texas continues to look for another interior defensive lineman and Foster did say he’s still considering both Baylor and Texas, so he could be a guy the staff pushes to get in for a visit in December. If the UT coaches press, I would expect a trip to happen at some point but it won’t be this weekend.
* A source close to Dimitry Nicolas told OB shortly after Texas offered in late September that Nicolas, an Auburn commitment, would take a UT visit at some point. That hasn’t happened yet and it won’t happen this weekend. We’re told that Nicolas is taking a bit of a step back right now, but the person we heard from didn’t rule out the possibility of a UT visit in December if the staff continues to work to bring Nicolas in.
* In a positive development of interest, 5-star linebacker Justin Williams told OB this weekend that he’s “trying” to set up a Texas visit, but he’s having to work out the logistics of that trip. Oak Ridge sits at 7-2 on the year and is riding a six-game winning streak, so if that visit is going to happen it could depend on how deep the team’s playoff run goes. Williams remains committed to Georgia and we’re not necessarily expecting any fireworks in this one, but the fact that he’s putting in some level of effort to make a Texas visit happen is obviously a positive development.
* Lots of talk this week about Texas A&M DL commitment Dominick McKinley taking a Texas visit. Per multiple sources, that trip was never set up and it feels to me like the talk on McKinley is a bit overblown … for now. Texas has invited him to multiple games, so that’s not really new. McKinley has never completely closed the door on communication with other staffs but he also has a younger brother who is being recruited so there’s some crossover dialogue there between him and his family when coaches reach out.
We’ve always heard that Texas feels it could make some late waves in this one if the staff wants to push the right buttons, but things are pretty quiet for right now and McKinley seems pretty happy with his A&M commitment. He’s scheduled to be back in College Station next week for an unofficial visit.
* Florida continues to work on Texas running back commitment Jerrick Gibson. Gibson maintains that he’s happy with his Texas pledge, but he’s certainly not shutting down the contact with the Gators staff. Gibson has already taken multiple game-day visits to Florida this fall. He has kept the Texas coaches in the loop on those trips. The IMG Academy product could make another stop in Gainesville this weekend, per someone close to him. The good news for Texas … he’ll be back in Austin for the Texas Tech game later this month. The not-so-good news … Florida is trying to get him in for an official visit late in the process.
* Lastly, some of the players of note that have confirmed they’ll be in Austin on Saturday for the game …
WR Ryan Wingo – St. Louis University (Texas commitment)
WR Parker Livingstone - Lovejoy (Texas commitment)
OL Daniel Cruz - Richland (Texas commitment)
OL Brandon Baker – Mater Dei (Texas commitment)
OL Nate Kibble - Atascocita (Texas commitment)
DL Melvin Hills – Lafayette Christian Academy (Texas commitment)
P Michael Kern – Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas (Texas commitment)
OL Michael Fasusi – Lewisville (2025)
TE Emaree Winston – Calhoun (GA) (2025)
DE Ethan Utley – Nashville (TN) Ensworth (2025)
ATH Lance Jackson – Texarkana Pleasant Grove (2025)
RB Javian Osborne – Forney (2026)
*****
(Aaron/Zach)
* The 2024 Texas Baseball schedule was announced on Thursday afternoon. The two BIG 12 schools that Texas will NOT play in conference play are West Virginia and Cincinnati. Texas opens the year with a three-game set at home against San Diego and will close the regular season with three at home vs. the Kansas Jayhawks.
* Texas will play 37 home games at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Texas A&M will be in town on Tuesday, March 5th.
* The Horns play defending champs LSU on March 1st at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
* Big 12 home series -- Baylor, BYU, TCU, Oklahoma State and Kansas.
* Big 12 road series -- Kansas State, Houston, Oklahoma and UCF.
* The Big 12 Conference Tournament will feature the top 10 teams in the standings.
* Texas has a large number of commits coming into town this weekend ahead of signing day on November 8th.
*****
(Keenan)
* The Longhorns open the season against Incarnate Word at the Moody Center on Monday, Nov 6, 2023. 7PM tip.
* Rodney Terry now has two four-star recruits committed for the 2024 class after earning the commitment of the 41st-overall player in the country, Nic Codie. The other is Cam Scott of Lexington, SC.
* While Dylan Disu (December) and Kadin Shedrick (November) are out, Texas will rely much more on a perimeter-based scheme, opting for a five-out offense versus a pick-and-roll offense, which will likely be the norm upon the return of the two bigs.
* The three players with the most potential star power are Dillon Mitchell, Max Abmas, and Tyrese Hunter.
* Texas’ first-round opponent in NYC at Madison Square Garden (Nov 19) will be the Louisville Cardinals, a once-proud program that has toiled in the basement for a long time. L’ville just lost to Kentucky Wesleyan in their second exhibition.
* Chris Johnson turned his ankle in the exhibition game against St. Edward’s; whether he returns for the season opener has yet to be disclosed.
* Expect this team to push the pace quite a bit this year – athleticism is a major strength of this roster.
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