(Ketch)
Earlier this week we mentioned that LSU cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond was someone Steve Sarkisian had a keen interest in.
On Thursday, that discussion went to the moon when FootballScoop.com named Raymond as a key target in the Sarkisian staff search.
In talking to a source with knowledge of Raymond's situation, I was told the following:
a. Sarkisian and Raymond had a brief conversation on Tuesday night. Brief.
b. As of Thursday afternoon, Raymond did not believe that he was at the top of Sarkisian's wish list.
C. Raymond would have a significant interest in taking a job at Texas if it included a pay increase from what he's making at LSU and/or included a co-defensive coordinator title. I didn't get the sense that being the top dog on the co-defensive coordinator chart meant as much as simply taking that forward step in his career, especially if it isn't in his immediate future at LSU.
According to the source I spoke with on Thursday night, no offer has yet been made to Raymond.
Another name that emerged as another option at the defensive backs position is Tennessee's Derrick Ansley.
Ansley is currently the Vols defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, making $1 million per year as the top assistant on Jeremy Pruitt's staff. From what we know, there are some in SEC coaching circles who believe Ansley is ahead of Raymond on the Sarkisian wish list.
Ansley, who is a client of Jimmy Sexton, is said to be looking for a new gig and trying to get on the first train out of Knoxville.
Prior to working for the Vols, Ansley coached defensive backs for the Oakland Raiders (2018) and Alabama (2016-17), after working at Kentucky and Tennessee for the previous four seasons as a defensive backs coach. Ansley got his start in major college football as a grad assistant in 2010-11 for Nick Saban at Alabama.
He's regarded as an elite recruiter. He's also coached 16 NFL Draft picks and 6 first rounders.
As with Raymond, a source with knowledge of Ansley's thinking on Thursday night denied that he had been offered a job from Sarkisian.
*****
(From Anwar)
The best place to start with the conservation about Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian's potential staff is with the news Ketch dropped on Thursday night.
Tennessee defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley is a "coach of interest" for Steve Sarkisian, according to Ketch's sources. At least one source with knowledge of Raymond's situation believed that Ansley is ahead of cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond to lead the secondary in Austin.
I inquired with a good source about Ansley, and he could be a great addition to Sarkisian's staff.
Ansley has the reputation of being an outstanding communicator. I was told Ansley is great at communicating with players and coaches. He can teach the players in a way that has caught the attention of many coaches in the SEC.
In addition, Ansley has the reputation of being very detail-oriented. I was told Ansley coaches players with the detail and precision of an offensive coordinator.
Another attribute Ansley apparently possesses is the ability to relate to his players. I was told Ansley had a great relationship with his players in Tennessee and they all love him. Ansley's charisma and honesty are two things that helped him win over the locker room at Tennessee.
Lastly, Ansley is viewed as a future NFL coach.
Here is a look at the other positions.
Quarterbacks coach
Nothing has changed on this front. Arkansas State offensive coordinator/former Alabama analyst A.J. Milwee appears to be a lock for this position. Arkansas State hired Milwee as an offensive coordinator under Butch Jones, but it appears that will not come to fruition.
Here is a portion of an Arkansasonline.com article announcing the hiring of Milwee:
"Milwee, a former North Alabama quarterback, spent the past two seasons at Alabama, where he worked alongside Jones as an analyst with the Crimson Tide. Before his time in Tuscaloosa, Milwee was at Akron from 2012-18, where he spent six of his seven seasons as offensive coordinator. He helped guide the Zips to a Mid-American Conference East Division title in 2017.
"'I've had an opportunity to work with A.J. daily over the last two years at the University of Alabama, and I've been very impressed with his work ethic, ability to foster and create relationships and his overall knowledge of offensive football,'" Jones said in a statement. "'A.J. has coordinating experience and has proved that he can manage, motivate and direct an entire offensive unit, which includes not only players, but staff members as well. He is also regarded as a coach who can develop quarterbacks to play at the highest level.'"
