Thursday 3/12 @ 6PM- $1/3 NLH on TCH LiVE!
Sunday 3/15 @ 2PM- $6K GTD Prizepool $150 Mega Stack Freezeout- Final table streamed on TCH LiVE!
Monday 3/16 @ 6PM- $5/5 NLH on TCH LiVE!
*****
(Ketch)
Let's start out with a Shaka Smart update in the aftermath of COVID19 concerns leading to the cancellation of the Big 12 Tournament and the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, thus ending the season for all NCAA basketball teams.
At the moment, I'm being told that all movement on that front is on a complete standstill while Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte and all university employees deal with the massive undertaking of the unprecedented events of the last few days.
I was told by a high-level university source on Thursday night that that the 24-hour window prior to our conversation had been the most chaotic he had remembered in his time with the school. In an article with USA Today, Dan Wolken reported that a handful of high-level officials around the country were livid at the lack of communication from the NCAA, which complicated things for every conference in the country.
When asked about the NCAA's role in the stressful last 24 hours, my source didn't hold back.
"What a damn joke," the source said. "Thanks for nothing. We were all left hanging out to dry. Just a little bit of leadership from above would have helped, but that group is worthless. We were waiting for some direction and the people we were waiting to give direction were leaving into the hands of people who were learning about the Coronavirus this week and didn't have the first clue about what they needed to be doing for us as partners. You guys (the media) knew more than we did.
"What matters is I think we got it right in time. I hope. We had players in all of our sports that had concerns. I thought (Chris) Del Conte and Greg Fenves led things with urgency. The amount of conversation that took place this week in an effort to process what was happening was non-stop. "
As it relates to Smart, my source said that he just didn't think it was on the radar right now.
"Not now. Everyone is just trying to catch their breath," he said. "There are more important things for us to worry about at the moment."
When I pressed for a feeling of the room, my source concluded, "I've thought that he would return next year the moment that shot went in against Oklahoma. Nothing has changed as far as I'm concerned. I'm not even convinced that today's game would have mattered, so what's happening right now probably doesn't hurt his chances of keeping his job."
*****
(From Anwar)
The Longhorns were having a successful offseason until the Big 12 put precautionary measures in place for winter and spring sports on Thursday.
The Big 12 started the day by cancelling the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. A few hours later, spring football was shut down until at least March 29. The team is still allowed to participate in conditioning drills, but Texas’ first day of practice on March 24 has been pushed back. There is no telling if the Longhorns will practice on March 29, or if there will be another delay.
That move ended the speculation occurring within the building about how to approach spring practice.
“With the Big 12’s recent directive suspending athletics activities until Sunday, March 29, all regular-season Longhorn Athletics competitions will be canceled until that date, beginning with our Baseball series on Friday,” Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said via a press release on Thursday. “In addition to in-season UT sports with current regular-season competition like Baseball, Golf, Rowing, Softball and Tennis, this also will include the Texas Relays and Spring Soccer matches, and postpone a decision on the start of Spring Football Practice until after the March 29 date.
“That was followed by an announcement from the NCAA that all winter and spring sports championships have been cancelled, which includes those upcoming in Track & Field, Basketball and Swimming & Diving. This is a very fluid situation and one that presents great challenges. The health, safety and well-being of everyone involved is the number one priority and we will be having many discussions in the coming hours, days and weeks to determine what the next steps are. We appreciate everyone’s support and patience on this and will continue to provide updates as decisions are made.”
During my conversations with sources prior to Thursday, everyone was taking a wait-and-see approach. As you know, new information about the virus was coming hourly. Initially, there was not a lot of concern since most of the cases were outside of the U.S. As the virus started to spread throughout our country, it became apparent something would give.
Everyone I spoke with predicted the decision would be made by athletic director Chris Del Conte, the Big 12, or the NCAA. Nobody expected Texas football coach Tom Herman to have the final say.
One of the issues my sources had was being behind other programs this season.
