Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte has delayed making arguably the toughest decisions of his career due to COVID-19.
Del Conte’s athletic budget missed out on potential spring game revenue. He originally hoped to have a football stadium with 50,000 fans this season. That number has been knocked back to 25,000. Considering 30 percent of Del Conte’s athletic budget is comprised of ticket sales, 22 percent through corporate sponsorships and advertising, while 15 percent is through NCAA/Conference distributions/media rights/postseason football, there is no way for Texas to avoid a revenue decline.
As a result, Del Conte is on the verge of announcing a decision that will affect his entire athletic department. I was informed that Del Conte may begin sharing his decision with staff members as soon as Friday, but it will occur no later than Monday.
According to my sources, Del Conte is expected to request the highest paid employees in his athletic department take up to 15 percent pay reduction. In addition, multiple sources told Orangebloods.com there will be tiered salary reductions for other athletic employees, but the specifics details are not available.
I contacted Del Conte on Thursday evening for an official comment, but he declined to divulge the particulars of Texas’ imminent reductions.
The timing of Del Conte’s announcement is not a surprise.
Many other programs announced cuts earlier this summer. The main reason we heard about those financial cutbacks is because most fiscal years of athletic departments end in June. That means the fiscal calendar year of most departments began on July 1.
However, Texas is different.
UT’s fiscal calendar is from September 1 to August 31. That means Del Conte has until Monday to announce his decision to the staff.
Since coaches are employees with contracts, Del Conte will request a salary reduction. Athletic department employees who work without a guaranteed contract will be informed about their salary reductions in the near future.
If the Big 12 did not chip in money to help its members this year, Del Conte’s decision could have been worse.
Here is what the Dallas Morning News reported earlier this year:
“Already, the Big 12 will lose about $15 million to $18 million this season, Bowlsby said. The NCAA’s announcement that the distribution to Division I schools and conferences would be $225 million instead of $600 million from the cancellation of March Madness means the Big 12’s share will go from $24 million to $10 million, Bowlsby said. The decision to call off the conference basketball tournament in Kansas City is another $6.6 million hit, according to Bowlsby. At the same time, the Big 12 will receive more revenue from having two teams in the New Year’s Six bowls.
“Because of conference cash reserves, Bowlsby said he expected to 'make our members whole' on the per-school estimates for this fiscal year of about $40 million.”
However, the projected loss of football revenue means there is no way for Del Conte to avoid making cuts.
I will keep you posted.
*****
Texas defensive coordinator Chris Ash expressed a very interesting tidbit about his team’s preparation for the upcoming season during a media interview session via Zoom on Wednesday.
“The design is to get as many players game ready as possible in this year,” Ash said. “This is probably one of the first times in my career … say you've got 45 players on the defensive side of the ball you could look out across the room and tell 40 of them you're going to have a chance to play this year because of COVID and the quarantine things that could come up throughout the course of the season. Our challenge was to develop this many players. One, set practice in a way that you could get reps for the players that needed to so you could try to get a solid three-deep at least at each position so if disaster struck, you'd have guys that were ready to play. I think we've done a good job of that.”
Take a mental note because I will get into how that rationale led to the recent signing of D-II running back Gabriel Watson.
However, Ash’s statement prompted me to inquire about how Texas is handling quarterback reps behind the scenes during training camp, and this is a nugget to file away for the future.
Texas freshman Hudson Card is living up to the hype.
Clearly, Texas senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger is the starting quarterback, and there nobody is competing for his spot. Ehlinger is a four-year starter. He has the potential to compete for the Heisman Trophy this year. It is impossible for me to tell you anything about Ehlinger that you probably do not already now.
However, here is some information about the backup rotation you probably are not aware of.
According to my sources, Casey Thompson receives between 10 to 20 percent of first-team reps during training camp. That largely depends on what the staff is trying to accomplish that day. Regardless, when it is time for Ehlinger to stand on the sidelines, Thompson is the first option to take his place.
Nevertheless, Thompson does not have a sizeable advantage over Card.
Thompson receives around 60 percent of second-team reps during practice, while Hudson is around 40 percent. Clearly, when Thompson is playing with the ones, Hudson’s reps with the two increase. Regardless, Card, a true freshman, is receiving almost as many second-team reps Thompson, a redshirt sophomore.
In addition, Ja’Quinden Jackson is taking all the third-team reps. To be fair, Card arrived on campus in January, while Jackson joined his team during the summer. The NCAA did not allow incoming freshmen to attend Zoom meetings with teammates. Jackson was allowed to have one-on-one calls with Mike Yurcich, his offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. He missed team meetings, and it should not come as a surprise that Jackson is working with the third-team.