"Milwee compiled a 33-5 as quarterback at North Alabama from 2006-08, setting program records for career passing yards, attempts, touchdowns and total offense. After his playing career, Milwee stayed with his alma mater as a graduate assistant from 2009-10 before serving as quarterbacks coach at East Mississippi Community College, where the Lions won a national championship in Milwee's lone season on staff.
"He arrived at Akron as a quarterbacks coach in 2012, then became the second-youngest coordinator in the Football Bowl Subdivision when he was promoted a year later. As an offensive coordinator under Terry Bowden, Milwee led the Zips' offense to 331.2 yards per game during his six seasons, during which Akron made two of its three all-time bowl appearances."
Running Backs coach
Stan Drayton confirmed he would remain on staff for his final year. We need to see if that convinces LJ Johnson to verbally commit to Texas in the upcoming weeks.
Receivers coach
Alabama receivers coach Holmon Wiggins is expected to follow Sarkisian to Texas, and that has seemingly not changed.
Tight Ends coach
There has not been any notable movement with this position right now. Alabama tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Jeff Banks was a candidate, but he decided to remain on Nick Saban's staff. Give this one a little time.
Offensive Line coach
Here is another video from Kyle Flood, who is expected to coach the same position in Texas after Alabama's season is over
Defensive Line coach
Detroit Lions defensive line coach Bo Davis is reportedly the leading candidate to take this job. According to my sources in Detroit, Davis wanted to coach college football again, especially in the south. This appears to be a natural fit for Davis.
Linebackers coach
Cincinnati's Marcus Freeman was a defensive coordinator/linebackers coach this past season, and would be an ideal choice for many in that same role with the Longhorns.. Notre Dame and LSU are among the teams pursuing Freeman, and there's some thought that he could choose between the Irish and Tigers before the end of the weekend. It remains to be seen whether the Longhorns will make a move for Freeman before he makes a decision. If all else fails, Sarkisian could retain Coleman Hutzler.
Defensive Backs coach
Ketch mentioned Corey Raymond and Ansley as potential candidates. We will see if Sarkisian solidifies this position before the national title game on Monday.
Defensive Coordinator
Mississippi State coach Zach Arnett appears to be a top choice after discussions with Will Muschamp and Barry Odom earlier in the week. Obviously, Ansley and Raymond are other names that are in consideration for staff positions where titles could be involved in order to close deals. Nothing has changed at this point, but we will continue to monitor the situation.
One source said Arnett likes to play with three defensive linemen and drop eight into coverage. Arnett prefers to play zone, and his defenses are hard to score points on because his players defend very well.
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Cal's Torre Becton still has the inside track. Nothing has changed.
******
(From Suchomel)
Let’s start the recruiting section of this week’s War Room with another update on Cy Fair running back LJ Johnson.
The Rivals100 member continues to keep a low profile as he works towards a decision, but we were able to talk to a number of different sources this week to pick up some notes.
As we mentioned early this week, Johnson did graduate in December so he has the opportunity to enroll in January if he wants. As of early this week, I was told by a source at his school that a decision on enrolling early had not yet been made. If Johnson does decide to be a January enrollee, that decision would have to come soon as most early enrollees are hitting campuses next week.
As has been the case, this one’s a Texas and Texas A&M battle, with OU and LSU looking like afterthoughts at this point.
Steve Sarkisian and other members of the UT staff did a Zoom call with Johnson last weekend, and I’m told it went well. Sarkisian stressed to Johnson how he could be a key part of this class; the success of running backs in his offense was stressed, particularly that the days of UT backs getting very limited carries are in the past.
A&M’s pitch is obviously the team’s on-field success this year, both in the win column and with its ground game, as well as the Aggies’ recent offensive line recruiting success. Texas will likely counter that with the play of the program’s young linemen over the Horns’ last two games.
Reading the tea leaves on this one, Johnson had every reason to push A&M out front during the fall, but it never happened. From what I’ve gathered, Texas always held onto the top spot (although the gap did close) and the coaching change combined with the retention of Stan Drayton are weighing in UT’s favor.
This one’s not a slam dunk, and one source handicapped it at 65/35 in favor of Texas. Sounds about right. Now Texas just needs to close the deal, maybe even in the coming days if UT had its way.