TCU held it first practice on February 28. Texas Tech began spring practice on March 3, Oklahoma State started on March 9, Oklahoma and West Virginia hit the field on March 10. Baylor and Kansas were slated to start practice on March 17, Kansas State on March 18, followed by Iowa State and Texas on March 24. TCU practiced more than any other team before the spring practice was postponed, while Texas is one of five Big 12 teams that has not practiced.
From what I was told, if Texas can resume practice on March 29, the Longhorns can squeeze in four practices a week and still have the spring game as scheduled. If it’s any later than that, nobody can predict what will occur.
So far, no one associated with the program has been told how the league will make sure each team receives the same amount of practices. That resolution largely depends on what occurs with the virus during the upcoming days and weeks.
Outside of football, there is another concern.
The University of Texas will begin spring break next week, and students were given an additional week off. There is a good chance the rest of this semester will be taught online.
However, that also means over 100 Longhorns will travel throughout Texas, and this country, and return home, or go on vacation. There is no telling if those players will be exposed to the virus while traveling, and they run the risk of returning to Austin and putting players, coaches, and support staff at risk if they are unaware of their coronavirus exposure. Obviously, this is a hypothetical situation. Nevertheless, this potential circumstance has been considered.
Before being released for spring break, players were told to call the Longhorn medical staff (trainers or doctors) if they detect any coronavirus symptoms, according to my sources. If the medical staff determines the player is at risk, they will advise the athlete where to go for an examination.
As you know, things can change at any moment.
I will keep you posted.
*****
Since we are on the subject of spring break, let us discuss the expectations.
According to my sources, Longhorn players were given a workout plan to follow while off campus. They were asked to do three days of running mixed in with three lift days.
“They know if they decide to party during spring break instead of workout, they’re going to have a tough time when spring practice begins,” a source told me.
That being said, nobody I talked to this week was worried about players taking the next two weeks off.
I was told conditioning of this group has impressed the new staff. Each player showed up for offseason winter conditioning in shape, and they excelled throughout Yancy McKnight’s workouts.
“When they get back from spring break, they’re going to run more than they’ve ever run," I was told. “They better be in shape. Their bodies better be ready.”
*****
I previously said the Longhorns were having a successful offseason because that seems to be the consensus coming from inside the building.
Longhorn players underwent Navy Seals training for two days during winter conditioning. I learned the players did not have any issues with the physical demands of the challenge.
“The guys killed it,” a source said. “They were in great shape for that.”
In addition, Longhorn players spent several hours in a classroom setting learning leadership and teamwork. I was told the players excelled in that setting, too.
In the past, Tuesdays and Thursdays during winter conditioning were known as “Tour of Duty” days. Those were competition days when players would compete against each other in different drills.
However, the focus this offseason was on position specific drills with the new coaches.
Last year, the NCAA allowed walk-throughs during winter conditioning. Since the Longhorns have seven new staff members, one of the major goals this offseason was conducting more football-related drills.
As a result, there were more position specific drills with the new Longhorn coaches during winter conditioning throughout the week, while Wednesdays were reserved for mat drills and Tour of Duty competitions.
One source was impressed with the leadership he witnessed during practice. After reviewing the roster, he attributed it to the veteran players on this team.
*****
It seems like my reporting of former Oklahoma State quarterback J.W. Walsh’s addition to the staff as an analyst was two years ago. In fact, it was actually on Monday.
Walsh previously played for former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, who currently holds the same position at Texas.
I was asked more than once about the role of an analyst at Texas. For those who asked, here is what I wrote about Larry Fedora when he was hired as an analyst last year (same description applies to the current support staff):
“Typically, analysts do a lot of dirty work. They break down film, chase kids around campus and make sure players are in class, making playbooks, etc. Just think about what your first job looked like.
“Fedora is going to do way more than that.
“As a former coach, Fedora’s skills will be utilized more during the regular season. That is why he will be asked to do advanced scouting by always staying a week or two ahead. Some of his tasks will involve self-scouting. He will also have to task of scouting opposing teams.
“I asked a source to give me an example and was given a scenario.
“Herman could approach Fedora and say he heard Oklahoma is really good at running counter plays. Fedora could be asked to pull all the counter plays Oklahoma has run and analyze why the team is successful. After completing that task, Fedora could be asked to present his findings to Herman, or the entire staff.
