(From Anwar)
One of the biggest concerns Longhorn observers have expressed since Steve Sarkisian announced the hiring of Chris Jackson is his lack of experience as a college recruiter.
Jackson joined the Texas staff as a receivers coach and passing game coordinator. He spent the 2022 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars and his unit was one of only three in the NFL to have two players with 80-plus receptions in 2022 in Christian Kirk (84) and Zay Jones (82). He spent the 2021 season with the Chicago Bears. In 2019, Jackson was a defensive assistant with the Bears after previously assisting the team during training camp in 2018 through the Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship Program. Before his time in Chicago, he served as the wide receivers coach at Liberty High School in Peoria, Arizona.
That is the extent of Jackson’s coaching résumé. He played in the NFL and Arena Football League but has never sat in a living room and tried to convince a player to attend a university as a college coach. Sarkisian wanted to hire a coach who could develop players instead of a college receivers coach with a proven recruiting background.
Even though it appears Sarkisian is taking a risk, Jackson may have a recruiting advantage against his competitors that could benefit Texas in the future.
Margin Hooks.
For those who are unfamiliar with Hooks, he is considered one of the most elite trainers of receivers in the country. Within Texas, he has developed into the unofficial gatekeeper to the most talented receivers in our state.
Here is the bio on Hooks from his website (skysthelimitwr.com):
https://www.skysthelimitwr.com/
“Margin Hooks is one of the top WR skillset trainers in the country. He has over 25 years of playing, coaching, and training experience. His career began at Waco High School as a player where he is now enshrined in the Waco ISD Hall of Fame.
“Following high school, he signed a full-ride scholarship to Brigham Young University. While there he became of the most prolific WRs in BYU history. He earned All-Conference honors, selected as team captain, and was team MVP during his Senior campaign. He is ranked as one of the top 5 greatest WRs of All-Time. After college Margin participated in the Senior Bowl and was invited to the NFL combine (2001) Professionally he spent time with Tampa Bay(’01) and Miami(’02-03). Afterward, he did Arena Football(Colorado Crush) and Canadian League Football(BC Lions).
“Margin started Sky's The Limit Training in 2007. Over time he has developed close to 150 collegiate athletes.”
Hooks has trained several players dedicated followers of recruiting will recognize:
Johntay Cook, Texas
Isaiah Neyor, Texas
Evan Stewart, Texas A&M
Marvin Mims Jr., Oklahoma
Jerand Bradley, Texas Tech
J. Michael Sturdivant, transferred from Cal to UCLA
Myles Price, Texas Tech
Armani Winfield, Baylor
E.J. Smith, Stanford (running back)
Jordan Hudson, TCU
JoJo Earle, Alabama
Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, Texas/New England
Charleston Rambo, Oklahoma/XFL
Those are the notable players Hooks has developed in the past.
However, Hooks has multiple players in the 2024 class who are highly coveted.
Micah Hudson
Josiah Martin
Parker Livingstone
James Madison
Ernest Campbell
Every college football coach understands the importance of establishing a strong relationship with Hooks. I have spoken with several college coaches throughout the years and each one expressed that the athletes Hooks trains lean on him when it's time to make a college decision. They believe establishing relationships with the high school coaches of recruits is important. However, a strong relationship with Hooks is equally important because so many elite receivers train with him.
When Jackson reaches out to Hooks and inquires about a receiver in the future, it will not take years to develop a relationship.
Jackson and Hooks are longtime friends.
How about this for a small world?
Jackson and Hooks were teammates during training camp with the Miami Dolphins. They were receivers trying to make the team that year. That is when their friendship formed.
Here is something even crazier.
They were released from the Dolphins on the same day. According to a published report on August 26, 2003, Miami released Jackson and Hooks. They never played on the same team but the foundation was laid.
They reconnected several years later when Jackson began training Frisco receiver Tre Adams, who eventually committed to Arizona. Kearney Adams is Tre’s father and was a receiver at Washington State. It did not take long for Kearney Adams and Jackson to realize they had a friend in common.