******
One of the first calls I made after the coaching change was announced was to UT quarterback signee Charles Wright. The Austin High standout isn’t really a guy anyone ever had to worry about – he’s a Longhorn through and through – but as a quarterback I was curious to get his immediate thoughts, and with him enrolling next week I thought I’d check in one last time.
Wright’s thoughts on a few topics …
On the coaching change:
I was shocked. I was just as shocked as everyone else. I was on my way to go help out our 7-on-7 team and heard about it. I had to pull over. It caught me by surprise, and, you know, it was really tough. I mean (Herman is) the guy that offered me and he's done a lot of great things for me and my family, so I'm very appreciative of everything that he's done for us. But obviously I know it's a business, so things like that happen.
On what he knew of Sarkisian when the news was announced:
Obviously, we all watched the College Football Playoff game (on Friday of last week). Obviously, they can put up points. To be honest with you, I mean it's all happened so fast. I've known about coach Sarkisian and all the great things he's done with offenses in the NFL and at Alabama, everywhere else that he's been. So it's very encouraging. I'm very excited to meet him and get the ball rolling and start learning his offense.
On the ability to work with someone like Sarkisian who has a history of success with quarterbacks:
I'm very excited. I move in a little (under) a week now. I assume he’ll be there the 12th after his game, so I'm just ready to get on the board, listen to what he has to say about the offense and ready to get to work. That's about it. I love to play football, and I’m ready to sling it for him.
On his mindset as he gets ready to enroll at Texas:
I’m extremely excited. The nerves haven’t really sunk in. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. But right now it's pure excitement. I’m ready to see all the guys, all the signings and all the current players and just get a better relationship with all them. I'm really excited.
On stepping into a QB room that has only three scholarship players on campus:
Regardless of who's there, I'm always going to compete. That's just who I am. That's how I play. Obviously, we have a new coach so everyone starts from square one, but I’m always going to compete and put everything out there that I can. I'm looking forward to competing with all the other guys, creating a good bond with the receivers, the O-line and everyone.
On what’s on his plate before hitting campus:
Just get healthy. That's the big thing right now. I’m just doing everything that I can to get prepared for the 13th. That's all. I'm ready to work.
On what he needs to heal:
I’m just a little banged up from the season. But I’m almost 100 percent now.
On the communication among the UT commitments when the news of the coaching change went down:
All these guys truly love Texas. The news broke and everyone kind of immediately went to the group chat. A few guys were playing that day, but we all went there and everyone said they're solid and nothing's changed. We committed to the University of Texas and we understand it’s a business and we're ready to get there and work. That hasn’t really changed.
******
I caught up with Rivals.com recruiting analyst Adam Gorney, who has covered West Coast recruiting for as long as I’ve known him, to get his thoughts on Steve Sarkisian as a recruiter.
On how much an impact on the West Coast Texas could have under Sarkisian:
I think a lot. People know him from USC and Washington. A lot of the kids were much younger then, but their parents know him. They know he's an offensive-minded guy; they know he is good with quarterbacks. I think that's going to be an interesting angle. Texas recruited Arizona well under Herman, and none of those guys really knew Tom Herman. They didn't really have a connection there, so the Sarkisian connection to USC is going to be big, even though that ended in untoward circumstances. Even at his time at Washington, he's just known as a California guy; they’ve kind of followed his progress through the coaching career so I think that is going to be significant.
The challenge, I think, is for Sarkisian to convince kids that that alone is more important to go there than to stay at USC or go to Alabama or go to Clemson. That's going to be the challenge. They know him, but they also know that Alabama and Clemson are playing for national championships and that's going to be the challenge moving forward. If he's going to go out to the second tier California guys, he’ll probably land a few of those guys, but if he wants to go after the number one players in the state every year, and the top 5-10 kids, then that will be the challenge to convince them that he has those West Coast connections and he's going to put up points and Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma are going to be the schools that he's going to be beating in the years to come.