“Fedora will also need to compile scouting reports on opponents. Not a game plan, but a scouting report that entails the strengths and weaknesses of an opponent. Basically, share with the staff everything he sees on video.
“The advantage for Texas is having a veteran coach share his expertise with Herman’s staff. Instead of getting that information from a young person who is learning on the job, Herman can hear an analysis from a former coach who is an expert in their profession.”
By the way, analysts are allowed to interact with recruits on-campus, but are not allowed to visit players off-campus.
***
The plan was to try to get the recruiting board finished this week and then break it down in this week’s War Room, but time got away from me a bit … too much time in those damn coronavirus threads.
Instead, let’s go ahead and take a position-by-position look at the Longhorns’ top 2021 targets … we’ll save the specific percentage predictions for the recruiting board but will rank guys in one of four categories this week … <25%, 25-50%, 50-75% and >75%. (Of note: Texas has several other out-of-state offers on the table, which would all be less than 25% until the guys actually make it to campus. I left them out as to not clutter things up.)
With all that’s going on in the world, recruiting is a bit up in the air so things could change dramatically in the coming months, but here’s how I’d handicap things right now …
QUARTERBACK
Commitments (1)
Needs (0 or 1)
Jalen Milroe (UT commitment) - Milroe committed early and hasn’t really looked back despite continued interest from other programs. The Katy Taylor standout seems happy with his pledge, but this could be a situation worth monitoring if Texas does take a second QB in the class. Another QB doesn’t mean Milroe will necessarily look around, but it’s naïve to think he won’t at least be watching the situation.
Garrett Nussmeier – I’ll see Nussmeier this week and should have a better handle on things after that, but most of the buzz with him seems to be centered on LSU (he owns 100% of the Rivals FutureCast predictions). He’s supposed to visit Texas at some point but the Longhorns likely have ground to make up. Odds: 25-50%
Sawyer Robertson – When we last spoke with Robertson, he was very much intrigued with the UT offer. He’s planning a visit this spring but a recent trip to Mississippi State and visit with Mike Leach could be a big sign when the dust settles on this one. Odds: 25-50%
RUNNING BACK
Commitments (0)
Needs (2)
Camar Wheaton – He took visits to OU and Texas this week, which was big news. Wheaton is pretty open and he really doesn’t tip his hand on which schools are standing out, but there’s some thought that he could wind up staying closer to home. If that’s true, that would bode well for the Longhorns and Sooners and maybe even a school like SMU or TCU. Odds: 25-50%
LJ Johnson – Johnson really enjoyed his UT visit in January and it felt coming out of that visit that the Longhorns might actually be the team to beat, although he listed about five schools that were recruiting him the hardest (and said he was open to every school that has offered). As we get further away from that visit, the shine has probably worn off a bit but Texas is still in a very good spot here. He’s another that I think stays close to home when it’s all said and done. If I’m putting this one at Texas versus the field, he’d probably be right at that 50% mark. Odds: 50-75%
TreVeyon Henderson – The speedy Henderson is set to take a Texas official visit in late April, so the Longhorns are definitely in the mix. But the competition on this one is going to be stout with just about every school in the country recruiting the Hopewell (VA) product. Odds: 25-50%
Jonathon Brooks – He hasn’t been talked about a ton since Texas offered him, but when I spoke to him at a recent Rivals camp it was pretty clear that Texas is in a good spot here (he was wearing a UT hoodie, after all). Brooks mentioned Texas and Texas Tech as the two schools standing out, but left it open that others could catch his eye if he gets more offers this spring. Texas feels like the team to beat here, but don’t sleep on the Red Raiders … he’s intrigued by the opportunity to play early there. Odds: 50-75%
Brandon Campbell – Things have been pretty quiet with Campbell after a time last year when it looked like he might want to pull the trigger on an early commitment. Other guys seem to be higher on UT’s board so we’ll see where this one goes. If Texas pushes at some point, the Longhorns will have a really good shot. Odds: <25%
WIDE RECEIVER
Commitments (0)