Jackson played collegiately at Orange Coast College in 1995 before transferring to Washington State. In both 1996 and 1997, Jackson was a starter for the Cougars. In 1997, he recorded 54 catches for 1,005 yards and 11 touchdowns to earn honorable mention All-Pac 10 honors, helping the Cougars to a Pac-10 co-championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl.
In addition, Jackson was a teammate of current Texas special teams coach Jeff Banks.
Jackson may not have a large Rolodex.
However, one of his few contacts is a long-time friend who trains several of the elite receivers in Texas.
It does not mean Jackson will instantly obtain every receiver Hooks trains. Jackson will need to make a convincing pitch just like every other receivers coach who covets a Hooks-trained receiver.
However, an established relationship with Hooks it is not a bad start for Jackson.
“I know Texas is football,” Jackson said in a recent press release. “That’s what I do know, and that’s coming from a California kid. I knew people back in the day never left Texas, especially if you were one of the top players in Texas, that’s where you went. I want to play a role in helping Coach Sark and the staff continue to get back to that aspect, where Texas is the only place these Texas kids want to go. Austin is an awesome city. My oldest son went to St. Edwards for two years, so I got an opportunity to get him situated there and look around. I’m very much drawn to the city, the lake, and downtown is beautiful. I’m just excited to be a part of that and helping to continue to grow the tradition of Texas.”
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(From Suchomel)
What appeared to be a pretty dull final weekend of the 2023 recruiting season will actually hold some interest with TCU defensive back commitment Warren Roberson heading to Austin for an official visit. Roberson, out of Red Oak, committed to TCU in late October but decided not to sign early, setting the wheels in motion for him to wind up elsewhere. From what I’ve gathered this week, the TCU staff tried to get Roberson to sign early and tried to hold onto him once he opted to wait until February, but there’s a feeling in Fort Worth that the Horned Frogs will be left on the outside looking in. Needless to say, that would bode very well for Texas.
We caught up with Red Oak head coach Melvin Robinson to get some background on Roberson …
On what Roberson brings to the table:
“Warren is one of those guys, elite players can play anything on the field. He's a very hard worker. He runs track for me. He's the first leg on the 4X100 relay team. Last year he ran the 4X100 and 4X200. He's a hard worker. He's a physical athlete as well. He played both sides of the ball - receiver, free safety, corner – he plays it all. He can play it all (in the secondary). Nickel, safety, corner - he does it all.”
On Roberson in the locker room:
“He's all business. All business. He loves the weight room. Very motivated and motivating. He’s a very good leader.”
On areas in which Roberson can improve:
I think once he gets the coverage and stuff down and the philosophy of the coach, I think he'll be a great asset to any program.
On which schools are still in the mix:
I know SMU, USC, Texas and TCU are the top schools he’s interested in right now.
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Not much new to report on Duce Robinson from our report on Thursday afternoon. We continue to hear that there is some level of confidence in Austin so we’re not totally discounting this one, but there’s still work to be done if Texas has any chance of winning out.
We’ll see if Texas can move the needle and make one last push, but the buzz from sources out West continues to be focused on Georgia and Southern Cal. One potential thing to monitor … there’s a chance this one could extend past NSD2, so there could be some extra time for late movement.
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Texas made @utx’s week (year?) on Thursday when the staff put an offer on the table for Timpson School athlete Terry Bussey during a tour of some schools in East Texas by Sark and Blake Gideon. The offer was one Bussey had been waiting on, and he was thrilled to have the Texas coaches make it official.
“I was kind of surprised but kind of not,” Bussey said. “I figured it would happen eventually, but I wasn’t expecting it.”
The do-it-all standout said no specific position was discussed. Bussey, who visited Texas A&M last weekend, said the Texas offer will receive strong consideration and he’ll be making his way to Austin in the near future for a visit.
“Texas is a school I could potentially see myself at,” Bussey said. “I’ll be up there sometime time this spring.”