In fact, Jackson told me during an interview in March he intended to redshirt this season and compete for the starting job in 2021 against Thompson and Card (that was before Jalen Milroe dropped out of the picture). I doubt Jackson is bothered about his current position on the depth chart.
That being said, Card is generating a lot of buzz behind the scenes. He has impressed everyone with his arm strength and accuracy. Card will likely backup Thompson this season, but everyone inside the building is expecting one hell of a quarterback battle next year. We have to get past this season before thinking about 2021.
Just know Card is turning heads during training camp, and if you are not on the bandwagon, now might be a good time to join before seats fill up next year.
*****
Back to Watson.
Texas recently signed the Sioux Falls grad transfer running back, and he is not expected to practice with the team until Tuesday. The move came as a surprise to Longhorn observers due to the quality of running backs in Stan Drayton’s room.
Drayton currently has Keaontay Ingram and Roschon Johnson, two running backs that heavily contributed last season. In addition, 5-star running back Bijan Robinson has been turning heads since he stepped on campus this summer and is expected to contribute on special teams and rotate behind Ingram and Johnson. That seemingly does not leave a lot of touches for Watson.
The former Sioux Falls running back led Division II football with 1,957 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns in 2018 (both single-season school records), but a hamstring injury prevented him from playing the majority of last season. When Watson entered the transfer portal, Longhorn staff members reached out to him after watching his college film.
When I asked people inside the building about signing a running back to compete in a room stacked with talent, they pointed to Covid-19.
According to my sources, Watson provides the Longhorns with depth for a room that takes a constant beating. I was told with the concern about running backs missing games due to traditional pounding that occurs, coupled with the uncertainty of players being quarantined due to the coronavirus, Watson’s role is to provide depth.
In fact, I learned Watson informed the staff he was not concerned about his spot on the depth chart. Instead, Watson wanted to practice at a major college facility, contribute when his name is called, and get ready for the NFL draft. Texas gives Watson an opportunity to stay in shape for the NFL.
Watson could sit out this year and return for 2021. However, I was told nobody is thinking that far ahead right now.
Right now, nobody inside the building expects Watson to be active against UTEP in the season opener on September 12. Instead, they are optimistic Watson can contribute on special teams against Texas Tech on September 26.
*****
After inquiring about Watson, I checked in with my sources to see if the Longhorns were in the market for an offensive lineman.
Texas guard Isaiah Hookfin is expected to miss the next two weeks due to a shoulder injury. There are several unproven players once you get past Sam Cosmi, Junior Angilau and Derek Kerstetter.
However, I learned Texas is not actively looking for an offensive lineman.
From what I was told, there is not enough time prior to the regular season to get an offensive lineman ready to contribute this year. At best, that transfer player might be ready to play midseason if all went well.
Now, if an offensive lineman who started at a major program wanted to attend Texas, and the staff believed he could instantly contribute, they would take him. However, they would likely pump the brakes on an unproven offensive lineman.
*****
Here are few nuggets to end my section:
--- With Christian Jones starting at right tackle and Denzel Okafor at right guard, Tope Imade has slipped into the backup right guard spot, while Tyler Johnson is the No. 2 right tackle. That rotation could change after Hookfin returns. For now, that is the backup rotation.
--- Linebacker Ayodele Adeoye injured his shoulder this past Friday. Adeoye took a tough fall during practice and is expected to miss between one and two weeks of practice.
--- DeMarvion Overshown has excelled in practice as a linebacker. My sources indicated he has great footwork and looks like a natural at that position. The only concern right now is if Overshown has the thumping ability to be on the field in a fourth-and-short situation. However, Overshown is at least a three-down linebacker at this point.
******
(From Suchomel)
It’s been a while since we’ve touched base with Texas wide receiver commitment Casey Cain - actually we hadn’t talked to him since he gave his pledge back in May – so we thought we’d check in.
Things have been pretty quiet with the New Orleans Warren Easton product, who is still hopeful that he gets to play this year despite Louisiana being in a holding pattern until the state gets to Phase 3 of the COVID protocols. In the meantime, Cain said he’s just trying to stay focused and improve his craft.
“I’ve just been trying to better myself as a player, get the team together and try to win a championship,” Cain said. “I’m just trying to improve my speed and my catching, my connection with my quarterback. I think that’s coming along pretty well.”