Needs (3 or 4)
Quaydarius Davis – Davis’s recruitment has always been a bit of a roller coaster ride (he’s already committed and decommitted from two schools) and that’s probably not going to change. If things settle down and if he truly wants to be a Longhorn, this one should work out. If he wants to continue to take other visits, which he’s mentioned, he’ll probably wind up elsewhere. Don’t rule out a local school like SMU in this one. Odds: 50-75%
Mario Williams – He visited on Monday with his 7v7 team, so that’s good, and he did list Texas in his top five. I’ll begin to take this one a bit more seriously if Williams returns for an unofficial visit or official visit that’s not with a group of 7v7 teammates. These are the types of recruitments that rarely go UT’s way. Odds: 25-50%
Agiye Hall – A Florida source said he could see Texas being in the mix here as things go on, but that would surprise me. Odds: <25%
JoJo Earle – After not listing Texas in his top five, Earle made his way to Austin with his family on Sunday for an unofficial visit, and we were told that Texas made a strong move. How strong? There’s probably still work to be done, but the door is at least open for the Longhorns now to try to kick it in with a few more visits. I don’t favor Texas in this race right now, but it feels like the Longhorns could really surge with this one if they can get Earle back on campus a couple more times and play well in the fall. Odds: 25-50%
Troy Stellato – He was at Clemson last week so was unable to visit Texas with the SFE 7v7 team, so that was a bit of bad luck for Texas. That being said, Stellato has said he’ll be visiting Texas at some point and the Longhorns are a school he’ll strongly consider. Texas has a chance here, but he’ll be a top national recruit which means it’ll probably be a tough one to win. Odds: 25-50%
Latrell Neville – He’s another guy who has been close to committing a few times (to a few different teams). There was a time last year when Neville was very high on the Longhorns and he did visit UT in January. He’s a bit unpredictable … it wouldn’t shock me if he wound up being in the class, but I’m not quite predicting that at this point. Odds: 25-50%
Theodore Knox – Knox is a guy I haven’t really been able to connect with so I can’t say I have a good read on what he’s thinking right now. He’s said previously that he wasn’t in a rush to make a decision, but most feel the Longhorns are a school that just may have the edge. Odds: 50-75%
Ketron Jackson – Texas put an offer on the table for Jackson this week (more on that in a bit) and he’ll be on the UT campus in a few weeks for Texas Relays. Jackson said he grew up watching Texas and UT was his “dream school” so that has to mean something … but I got the impression he’s genuinely pretty open and going to consider all options. Odds: 25-50%
Marcus Burke – He hasn’t visited yet, but we’ll go ahead and include him because he told OB that Texas will definitely get a visit. If/when that happens, this one could get interesting. Until then, we’ll put him in the longshot category. Odds: <25%
Hal Presley – Another guy Texas offered this week, Presley told OB Texas would probably be top-5ish but he listed a few other schools as ones that are standing out now. I’m putting the Longhorns at less than 50% right now, but I get the feeling after talking to him that if Texas can get him in for a visit or two (which should happen), the Longhorns could move into the driver’s seat. Odds: 25-50%
TIGHT END
Commitments (1)
Needs (1)
Juan Davis (UT commitment) – Davis isn’t technically a “tight end,” but we’ll put him in this category as a jumbo offensive weapon for the Longhorns. He’s completely locked in with his pledge.
Landen King – He’s taking visits and going to evaluate options, but this one just makes a lot of sense, especially with his sister being a UT student. Odds: >75%
Elijah Arroyo – When we spoke to Arroyo a couple weeks ago, he said he was pretty much wide open and wants to visit a few schools before narrowing his focus. Seems like there’s a ways to go in this one. Odds: 25-50%
Lake McRee – You can’t completely rule this one out, but it’s not often that a guy decommits from a school and then winds up recommitting. Some pieces would have to fall into place for that to happen but he is a local guy so anything is possible. Odds: <25%
OFFENSIVE LINE
Commitments (1)
Needs (3-5)
Hayden Conner (UT commitment) – He’s locked in with Texas and tweeted this week UT will be the only official visit he takes (in June). The challenge for Conner now is to help bring guys like teammate Bryce Foster with him.
Bryce Foster – He’s down to five schools and I could honestly see him picking any of the five after he takes his official visits. Texas’ reputation with its track and field throwing program is a factor that could weigh in UT’s favor, but we’ve heard a lot of OU buzz lately. Tough one to predict, but I’d put Texas at a little less than 50% versus the field. Odds: 25-50%
Tommy Brockermeyer and James Brockermeyer – Their story has been documented pretty thoroughly, and there’s not a lot new to report. The brothers will take some spring and summer official visits and their goal is to decide before the start of their senior season if they feel they’re ready. Texas will get an official visit and the Longhorns have a lot of things helping them in this fight, but I’m not sure I can comfortably call UT the leader right now. This one feels like it’s right at 50/50, but if I’m forced to put a number on UT versus the field I’d probably put it a shade under that 50% mark. Odds: 25-50%
Savion Byrd – There’s a lot of chatter about LSU surging with Byrd, but I’m not sure I completely agree with that. On one hand, he told me he’s never even visited LSU, so that’s why he’d have them behind schools like Texas and SMU. On the other hand, the fact that he mentioned LSU in the same breath with those other two before he’s ever even visited shows how strong his LSU interest is. It feels like this one could have a lot of movement once Byrd starts taking visits, but as it stands right now, I like UT’s chances as much as anyone’s. Odds: 50-75%
Bram Walden – I’ve been told from an Arizona source that Texas is in a much better spot here than most realize. In fact, one person I communicated with feels like Texas is the team to beat for Walden. I’m not quite ready to go that far with visits to places like USC and Oregon on the schedule (he’s supposed to visit UT at some point as well) but don’t sleep on the Longhorns’ chances here. Odds: 25-50%
Jonah Miller – Another Arizona guy, when I spoke to Miller about a month ago, I came away thinking the Longhorns were the team to beat. He’s visited UT twice, plans to return at least once more, and raved about the entire program and the city of Austin. Having former teammate Bijan Robinson heading to UT can only help, but a recent visit to Oregon is hard to ignore. I’d put this one at a shade under 50%, but that number could swing upward quite a bit once he visits Texas again. Odds: 25-50%
Jager Burton – Texas is in his top seven and he’s visited UT once already, but this one feels like a longshot, especially since he recently listed five other schools that will get OVs. Odds: <25%
Matthew Wykoff – Wykoff’s a tough one to figure out. When I spoke to him recently at the Rivals Houston camp, he had a lot of good things to say about Texas and said the Longhorns will make the cut when he trims his list. That being said, I didn’t get the impression at all that Texas was above the other schools he’s going to consider. Odds: 25-50%
DEFENSIVE LINE
Commitments (1)
Needs (3 or 4)
Ja'Tavion Sanders (UT commitment) – A versatile athlete who can do a bit of everything on the football field, I think Sanders’ long-term future and highest upside is at defensive end. He’s locked in with his commitment and has said he’s not interested in hearing from any other schools.