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Texas hosted a lot of talent on campus last weekend for the Longhorns’ junior day, and cornerback Kobe Black measures up with the best of those visitors. The Rivals100 member and No. 4-ranked cornerback in the 2024 class said it was a good visit overall and he really connected with the Texas coaches.
“What stood out was just building a bond with the coaches. I liked everything, really. They showed me a lot and I learned a lot also,” Black said. “(And) just the family atmosphere. It’s like everybody (at Texas) is family. Everybody’s cool. You build great bonds with them because everything's great.”
Black’s main contacts at Texas have been Terry Joseph and Sarkisian, and he said he gets a different vibe from the Texas coaches than he does from some other coaching staffs.
“They always tell the truth. Some coaches, they act like they’re better than everyone else. But they (the Texas coaches) try to build relationships with the players so I like that.
The Waco Connally standout was going to post a top 12 a couple weeks ago but decided to push that move back since some new offers were still coming in. Whenever he does trim his list, Texas will definitely make the cut.
Black plans to take some summer official visits but maybe save a couple for the fall. He’ll be a December graduate.
Texas has some built-in advantages in this one due to location and having former Connally teammate Jelani McDonald as part of the 2023 class. McDonald talks to Black quite a bit about coming to Texas and reuniting. That’s good, but what’s better is that those talks actually have an impact.
“It does, most definitely,” Black said. “He made a great decision (in signing with Texas).”
Black will probably visit Texas A&M this weekend and TCU is expected to get a visit soon. Relationships and the opportunity for early playing time will be big as Black sorts through his options.
“Probably how early I'd be able to get on the field. That will probably be the biggest one,” Black said.
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(Cole)
Texas commit Jaden Allen is set to visit Alabama this weekend for junior day. Allen was offered by the Crimson Tide earlier this month and wants to check out what the SEC power has to offer. He was just on the Texas campus for junior day last weekend. I don’t see anything changing with Allen and his commitment, but it’s always at least worth monitoring a commitment taking a visit to see Nick Saban.
“I just want to get Texas back to winning,” Allen recently told OB.
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The 2025 class is loaded inside the state of Texas at the skill positions. Several elite pass catchers are in the cycle, headlined by Duncanville wide receiver Dakorien Moore and Allen tight end Davon Mitchell.
Three notable receivers in the class were just on the 40 Acres for junior day: Red Oak WR Taz Williams, Sachse WR Kaliq Lockett, and Katy Jordan WR Andrew Marsh. Williams and Marsh have seen their recruitments really take off, while Lockett also holds multiple P5 offers ahead of his junior season.
Williams was developing a relationship with Brennan Marion prior to the change at receivers coach, and he’s excited to get to know Chris Jackson. Marsh will have a national recruitment, but he is already becoming a regular visitor to Texas early on in the process. He always raves about his time on campus.
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Wrote on Jeffery Rush earlier in the week after he visited Texas for junior day last weekend. Rush is a Rivals250 defensive lineman that has really hit it off with Bo Davis. Saturday marked his first time to the Lone Star State, and he was blown away by everything that the Longhorns have to offer.
Rush told me that he is in no place to make a top-group of schools, but he did admit that Texas has his attention. He is set to check out Auburn and Ole Miss this upcoming weekend and will look to check out more schools after the dead period. He wants to make a decision by his birthday at the latest, around his birthday.
We’ll see how things shake out in defensive line recruiting, especially within the state, but Texas is in a good spot right now to potentially earn one of his official visits. Rush wants to use his OVs in the late spring and into the summer.
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Longview running back Taylor Tatum grabbed a Texas offer in December and he was impressed on his junior day visit last weekend. Tatum lit up when talking about Tashard Choice and even mentioned that he is developing a friendship with fellow Longhorns RB target Jerrick Gibson, who was also on campus.
Tatum noted that Choice would like to take two running backs in this class and he has no problem being a part of a two-running back class. The four-star put up gaudy numbers running the football for the Lobos this past season - 33 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards on the ground - and owns a 22.05 200m time.
He mentioned that he is impressed by how Texas reloads at the running back position nearly every year.