Looking back at his decision to commit to Texas, Cain said he has no second thoughts at all.
“I feel like I made the right decision. I don’t have any regrets about it when I look back,” Cain said.
The 6-3, 185-pound Cain stays in close contact with the Texas coaches, just building on their already strong relationship.
“I talk to coach (Andre) Coleman and coach (Mike) Yurcich. I talk to them once or twice a week,” Cain said. “They’ll just call me and check on me.”
Cain said he’s kept an eye on Texas’ recruiting efforts since he committed. Like all of you reading this, the commitment from quarterback Quinn Ewers definitely caught his attention.
“I’m excited, actually. He’s pretty talented. You can’t go wrong with a five-star quarterback,” Cain said.
So what was it that led Cain to commit to Texas without ever having visited Austin?
“Really, Texas gave me an opportunity pretty early, especially with all the spring and summer workouts being cancelled. I wanted to make my decision early. They made it easy for me and I feel like I fit really well in the program,” Cain said.
The first receiver commitment in the class for Texas, Cain has taken a virtual visit to Texas so he does have an idea what to expect. He’s hopeful he’ll be able to take an in-person visit soon, but said he’s comfortable with his decision regardless.
“When all this stuff clears up, I’ll try to go up there if I can. If not, I’m more comfortable there than any other school, I can tell you that,” Cain said.
******
Defensive lineman Shemar Turner made it down to Austin last week for a visit with his family. That can only be a good thing for Texas, but if you’re looking for clues from Turner, you’re not going to get any.
In talking to the DeSoto standout on Sunday, he mentioned that it was a good visit overall and he enjoyed his FaceTime conversations with the Texas coaches, in addition to getting a chance to hang out with some of the current players.
So what’s the overall vibe on Turner? Really tough to say, and it depends on who you ask.
Shemar swears he’s wide open among his top five (Texas, Texas A&M, Alabama, LSU and Georgia), but it’s hard to ignore the fact that he’s been on the Texas campus three times this year that I’m aware of (two before COVID hit, once last weekend). In checking around with a few people this week, there’s no real consensus on where the Rivlas250 member will eventually wind up, but the common thought is that it’ll be either Texas, Texas A&M or Alabama. One person I spoke with this week thought Alabama might have the edge because of … well, yanno … but I’m not in total agreement and there could be some things in play that could impact that situation.
Alabama is heavily involved with defensive lineman Tunmise Adeleye, and if that was to work out it could certainly make this an in-state battle between the Longhorns and the Aggies. The problem … Adeleye doesn’t want to decide until late in the process (Turner has said the same), so it could come down to how much confidence Bama has in landing Adele rather than Adele actually pulling the trigger.
Again, tough one to predict but I don’t think LSU and Georgia are much of a factor here (pretty sure he’s never visited either). Turner has told me it’ll be important for him that his family is able to watch him play, which is another note worth filing away. Best guess … this one comes down to an in-state battle, and if that’s the case a visit last weekend could pay dividends for UT in the long run.
******
I don’t want to spend too much time writing about Camar Wheaton because frankly, I’m a bit Camar Wheatoned out, but it feels like we need to at least give some input/thoughts on Wheaton leaving Texas out of his top three this week.
In case you were under a rock earlier this week (or preparing to flee a hurricane … if that’s the case, hope you’re safe), Wheaton tweeted on Monday that he was going to release a top two that day. A little after midnight Monday night, Wheaton pulled a bit of a surprise by listing three finalists – Oklahoma, Alabama and LSU.
There was some hand-wringing on the board, but the way I see it, this is a situation that was seen through too much of a negative lens by some. My thoughts …
You always want to take a talent like Wheaton, but this is what I would call a very manageable situation for Texas. The Longhorns, per multiple sources over the past couple weeks, are in a good spot for fellow Rivals100 back LJ Johnson. Land him (my FutureCast pick is on Texas) and all is well. It’s not like Texas was going to land both Johnson and Wheaton, so this still has a strong possibility of being a very potent running back class with Johnson and the under-appreciated Jonathon Brooks. Bring in those two, one year after signing Bijan Robinson, and this still looks like a home run running back class to these eyes. Factor in a young, talented (and improving) Roschon Johnson and the fact that UT is the current leader for the nation’s top 2022 back in Jaydon Blue, and the Texas running back room appears to be in very good hands for the foreseeable future if things go as expected.
For the record … I communicated with a UT team source I trust this week, and he echoed my sentiments that nobody in the football department is flipping out of the Wheaton situation.