Marcus Burris – On one hand, I think Texas’ chances are better than most realize. On the other hand, I do think A&M is the leader. Odds: 25-50%
Maason Smith – Smith was intrigued when Texas first offered and it wouldn’t shock me if he visited at some point, but the odds of getting him away from LSU seem slim. Odds: <25%
Shemar Turner – Turner told me on Sunday that he hasn’t even trimmed his list, but the fact that he visited Texas right before the February dead period began and was on campus again last week is a pretty strong indicator of his interest in Texas. The competition will be tough here, but I like Texas’ chances as much or more than anyone else at this point. Odds: 50-75%
Jordon Thomas – Texas A&M and LSU are still in play here, but Thomas continues to show up in Austin and his Twitter/Instagram feeds have had a pro-Texas vibe of late. Odds: >75%
Landon Jackson – Jackson already has five schools picked out for official visits and Texas is one of them. There’s been a lot of UT buzz of late, especially after he visited in January. Jackson really likes Texas a lot – that’s plainly obvious every time I talk to him - but I also think he’s keeping a pretty open mind. This is another that feels like it’s about 50/50 when judging Texas versus the field, but with schools like Texas A&M, LSU, Ohio State and Washington expected to get official visits, I’ll put UT’s odds at just under that break even mark. Odds: 25-50%
E'maurion Banks – His name rarely comes up because he never talks and Texas has other guys higher on the board. Banks has visited Texas Tech a couple times so that’s worth noting. I’m honestly not sure how strong his interest in Texas would be if the Longhorns pushed … I need to check on that. Odds: <25%
Tunmise Adeleye – He’ll probably continue to mention Texas despite the Longhorns not being in his top 6, but I don’t look for this one to go UT’s way. Odds: <25%
LINEBACKER
Commitments (1)
Needs (3)
Derrick Harris (UT commitment) – Harris visited Texas in January and has said all along he’s completely locked in with his Texas commitment. He’s a guy who could wind up playing as an edge rusher depending on how his body fills out in the coming years. Texas needs to bring in several other LBs with him in this class.
Terrence Cooks – In talking to Cooks a few weeks ago, he basically said he hasn’t narrowed his focus and he’s wide open. But there’s no denying that Texas is in a good spot here, and there’s a buzz from other recruits that the Longhorns are the team to beat. I’m not quite ready to put him in that >75% category, but he’s not far off. Odds: 50-75%
Clayton Smith – Smith is a guy who at one time looked like he was a strong Texas lean and while that still may be the case, it’s been a while since he’s been on campus so I’m putting him at under 50%. When he visits Texas again, which should happen this spring, this number will probably climb quite a bit. Odds: 25-50%
Morice Blackwell – Blackwell had planned to visit Texas later this month, but that will have to be put on hold. He rarely does interviews so it’s hard to tell who is leading right now. Odds: 25-50%
CORNERBACK
Commitments (0)
Needs (2 or 3)
Ishmael Ibraheem – Ibraheem has visited Texas a couple times and the Longhorns are definitely within striking distance, but the competition for this one is going to be tough. Right now I’d put my money on the field. Odds: 25-50%
Omarion Cooper – The Florida product did visit UT last weekend while in the state for a 7v7 Tournament, so that’s a pretty good indication his interest in Texas is real. A Florida source told me before the visit he thought Texas had a legit shot in that one and Cooper apparently talks up UT quite a bit. I’ll put him a little under 50% just because he’s from out-of-state, but Texas should definitely be a factor in this one. Odds: 25-50%
Hunter Washington – Washington visited Texas before the February dead period kicked in and said it was a good visit overall, so Texas should stay in the mix there. But he’s a kid that is also looking at a lot of big out-of-state schools like USC, Michigan, Ohio State and LSU. Odds: 25-50%
Tony Grimes – Grimes has visited UT once and his father has said they’ll be back at some point, but this would be an extremely tough pull. Odds: <25%
Ceyair Wright – Wright is a corner/safety but I’ll put him in with the cornerbacks. He was planning on visiting UT this coming weekend before all hell broke loose, so his Texas interest is legit. If he’s able to reschedule that trip at some point, the Longhorns could be a factor. Odds: 25-50%
SAFETY
Commitments (1)
Needs (1 or 2)
Billy Bowman – Bowman is a true jack-of-all-trades, but I’m putting him at safety for this exercise because that’s where I think he has the most upside. He’s completely locked in with his commitment.
Isaiah Nwokobia – He’s taken a lot of visits and says he’s wide open, but when I spoke with Nwokobia after his recent UT visit, I got the vibe that Texas’ chances were as good or better than any other school on his list. Odds: 50-75%
Andrew Mukuba – He’s a recent Texas offer and while I expect the Longhorns to be in the mix, Oklahoma might have the early edge. Odds: 25-50%
JD Coffey – He visited UT for the January Elite Day and when I spoke with him last week, it was pretty clear the Longhorns are still very high on his list. If Texas has the room and continues to push, I like the chances of him being in this class. Odds: 50-75%