On 2022 QB Maalik Murphy, who tweeted his support of the hire after it was announced:
I think Malik knows he's a perfect example of who Sark could come out here and get because he was waiting to play his junior season; he's an awesome looking kid but he hasn't had the opportunity at the varsity level yet to really show his stuff. Ohio State has shown interest and has been involved. Michigan has shown interest and been involved. Some other schools around the country too. But if Sark comes in and really aggressively pursues him, Texas definitely has the cachet plus Sark is known; that would be very interesting to a kid like Maalik Murphy. CJ Williams might be a little bit more difficult in the sense that he could commit to Ohio State today; he was born in Tuscaloosa so he could commit there, Mater Dei kids go to USC - all of those things are factors for CJ Williams. Not in any way is Maalik Murphy a second-tier kid, but those kids that aren't getting as much recruiting attention nationally that they probably should, Texas can kind of come in and steal some of those kids.
On Sarkisian’s son going to Mater Dei and if that could open doors to that powerhouse program:
It certainly can't hurt, and Sark has an in there, and he'll be able to step in there and recruit because when he was USC’s coach he went there and recruited and everybody knows him from town and he's a local guy and all those kinds of things. But those kids are going to do what they're going to do, and what they're going to do is go to some of the best schools in the country, and I don't think anyone is going to be able to convince them otherwise of what their plan is.
On Sark as a recruiter as a head coach:
I do remember him at USC being pretty active. I don't remember him much at Washington. I've always heard a story about Sark that he was never as big on Max Browne (nation’s top QB prospect in 2013) as everyone else, and everyone wondered ‘Why is he not going after Max Brown. Why is he not recruiting this local kid?’ He just felt that like there were better quarterbacks in this class, and as it turned out, he was right on him. That story is to say he’s not one of these guys that is just going to kind of sit back and let his position coaches do all the recruiting and he's not going to make any choices. I remember meeting him and talking to him a little bit at a game. Sark was at the game, and that's when he was the head coach. I would imagine that he's going to be pretty hands on in recruiting - West Coast kids for sure just because of the name recognition, but also if he's going to establish himself in any way in Texas and convince kids to go there, he's got to be face-to-face and at games or on FaceTime or whatever we're going to be doing as much as humanly possible. He's young and he's aggressive. I don't think he's going to be a guy that sits back and doesn't recruit.
On his overall impression of the hire:
It's definitely interesting in the sense of, is it all that much different than Tom Herman? An offensive-minded guy, a young coach, aggressive. The only thing that is different is he has no connections to Texas and that honestly might be a good thing moving forward. Get some fresh perspective. He's obviously a phenomenal play caller. It also helped that he had Jaylen Waddle, Devante Smith, Najee Harris - all those guys to call the plays and have them do that. I actually think it's a pretty good hire in the sense that if you're going to swing for the fences and miss on Urban Meyer, and you're sort of destined to get Herman out of there, let's bring in a young offensive guy. They tried it with defense with Charlie Strong and that was a complete disaster. You're in the Big 12, you're going to have to score points, and he's one of the best play callers in the country. A lot of people say Lane Kiffin was also a great play caller at Alabama and I get that, but Sark seems a little more grounded. It seemed like he had Saban’s trust a little bit more I think than Kiffin.
I think his challenge is going to be recruiting in-state. Texas A&M is obviously going to be recruiting very well there. Alabama has come in and dominated there. Oklahoma obviously is going to get guys. What can Sark do and convince kids that he's going to change that program around to start getting the top kids in the state? That's going to be his challenge, and I think just being super aggressive and putting up points in year one is going to be the way to do it.
*****
(Ketch)
With the transfer portal set to serve as a possible lifeline for the Texas program going into the 2021 season with potential immediate contributors to the depth chart, I thought I would provide a snapshot of where things stand on the transfer front. I'll start updating this list daily in the Official Transfer Thread.
Quarterbacks
Terry Wilson (Class of 2016)
Notes: Only has one season left, so probably not a fit for Texas, but when he's healthy, he's been a difference-making talent at times.
Best of the Rest.
1. Ryan Hilinski (South Carolina)
Notes: Sark didn't offer while at Alabama, but he'll be keenly aware of this former national Top 50 prospect who threw for 2,357 yards with 11 touchdowns as a true freshman, but was a total non-factor on the field this season (six attempts).
2. Jarrett Guarantano (Tennessee)
Notes: On one hand, he's thrown for more than 6,000 yards and 38 touchdowns in his career. On the other hand, he has a 136 career quarterback rating.
3. Chris Robison (FAU)
Notes: Look who is back! After leaving Oklahoma without ever playing a down, he's had a nice two-year run under Lane Kiffin at Florida Atlantic and still has two seasons of eligibility left.
Running Backs
Ty Chandler (Class of 2017)
Notes: Has rushed for 2,015 yards and ranks fifth in Tennessee history in all-purpose yards with 3,245 yards.
Best of the rest.
1. T.J. Pledger (Oklahoma)
Notes: The former OU running back is drawing a lot of interest.
2. Kenneth Walker (Wake Forest)
Notes: Had 13 touchdowns this season for WF and has more than 1,000+ career yards.
3. Deondrick Glass (Oklahoma State)
Notes: Former four-star running back has talent and is drawing interest from around the country.
4. Chris Curry (LSU)
Notes: Never really made a big dent in the depth chart at LSU, but he's displayed flashes of talent.
5. Markese Stepp (USC)
Notes: Former USC running back has displayed potential, but never emerged as more than a part-time player for the Trojans. Did have an Alabama offer once upon a time.
Wide Receivers
Samori Toure (Class of 2016)
Notes: Has one season of eligibility remaining after setting school records in both receptions (87) and receiving yards (1,495) in 2019, while also catching 13 touchdowns. Big 6-3 receiver that has the attention of NFL scouts.
Best of the rest
1. Tre Walker (San Jose State)
All-Mountain West Conference receiver who had nearly 3,000 receiving yards in his career. Has one season of eligibility remaining.
2. Charleston Rambo (Oklahoma)
Notes: This surprise portal addition is one of the more dynamic available targets in the portal.
3. Tyrell Shavers (Miss State)
Notes: Former Alabama five-star via Texas that played at Mississippi State last year and is suddenly back in the portal.
4. Keith Corbin (Houston)
Notes: Former Texas prep star had 352 yards and seven touchdowns for the Cougars this season.
5. Tre'Von Morgan (Michigan State)
Notes: Made some plays late in the season for the Spartans. Has a huge 6-7 frame that has folks thinking he'll eventually break out one day.
Tight Ends
Arik Gilbert (Class of 2020)
Notes: Gilbert might be the crown jewel on the transfer market at the moment. Once upon a time, there were a LOT of recruiting industry people that believed Gilbert would end up with Sarkisian at Alabama.
Best of the Rest
1. Jackson Lowe (Tennessee)
Notes: Had an Alabama offer before signing with Tennessee. Buried on the depth chart in Knoxville.
Offensive LIneman
Obinna Eze (Memphis)
Notes: This kid is a 6-8, 315-pound native of Nigeria that has started for three years at tackle and is drawing some NFL interest. He's a potential difference maker.
Best of the Rest
1. Darnell Wright (Tennessee)
Notes: Wright isn't yet "officially" in the portal, but it appears to be just a matter of time. Another player that is well aware of the Alabama staff members who will be coming to Austin.
2. C.J. Thorpe (Penn State)
Notes: Started in three games for the Nittany Lions this season and has played in 30 career games. Maybe PSU's version of Denzel Okafor?
Defensive Linemen
Keir Thomas (South Carolina)
Notes: Multi-year starter at DT for South Carolina. Made 142 tackles over his career, 19.5 for loss, and total 8.5 sacks.
Best of the Rest
1. Ovie Oghoufo (Notre Dame)
Notes: A proven pass rusher for the Irish that is leaving the program for more consistent first-team football. Would have been a starter for the Longhorns in the bowl game.
2. Joseph Anderson (South Carolina)
Notes: National Top 100 talent from two years ago that had offers from everyone in the SEC.
3. Jordan Williams (Clemson)
Notes: Played in 10 games this season, including three starts. Has 44 career tackles and four sacks.
4. Nyles Pinkney (Clemson)
Notes: A rotation player for the Tigers, who made three tackles in the game against Ohio State last week.
5. Netori Johnson (Georgia)
Notes: Interior lineman that was a player for the Dawgs when he was healthy and on the field.
Linebackers
James Houston IV (Class of 2017)
Notes: Has two seasons of eligibility remaining after recording 100 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles over the past three seasons for the Gators.
Best of the rest
1. Palaie Gaoteote IV (USC)
Notes: Former starter at USC who was regarded as a five-star talent only two years ago. Big boys from all over the country will be involved in this one.
2. Reynard Ellis (Georgia Southern)
Notes: Is reportedly on his way to the portal after recording 137 tackles, 15 TFL and 3.5 sacks in his college career thus far.
3. Leni Toailoa (UCLA)
Notes: Only played in two games this season, but he has seven career sacks and was third on the team in tackles for loss (7.5) and fourth in sacks (2.5) in 2019.
Defensive Backs
Adam Sparks (Class of 2017)
Notes: Grad transfer with 98 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3 INT and 9 PD in his career with the Tigers.
Best of the rest
1. Houston Griffith (Notre Dame)
Notes: Was in the defensive backfield rotation for the Irish this season, but never emerged as a clear cut starter.
2. Nigel Knott (East Carolina)
Notes: Former Alabama special teams contributor who transferred to East Carolina (where he was expected to be a starter), but he never played a down this season because of COVID and is now back in the Portal.
3. Raymond Woodie (Florida State)
Notes: Started a couple of games this season, but was primarily a back-up for the Noles throughout his career.
4. Jordan Moore (Houston)
Notes: Wasn't a big-time mover and shaker for the Cougars, but he is the brother of UT's Joshua Moore, so we'll keep an eye on him.
5. Jay Stanley (Mississippi)
Notes: Played in seven games this season, but didn't make any starts for the Rebels.
*****
Like Will Baker, the timing of Gerald Liddell’s decision to leave the Texas program and transfer was a bit surprising. But like Baker, it was a decision driven by playing time. Shaka Smart said as much publicly during a recent session with the media, and, after asking around, there’s no reason to think it’s anything more than that.
Particularly for local prospects who arrived with excellent recruiting rankings, sitting on the bench can be especially tough because of all the questions from others about not being on the floor. Both players left Texas on good terms, and both players are beloved by teammates and had good relationships with the coaching staff.
Shaka Smart has always erred on the side of a true players’ coach. If anything, he’s going to provide too long of a leash and let players play through too much. But it was noteworthy to hear Smart recently say he tells players he doesn’t want his relationship with them to be dictated by playing time, and he hopes that favor is returned.
Texas is at the point now where the rotation is going to be tight, and it’s going to include the best players that will help win the game; it’s not going to include minutes given for developmental purposes to players who aren’t going in the best group to help the team win. If a player, no matter how talented and how much he’s liked by those inside the program, wants to seek playing time and leave a great team behind, Texas will wish them well and keep its eyes on the prize.
What does this do for recruiting? Big man Charles Bediako, expected to decide sooner than later, remains the one main 2021 high school target. I still believe leaders are Alabama, Texas and Ohio State in that order. People close to Bediako would prefer Alabama, but Texas absolutely has the young man’s attention and particularly its success with bigs. Recently, Yale graduate transfer Paul Atkinson announced his commitment to Notre Dame. Regardless, I still expect Texas to remain very active for transfers.
A source indicated the Longhorns are trying to get in on the recruitment of former Houston guard Caleb Mills. The preseason American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Mills dealt with an ankle injury some this season and was playing just 19 minutes after leading the team in scoring as a freshman. The expectation is Mills, from North Carolina, will look to play closer to home. But the Longhorns are trying to work their way into the mix and likely will for any top target that fits.
Interestingly, if Texas would have had an open scholarship available when he was set to announce his commitment, it could have been a much bigger player for five-star Aminu Mohammad. In the end, that effectively ended the Longhorns’ chances, but their late surge speaks to the ability of new assistant K.T. Turner to make some noise on the recruiting trail, especially teamed with an excellent head coach recruiter in Shaka Smart.
The more success Texas has this season, the more attractive it’ll look to top transfer targets, especially if there’s as much available playing time as projected.
Attachments
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