******
When recent offensive line offer Jack Leyrer told us last week he’d be taking a visit to Austin and the UT campus with his parents, it felt like that was a fairly important development with him planning to decide soon. Fast forward one week, and that upcoming visit feels much more critical than it did even last week.
Savion Byrd did in fact make it to OU last weekend for OU’s “informal” recruiting event, and judging by some of the things floating around on social media and what I’ve heard behind the scenes (Byrd has been quiet in terms of actual interviews), that visit appears to have moved the needle in OU’s favor. Quite a bit, in fact. For several months, people have pointed to SMU as the team to watch with Byrd, but Oklahoma has always felt to me like the team fans weren’t paying enough attention to, and last weekend likely only solidified the Sooners’ standing for one of UT’s top remaining targets.
The good news … Byrd still speaks very highly of Texas whenever he and I talk. The bad news … he’s always remained consistent that he’s not going to decide until late in the process, but I heard this week that he could be close to making a sooner-than-expected decision. With that in mind, Texas needs to find a way to get him back on campus and re-engaged in a big way.
Back to Leyrer … I put my FutureCast pick in for Texas last week after talking to him, but I don’t get the impression that one is set in stone at all. That being said, he’s a guy who grew up rooting for UT, he knows/appreciates what the McCombs School of Business can do for him and he has friends in the program. This one just makes a ton of sense, it’s suddenly a very important recruitment for Texas and it’s one in which the Longhorns will have a chance to make an impression this weekend when Leyrer gets to campus.
We’ll follow up with the Highland Park product after his visit to see what he thinks. Leyrer told us last week he’d like to decide before his team’s fall camp begins on September 7, if possible, so this visit could essentially make or break UT’s chances.
******
Rivals250 CB Jaylon Guilbeau opened some eyes this week when he posted the following tweet …
The Port Arthur Memorial standout and teammate of Texas 2021 commitment Jordon Thomas has not set a formal timeline for a decision, but I would expect something to come by the end of next week. Several teams are still in the mix but it feels like Texas is in a good spot to land its first defensive commitment in the 2022 class.
******
(McComas)
If you missed last week’s podcast with Rivals.com analyst Eric Bossi, check it out HERE. Bossi and I both agreed – and he would know better than I – Tamar Bates could soon make a commitment. Turns out Bates will announce his commitment live on the Rivals.com Instagram account with Bossi tomorrow at 10:30 a.m.
Jai Lucas is the primary assistant recruiter for Bates, but Bossi was confident the most important element in this recruitment, from the Texas perspective, is Bates’s relationship with Shaka Smart.
“I have a real good relationship with coach Smart. We built a really good relationship over the past month,” Bates said recently. “I like the coaching staff. I had a chance to talk to some of the players. Definitely a school that I know is prioritizing me.”
Earlier this week, I put in a FutureCast pick of Texas for Bates. When I last spoke with Bates, covered in a War Room a couple weeks ago, my feel was he was on the verge of making a decision and Texas was in good standing. With the relationship Smart has built with Bates, who has the exact competitive, winning, unselfish personality Smart covets, the Texas head coach will be tough to beat.
There was a report out this past weekend, which Collins retweeted, that Kentucky reached out to him for the first time. A couple days ago, Kentucky turned the interest into an actual offer for Collins, who will be a five-star prospect in the next update. Kentucky is also pursuing Lucas, his primary recruiter at Texas, and is expected to add him to its basketball staff next week.
I don’t know if the timing is purely coincidence or Lucas related, and Collins is certainly talented enough to warrant a Kentucky offer. Prior to the Kentucky offer, Collins’s recruitment remained a tough Red River battle. While OU is confident with its standing for the Team Griffin AAU product, Texas has done a very good job recruiting Collins and his family. I think if you polled both coaching staffs, they’d both say they’re getting him. Well, that was before Kentucky entered the picture.
How much will that offer affect the recruitment? We’ll see. Some people believed Collins was on the verge of entering decision-making mode.
Because of the pandemic and lack of AAU season, more prospects than usual are making summer commitments. Normally, this would be the time when many top names take and schedule fall visits ahead of a commitment to sign during the first November period. This cycle, more prospects are making their intentions known earlier, and Texas targets Jahmai Mashack and D’Marco Dunn could join that list.
I think Texas is running a close second for Mashack and is firmly in the hunt for Dunn, but probably behind North Carolina and Vanderbilt.
Last edited by a moderator:
