2019 Recruiting Thread
- Thread starter Bwilk55
- Start date
I honestly think in their minds they are a blue blood.
They're like the kid that throws 75, but thinks he is going to go to Texas/LSU to pitch.
This may be mutual, other sites reporting he's a grade risk. Maybe why UT never pushed hard. Kid can ball though! Arizona and Louisville are rumored to be at the top if he can qualify there.
I thought he was the one who balled out at the Opening and had like 3-4 ints? Maybe that was Young?
It was Young after a quick google search...."Key Stats: 3 INT, 5 PBU"
Please ignore my comments about Wolfe lol
Texas is looking pretty good at the moment for a talented high school defensive end in Myron Warren (Many, LA). I’m headed over the Many today to get a look at Warren but I’ve heard very good things about the ability of this former TCU commit. Warren is looking at taking an unofficial visit to Texas for the Iowa State game, next month.
The wide receiver recruiting numbers could potentially get very interesting in the next few weeks. Especially because…
***2019 WR Kennedy Lewis (Melissa) will also make a return trip to Texas this weekend. As you know, Lewis took an official visit to Texas a couple weeks back for the Baylor game. He then decommitted from TCU.
After his visit to Texas, he told us that he plans on taking an official visit to Florida and Notre Dame followed by a third visit that, at the time, he had yet to have decided on.
Expect a November decision. Despite him not having taken his planned official visits, we will still check to see if a commitment this weekend is possible.
The wide receiver recruiting numbers could potentially get very interesting in the next few weeks. Especially because…
***2019 WR Kennedy Lewis (Melissa) will also make a return trip to Texas this weekend. As you know, Lewis took an official visit to Texas a couple weeks back for the Baylor game. He then decommitted from TCU.
After his visit to Texas, he told us that he plans on taking an official visit to Florida and Notre Dame followed by a third visit that, at the time, he had yet to have decided on.
Expect a November decision. Despite him not having taken his planned official visits, we will still check to see if a commitment this weekend is possible.
Yes we do. We're probably losing LJH as well as Collin this year which would leave us with only 5 WRs total left on the current roster: D.Duvernay, J.Pouncey, B.Eagles, J.Moore and A.Woodard. Very little experience. Need to reload.
And they'll be a spot for Bru no matter who we take at any position.
Do we really think LJH and CJ will both go to the NFL? Maybe Collin... But their play needs to improve. Ok St game was abysmal
With the current rookie salary structure in the NFL players out of college are just looking to make a roster and focus on that second contract. There's no longer a huge financial difference betwean getting drafted in the 2nd round and the 6th, so there's much less incentive to stay in school another year and improve their draft position. And coming out early means they'll be one year younger when it's time to sign that second contract.
How so? We're discussing how many WRs we need to take based on our predicted roster.
I'm no expert on drafting anyone since I don't watch the NFL anymore, but I'm pretty sure Collin Johnson is a darn good WR, he reminds me of Dez with a much better attitude. LJH is the kind of WR you want as #2 guy. He is a do it all type of guy, reminds me of guys like John Stallworth or Alvin Harper, or John Taylor of the 49ers. Not a primary guy but a guy that will make you pay for paying too much attention to the #1 guy.
RB Noah Cain, IMG Academy, FL via Denton Guyer (OV): The four-star tailback is headed back to Austin for the first time since last summer. His relationship with Stan Drayton, two years in the making, is the most consistent strength in this recruitment for Texas. You hear names often; LSU, Penn State, Georgia, and Ohio State, but I think Cain is a real wild card. Texas will likely take another running back if it's Cain or Trey Sanders. If UT can land just one of these, it'll be a huge success. He'll stay until Monday so the staff has time to work a little magic for Frank Gore 2.0.
WR Elijah Higgins, Austin Bowie (OV): The 6-foot-3, 230-pound receiver finally got some snaps in last night's contest, including playing quarterback in the wildcat. He has a lot of tools coaches covet; hands, body control, ball skills and fluidity after the catch. Texas has its work cut out for them here, Stanford looks tough to beat. Damn, I'm tired of writing that.
WR Kennedy Lewis, Melissa: The former TCU pledge caught some burnt orange fever and now the Horns are the team to beat. I think his take depends on what Higgins does, though Lewis would be a Z receiver who who provide some size and ball skills to the position. His speed isn't too shabby either.
OT Isaiah Hookfin, Sugarland Dulles: There's been some serious buzz (Auburn, Mississippi State, Baylor offers this week) with this late bloomer out of Sugarland. While there's not a ton of tape, his measureables and limited clips show a big, athletic kid around 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, with great balance in the Christian Jones mold. A Herb Hand special if there ever was one. He's on an unofficial visit this weekend. An official visit could happen in early December. Texas looks great here with or without an offer.
WR Elijah Higgins, Austin Bowie (OV): The 6-foot-3, 230-pound receiver finally got some snaps in last night's contest, including playing quarterback in the wildcat. He has a lot of tools coaches covet; hands, body control, ball skills and fluidity after the catch. Texas has its work cut out for them here, Stanford looks tough to beat. Damn, I'm tired of writing that.
WR Kennedy Lewis, Melissa: The former TCU pledge caught some burnt orange fever and now the Horns are the team to beat. I think his take depends on what Higgins does, though Lewis would be a Z receiver who who provide some size and ball skills to the position. His speed isn't too shabby either.
OT Isaiah Hookfin, Sugarland Dulles: There's been some serious buzz (Auburn, Mississippi State, Baylor offers this week) with this late bloomer out of Sugarland. While there's not a ton of tape, his measureables and limited clips show a big, athletic kid around 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, with great balance in the Christian Jones mold. A Herb Hand special if there ever was one. He's on an unofficial visit this weekend. An official visit could happen in early December. Texas looks great here with or without an offer.
Super K
As you all know, last week I went by practice at Dulles High School to see 2019 OT, Isaiah Hoofkin. Here is what I wrote…
I came away from that practice absolutely blown away by Hookfin’s athletic ability. I cannot emphasize enough how well this young man runs. Completely fluid in his lower body. Very flexible. He’s a natural athlete. He has to be a 4.8 perhaps even 4.7 guy at 6’5 265 lbs. He has a nice frame on him. Thick hands. Will comfortably hold around 300 lbs. Definitely one of the best athletes I’ve seen at that position in a while.
Hookfin really just started playing football last year. He played on the defensive side in 8th grade and then was injured during his freshmen and sophomore seasons. So, he played his junior year and is now doing well into his senior season.
I was interested in seeing more of Hookfin so I went to watch him play last Friday night. What you notice right away is how quickly he gets out of set. He can stay in front of anyone and the opposing team had some defensive guys with athleticism.
He flashed the ability to roll his hips and plant someone but for the most part, I saw him position blocking. I’m slow to criticize a player for this because you really don’t know if that’s what they’re being taught to do. But it is clear to me based on a few things I saw and just how strong Isaiah is and how big his hands are that he is the kind of guy who has the ability to steamroll his man.
He’s still learning how to use his hands as weapons. He put his hands out there but he doesn’t lock on right now. That’ll come though.
Again, give a guy like a Hoofkin some time in a program where he will be developed and he could very well end up being a draft guy.
Recruiting
As we mentioned last week, he does plan on taking the trip to Texas for an unofficial visit this weekend. Texas has yet to offer but I imagine the staff just wants to get a look at him and make sure they see a guy with the size and frame they can develop.
Also, it’s worth noting that while Texas has been working to flip Andrew Coker, Coker let me know that he is no longer visiting Texas this upcoming weekend. When I saw Coker in action a couple weeks ago he mentioned that he’d be at the West Virginia game. But he let me know earlier today that he won’t make it in. I’ll check to see if that’s going to be rescheduled.
Back to Hookfin. He’s really starting to pick up steam on the recruiting trail. Last week he picked up a Baylor offer. And, last night he picked up offers from Mississippi State and Auburn.
Hookfin’s father tells me that after the Texas visit this weekend they have an official visit to Arizona State scheduled the following weekend. In terms of remaining visits, his father said, “it’s all happening so fast right now so we still haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk through what visits he’s going to take”
2019 DE Myron Warren | In-Person + Recruiting Update
– Super K
I went out to Many (LA) to see 2019 Texas defensive end target, Myron Warren. I stopped by Lufkin’s practice before that and ended up missing much of the practice in Many. So, I didn’t get a chance to see Myron move around. But I really don’t have any question marks about his athleticism. He’s truly elite in that regard.
In fact, Myron grew up playing basketball and coach Jess Curtis, head coach at Many, says Myron can dunk the ball every which way you want it. Myron told me it was the encouragement of his friends, family, and coaches that really prompted him to first start playing football about two or three years ago.
Myron agrees that it was a good decision. He tells me has athletes all through his family. In fact he has a cousin who played basketball at Nebraska.
Myron certainly looks the part. I’d say he stands at around 6’3 and he’s nearly 240 lbs right now. Good frame on him. He’ll comfortably be 270 lbs. Extremely explosive off the line of scrimmage. Based on the film I’ve seen, he plays in an aggressive 30 front. Could really see him playing in an aggressive 30 or outside the tackle at 5 technique in a 4-man front – maybe even a Jack backer in college.
Recruiting
In terms of recruitment, TCU was his first power five offer. Given Gary Patterson and company’s ability to evaluate, that’s a really good sign. Following his TCU offer, this past summer, he picked offers from schools like Texas A&M, Ole Miss and a number of others. In fact, Myron tells me that he visited Texas A&M over the summer and the original plan was to visit Texas on the same visit but due to time constraints the trip didn’t materialize.
Texas has been in communication with Myron since the summer time, “they’ve been in the picture for a while…coach Oscar Giles contacted me right after I left TCU”. The Horns then pulled the trigger earlier this season.
Once he picked up the Texas offer, Myron decided he needed to take some time and reevaluate his options. As such, he decommitted from TCU and says he has high interest in Texas along with three or four other schools. Myron described the Texas offer as “amazing” adding, “to get an offer from a program like that, it just made me want to keep working harder and harder and harder”.
He continues to communicate with both Texas and TCU.
This upcoming weekend he will take a trip to LSU. The Tigers have yet to offer but it sounds like it’s a possibility. I asked Myron if he grew up of any program, assuming of course that it would be LSU. He said, however, “I really didn’t have a favorite football team. I was just mostly into basketball. I just loved basketball. I kept up with basketball”.
In fact, though Myron is from Louisiana he tells me that his kin are originally from the Killeen and Austin area of Texas. Having said that, should the Tigers offer, they’ll be stiff competition. But Myron insists that regardless, he plans on taking his visits including a visit to Texas.
He’s scheduled to take his first visit to Texas as an unofficial visit on November 17th when the Longhorns face Iowa State. After the season, he plans to take his official visits.
Quick-Hitters | Bru McCoy & Noah Cain
– Super K
***Received word earlier today from Horace McCoy, father of Bru McCoy that it’s looking unlikely that they will be able to make it on their official visit Oklahoma for the Bedlam game.
Horace said their schedule is tight from now until Bru makes his decision so it’s possible the visit won’t happen.
It’s looking more and more like this one will remain a Texas vs USC battle with Washington in the mix a bit, as well.
I can tell you that USC is going to have to assure a lot of their targets that things are on stable ground. Texas needs to end the season strong.
***As we previously reported, Noah Cain is scheduled to take his official visit to Texas this weekend.
He still has his LSU, Penn State and Ohio State OVs remaining but with LSU looking like the probable landing spot for John Emery this is looking better and better for Texas.
I’m on a plane now about to take off to Florida. I’ll be over at IMG sometime early next week. I hope to have more then.
As you all know, last week I went by practice at Dulles High School to see 2019 OT, Isaiah Hoofkin. Here is what I wrote…
I came away from that practice absolutely blown away by Hookfin’s athletic ability. I cannot emphasize enough how well this young man runs. Completely fluid in his lower body. Very flexible. He’s a natural athlete. He has to be a 4.8 perhaps even 4.7 guy at 6’5 265 lbs. He has a nice frame on him. Thick hands. Will comfortably hold around 300 lbs. Definitely one of the best athletes I’ve seen at that position in a while.
Hookfin really just started playing football last year. He played on the defensive side in 8th grade and then was injured during his freshmen and sophomore seasons. So, he played his junior year and is now doing well into his senior season.
I was interested in seeing more of Hookfin so I went to watch him play last Friday night. What you notice right away is how quickly he gets out of set. He can stay in front of anyone and the opposing team had some defensive guys with athleticism.
He flashed the ability to roll his hips and plant someone but for the most part, I saw him position blocking. I’m slow to criticize a player for this because you really don’t know if that’s what they’re being taught to do. But it is clear to me based on a few things I saw and just how strong Isaiah is and how big his hands are that he is the kind of guy who has the ability to steamroll his man.
He’s still learning how to use his hands as weapons. He put his hands out there but he doesn’t lock on right now. That’ll come though.
Again, give a guy like a Hoofkin some time in a program where he will be developed and he could very well end up being a draft guy.
Recruiting
As we mentioned last week, he does plan on taking the trip to Texas for an unofficial visit this weekend. Texas has yet to offer but I imagine the staff just wants to get a look at him and make sure they see a guy with the size and frame they can develop.
Also, it’s worth noting that while Texas has been working to flip Andrew Coker, Coker let me know that he is no longer visiting Texas this upcoming weekend. When I saw Coker in action a couple weeks ago he mentioned that he’d be at the West Virginia game. But he let me know earlier today that he won’t make it in. I’ll check to see if that’s going to be rescheduled.
Back to Hookfin. He’s really starting to pick up steam on the recruiting trail. Last week he picked up a Baylor offer. And, last night he picked up offers from Mississippi State and Auburn.
Hookfin’s father tells me that after the Texas visit this weekend they have an official visit to Arizona State scheduled the following weekend. In terms of remaining visits, his father said, “it’s all happening so fast right now so we still haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk through what visits he’s going to take”
2019 DE Myron Warren | In-Person + Recruiting Update
– Super K
I went out to Many (LA) to see 2019 Texas defensive end target, Myron Warren. I stopped by Lufkin’s practice before that and ended up missing much of the practice in Many. So, I didn’t get a chance to see Myron move around. But I really don’t have any question marks about his athleticism. He’s truly elite in that regard.
In fact, Myron grew up playing basketball and coach Jess Curtis, head coach at Many, says Myron can dunk the ball every which way you want it. Myron told me it was the encouragement of his friends, family, and coaches that really prompted him to first start playing football about two or three years ago.
Myron agrees that it was a good decision. He tells me has athletes all through his family. In fact he has a cousin who played basketball at Nebraska.
Myron certainly looks the part. I’d say he stands at around 6’3 and he’s nearly 240 lbs right now. Good frame on him. He’ll comfortably be 270 lbs. Extremely explosive off the line of scrimmage. Based on the film I’ve seen, he plays in an aggressive 30 front. Could really see him playing in an aggressive 30 or outside the tackle at 5 technique in a 4-man front – maybe even a Jack backer in college.
Recruiting
In terms of recruitment, TCU was his first power five offer. Given Gary Patterson and company’s ability to evaluate, that’s a really good sign. Following his TCU offer, this past summer, he picked offers from schools like Texas A&M, Ole Miss and a number of others. In fact, Myron tells me that he visited Texas A&M over the summer and the original plan was to visit Texas on the same visit but due to time constraints the trip didn’t materialize.
Texas has been in communication with Myron since the summer time, “they’ve been in the picture for a while…coach Oscar Giles contacted me right after I left TCU”. The Horns then pulled the trigger earlier this season.
Once he picked up the Texas offer, Myron decided he needed to take some time and reevaluate his options. As such, he decommitted from TCU and says he has high interest in Texas along with three or four other schools. Myron described the Texas offer as “amazing” adding, “to get an offer from a program like that, it just made me want to keep working harder and harder and harder”.
He continues to communicate with both Texas and TCU.
This upcoming weekend he will take a trip to LSU. The Tigers have yet to offer but it sounds like it’s a possibility. I asked Myron if he grew up of any program, assuming of course that it would be LSU. He said, however, “I really didn’t have a favorite football team. I was just mostly into basketball. I just loved basketball. I kept up with basketball”.
In fact, though Myron is from Louisiana he tells me that his kin are originally from the Killeen and Austin area of Texas. Having said that, should the Tigers offer, they’ll be stiff competition. But Myron insists that regardless, he plans on taking his visits including a visit to Texas.
He’s scheduled to take his first visit to Texas as an unofficial visit on November 17th when the Longhorns face Iowa State. After the season, he plans to take his official visits.
Quick-Hitters | Bru McCoy & Noah Cain
– Super K
***Received word earlier today from Horace McCoy, father of Bru McCoy that it’s looking unlikely that they will be able to make it on their official visit Oklahoma for the Bedlam game.
Horace said their schedule is tight from now until Bru makes his decision so it’s possible the visit won’t happen.
It’s looking more and more like this one will remain a Texas vs USC battle with Washington in the mix a bit, as well.
I can tell you that USC is going to have to assure a lot of their targets that things are on stable ground. Texas needs to end the season strong.
***As we previously reported, Noah Cain is scheduled to take his official visit to Texas this weekend.
He still has his LSU, Penn State and Ohio State OVs remaining but with LSU looking like the probable landing spot for John Emery this is looking better and better for Texas.
I’m on a plane now about to take off to Florida. I’ll be over at IMG sometime early next week. I hope to have more then.
This Hookfin kid sounds like a total badass, I love these late bloomers, they have a much higher success rate than the higher rated guys. I'd take a kid like Hookfin any day over some of these 4'star kids that have been told how great they are since 8th grade.
Hookfin left with an offer and multiple CBs came in for the good guys
TFB summary:
-Noah Cain has a great visit and source said it'll be hard for him to say no to Stan Drayton
-Higgins had a good visit but source says he's all standford, unless he doesn't get accepted.
IT:
ISAIAH HOOKFIN
It was the trip he always wanted to take.
The 6-foot-5, 270-pound offensive lineman from Dulles HS in Sugarland, Isaiah Hookfin, made his way to Austin and UT for the first time in his life this past weekend. His time was rewarded with an offer to attend the school.
Hookfin came in with an 82' wingspan and one source described him as "beautiful."
"The coaches were very vocal about my ability and size, also the fact they're not afraid to play freshmen," said Hookfin. "Players were really welcoming as far as the offensive linemen, and I hung with Christian Jones and Junior Angilau."
Hookfin soaked up the atmosphere, though I'm not sure it's sunk in that UT offered. He was on cloud nine yesterday.
"Recruits, like Tyler Johnson, were telling me about how much I could help the offensive line and class," said Hookfin. "The overall atmosphere was incredible. I've never been to anything like it before."
I believe Hookfin will take an official visit in early December. And just like Auburn and Mississippi State, I expect more offers to trickle his way. But right now he's UT's to lose.
I hope to see Isaiah this week when I head to H-town.
KENNEDY LEWIS
After tripping to Austin for the Baylor game last month, the 2019 Melissa receiver didn't want to miss a big attraction like dueling Top 20 Big 12 programs.
“The game was super fun,” said Lewis. “I loved the environment and atmosphere. Just everything about the city, coaches, players, weight room, education, dorms. Everything. "
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound field stretcher became enamored with the Longhorns earlier this fall, de-committed from TCU, and now has the Horns at the top of his list.
A decision timeline coming up?
“Possibly this week.”
Before you get excited, pump the brakes a little. I think this recruitment might play out longer. Stay tuned.
CB RECRUITING
For the last month, we’ve combed over wide receiver recruiting for the 2019 class. Each cycle has its twists and turns. With that position taking shape, it's time to focus cornerback.
Texas hosted Spring Dekaney 4* Marcus Banks for an UOV on Saturday. It was a surprise for most, inlcuding us. Banks reached out to Texas after de-committing from LSU three weeks ago, likely at the behest of LSU. With the number looking to be two at corner, Texas appeared to be full with Kenyatta Watson II and Marques Caldwell committed. Recruiting is weird, though, and you have to cover all your bases.
You could see the staff take another corner, because Caldwell offers versatility at nickel and safety. Plus Peyton Powell will likely start his career on offense.
The question becomes, if UT takes another corner how does it affect Kenyatta Watson?
First, it shouldn't. For the staff, Watson is the most prioritized corner in the country. After an absolutely fantastic in-state cornerback haul in 2018, the staff was forced to look OOS to find anything similar to what it just landed. They love Watson. With that understanding, they wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his commitment unless they had a reason.
So why the Banks interest? That interest is more on Banks' side for now; the staff is simply protecting its interests.
Talk is beginning to surface that Watson may take official visits to Florida, Tennessee, and perhaps some others. Ohio State and Alabama are still after him. However, we've heard those visits were in the works a couple of weeks ago, before there was interest in Banks. Obviously the staff heard the same and you can't fault them for building contingencies.
Watson has a great relationship with Jason Washington and he loves Texas and the City of Austin. Hopefully this isn't more than just poor communication but we're likely to see some tedious moments.
NOAH CAIN
The long relationship between Texas and Noah Cain rekindled this weekend during his official visit. For the record, he's still in Austin.
Mrs. Cain is a fan of a certain cinnamon roll, and the store was closed late yesterday evening. So with the Cain's flight pushed back the staff had those rolls delivered to their hotel this morning. Noah's mother was quite pleased. Jim Harbaugh's cookie cake and Sally's cookies have nothing on that.
For the four-star from IMG via Denton Guyer, his recruitment looks to be down to three schools - Texas, LSU, and Penn State. With the Tigers likely taking John Emery, that would seemingly swing the door wide open for Texas, but surprisingly we're hearing you can't rule out LSU landing all three.
It's still unlikely they will and Texas has done well to put itself in favorable positioning. The Cains are very fond of Austin and what the school offers Noah long-term. He's also closer to this UT staff than probably any other in the country. His relationship with Stan Drayton is a major factor. Drayton couldn't have belabored the opportunity for early playing time or Cain's fit in inside zone any more clearly.
Like with California's Bru McCoy, I wouldn't be shocked if Cain returned before the first NSD in mid-December for an unofficial visit. Hope for Emery to LSU and Cain to take one more visit to Austin.
ISAIAH HOOKFIN
It was the trip he always wanted to take.
The 6-foot-5, 270-pound offensive lineman from Dulles HS in Sugarland, Isaiah Hookfin, made his way to Austin and UT for the first time in his life this past weekend. His time was rewarded with an offer to attend the school.
Hookfin came in with an 82' wingspan and one source described him as "beautiful."
"The coaches were very vocal about my ability and size, also the fact they're not afraid to play freshmen," said Hookfin. "Players were really welcoming as far as the offensive linemen, and I hung with Christian Jones and Junior Angilau."
Hookfin soaked up the atmosphere, though I'm not sure it's sunk in that UT offered. He was on cloud nine yesterday.
"Recruits, like Tyler Johnson, were telling me about how much I could help the offensive line and class," said Hookfin. "The overall atmosphere was incredible. I've never been to anything like it before."
I believe Hookfin will take an official visit in early December. And just like Auburn and Mississippi State, I expect more offers to trickle his way. But right now he's UT's to lose.
I hope to see Isaiah this week when I head to H-town.
KENNEDY LEWIS
After tripping to Austin for the Baylor game last month, the 2019 Melissa receiver didn't want to miss a big attraction like dueling Top 20 Big 12 programs.
“The game was super fun,” said Lewis. “I loved the environment and atmosphere. Just everything about the city, coaches, players, weight room, education, dorms. Everything. "
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound field stretcher became enamored with the Longhorns earlier this fall, de-committed from TCU, and now has the Horns at the top of his list.
A decision timeline coming up?
“Possibly this week.”
Before you get excited, pump the brakes a little. I think this recruitment might play out longer. Stay tuned.
CB RECRUITING
For the last month, we’ve combed over wide receiver recruiting for the 2019 class. Each cycle has its twists and turns. With that position taking shape, it's time to focus cornerback.
Texas hosted Spring Dekaney 4* Marcus Banks for an UOV on Saturday. It was a surprise for most, inlcuding us. Banks reached out to Texas after de-committing from LSU three weeks ago, likely at the behest of LSU. With the number looking to be two at corner, Texas appeared to be full with Kenyatta Watson II and Marques Caldwell committed. Recruiting is weird, though, and you have to cover all your bases.
You could see the staff take another corner, because Caldwell offers versatility at nickel and safety. Plus Peyton Powell will likely start his career on offense.
The question becomes, if UT takes another corner how does it affect Kenyatta Watson?
First, it shouldn't. For the staff, Watson is the most prioritized corner in the country. After an absolutely fantastic in-state cornerback haul in 2018, the staff was forced to look OOS to find anything similar to what it just landed. They love Watson. With that understanding, they wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his commitment unless they had a reason.
So why the Banks interest? That interest is more on Banks' side for now; the staff is simply protecting its interests.
Talk is beginning to surface that Watson may take official visits to Florida, Tennessee, and perhaps some others. Ohio State and Alabama are still after him. However, we've heard those visits were in the works a couple of weeks ago, before there was interest in Banks. Obviously the staff heard the same and you can't fault them for building contingencies.
Watson has a great relationship with Jason Washington and he loves Texas and the City of Austin. Hopefully this isn't more than just poor communication but we're likely to see some tedious moments.
NOAH CAIN
The long relationship between Texas and Noah Cain rekindled this weekend during his official visit. For the record, he's still in Austin.
Mrs. Cain is a fan of a certain cinnamon roll, and the store was closed late yesterday evening. So with the Cain's flight pushed back the staff had those rolls delivered to their hotel this morning. Noah's mother was quite pleased. Jim Harbaugh's cookie cake and Sally's cookies have nothing on that.
For the four-star from IMG via Denton Guyer, his recruitment looks to be down to three schools - Texas, LSU, and Penn State. With the Tigers likely taking John Emery, that would seemingly swing the door wide open for Texas, but surprisingly we're hearing you can't rule out LSU landing all three.
It's still unlikely they will and Texas has done well to put itself in favorable positioning. The Cains are very fond of Austin and what the school offers Noah long-term. He's also closer to this UT staff than probably any other in the country. His relationship with Stan Drayton is a major factor. Drayton couldn't have belabored the opportunity for early playing time or Cain's fit in inside zone any more clearly.
Like with California's Bru McCoy, I wouldn't be shocked if Cain returned before the first NSD in mid-December for an unofficial visit. Hope for Emery to LSU and Cain to take one more visit to Austin.
Could turn into a GROWN AS$ MAN with Yancy working with him. Hope he has a nasty streak like Cosmi does! Love seeing OL put dudes on their back and then let em know about it.
A strong Stanford program is goddamned recruiting kryptonite. I wish the rest of the Pac-12 (except USC) would get its act together and send them back to the Walt Harris days.
I miss our O line telling the defense what play we were going to run inside their 5 and scoring anyway. As it stands now, we can't punch it in from the 1 apparently.
The Stampede:
Bru McCoy is nearing a decision. The five-star athlete out of Mater Dei (Calif.) will announce his commitment in December or January and is making his final visits of the cycle. While many have pegged him to stay close to home and play for USC, Texas has remained a consistent player and is arguably the biggest threat to pull him away from the West Coast. “We feel Texas offers everything we are looking for,” said McCoy’s mother, Shelby. “Great education, great football team, great staff, great city and great tradition. It’s the total package.”
Shelby also made it clear that going out-of-state is something the family is completely comfortable with. “With the process coming to an end, Bru is extremely high on Texas,” she said. “We are not worried about him going out-of-state. I feel like it’s really important to experience different places.” McCoy made an official visit to Texas in September and watched the Longhorns pick up a marquee victory over USC. It was there where the family got an in-depth look at the program and really connected with the UT staff.
While McCoy is in the process of making his final official visits, a trip back to the Forty Acres is also in the works. “We want to get back to Austin to make sure Bru is comfortable and has all his questions answered,” Shelby said. Texas head coach Tom Herman has been more involved in McCoy’s recruitment as of late, and wide receivers coach Drew Mehringer flew out to California to see him in action during the bye week.
Shelby said both Herman and Mehringer, as well as the rest of the Texas staff, have done a tremendous job of recruiting the family. “The coaching staff is continuing to build a strong relationship with Bru and with my husband and I,” she said. “Coach Mehringer was out two weeks ago to watch Bru play and reiterated how important he is to Texas. It really meant a lot to see him. We love Tom Herman’s energy and the relationships he builds with the boys.”
Along with Texas and USC, McCoy is still strongly considering Oklahoma and Washington. At 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, McCoy is ranked as the No. 1 athlete in the country and No. 9 overall prospect in the state, per 247Sports Composite.
***
I made my way out to California this weekend to check out some of UT’s top targets out West. Here are some tidbits.
— Let’s go ahead and start with the aforementioned McCoy. I put my Crystal Ball pick in for the Longhorns for a reason. As Shelby mentioned above, the family loves the program and the coaching staff, and they are growing more and more comfortable sending him away from home. If Texas does in fact get him back on campus, my confidence will only grow. After all, the McCoy family would be paying their own way, which shows just how much of a threat Texas really is to USC.
— There are a couple of things that give me pause with McCoy. Obviously, USC has been the team to beat in his recruitment forever, his former quarterback, JT Daniels, starts for the Trojans and the USC campus is a short drive from his home. While I think Texas has the momentum right now, USC will likely receive his final official visit, which will make it even harder for him to turn down the Trojans. Still, Texas has done an amazing job over the last several months, and it doesn’t appear that Clay Helton is getting the job done on the field, which raises stability questions.
— So what are the chances that Texas makes a statement and wins over McCoy? I would say it’s still 50-50 right now. I disagree with everyone that thinks he’s a lock to end up at USC. McCoy’s parents genuinely love Texas as Shelby went as far as to call it ‘the total package.’ That unofficial visit is still in the works as well, and Tom Herman can provide stability, which as mentioned, is in question at USC. I also feel like Texas commit De’Gabriel Floyd is playing a role here both as a recruiter and an example of an elite Los Angeles kid carving his own path and taking his talents to Austin. Remember, they are good friends.
— One of UT’s top remaining priorities is JUCO inside linebacker Caleb Johnson. While some hyped up his Arkansas visit, I still don’t see the Razorbacks as a huge threat here. In fact, Johnson told me that Texas is still his leader and that he plans to make a commitment before the end of the month. After spending extended time with Johnson out in California, I feel more confident than ever that the Longhorns will close and earn a commitment from him. Remember, Johnson will have three years of eligibility remaining.
— So what about Oregon? Yes, I still feel like if there is a school that can steal Johnson away from Texas late, it’s Oregon. But as I reported last week, Texas is making him the bigger priority as Oregon has several linebackers committed. Johnson is originally from California and grew up liking the Oregon program, but Texas really blew him away on his official visit, and it’s not a for sure that he’ll make an OV to Eugene. Johnson told me he’s still trying to decide between Oregon and Nebraska for his last trip.
— There might not be too much to it, but it is worth noting that four-star Texas defensive back commit Chris Adimora is planning to make an official visit to Arizona State this weekend. Adimora is also looking at taking a couple of other visits, so it looks like Texas will need to keep recruiting him hard ahead of the early signing period. Adimora did tell me that he is locked in, but visits are always a reason for slight concern.
— There is nothing to worry about with four-star Texas linebacker commit De’Gabriel Floyd. He has been the face of the class and is continuing to work on guys like Johnson and McCoy. Floyd is looking to make it back to campus before the end of the season and is set to sign and enroll early.
***
Texas hosted several recruits for its huge matchup with West Virginia this weekend. Here are some nuggets.
— Elite IMG Academy (Fla.) running back Noah Cain is still on campus as you are reading this, but Texas made a huge impact this weekend. Cain and his family arrived on Saturday and got an in-depth look at the campus and program before taking in the game. Sunday was more about relationships. Cain got to spend some quality time with the staff and really connected with Stan Drayton, Bryan Carrington and others. Cain will have his final meeting with Tom Herman today.
— I am close to switching my Crystal Ball for Cain from LSU to Texas. We are still hearing that John Emery is trending to the Tigers, and Cain doesn’t want to be part of a three-back class. While Trey Sanders is still a big fish, Cain seems like the safer bet. Remember, his family lives in Dallas, and he’s always had an affinity for the program. Penn State is also in a great position, but Texas made some waves this weekend. We will have more on Cain after his visit.
— The other official visitor on campus this weekend was four-star Austin Bowie wide receiver Elijah Higgins, who wrapped up his visit on Sunday. Texas has done a nice job rising back up the list for Higgins. He really likes the program and the way the offense is producing this season. The staff has pitched him as the next Lil'Jordan Humphrey, which definitely has his attention. So did Texas do enough this weekend? I don’t think so. There is a slight chance Texas can still win him over before he makes his decision, but as of today, I would still give the edge to Stanford. Higgins sees a valuable opportunity away from home and an education that may be too good to pass up. Texas still has work to do after this trip.
—Could Texas be close to picking up one (or two) commits soon? It’s very much a possibility. Texas once again hosted Melissa wide receiver Kennedy Lewis this weekend. With Higgins looking unlikely at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lewis shuts things down in the near future. He’s visited Texas twice in the last few weeks and sees himself as a fit in Austin. Texas also put an offer on the table for rising offensive lineman Isaiah Hookfin. The Longhorns are in the pole position after the weekend and will push to seal the deal.
— One of the biggest storylines coming out of the weekend was the surprise visit of four-star Spring Dekaney cornerback Marcus Banks. The ex-LSU commit has always had a strong relationship with Texas cornerbacks coach Jason Washington, and the two have maintained contact over the last few months. While things are still preliminary here, you have to keep in mind that Texas was the favorite early in the cycle and that Banks isn’t making a new decision until January. Texas appeared to be done at corner, but Banks was a priority target in the spring, and his renewed interest has the Longhorns intrigued. By the way, I’m told Banks’ mother loves the program and would love to see her son in Austin.
— Will the recruitment of Banks have any ripple effects on the state of the cornerback class? Marques Caldwell is locked in and not going anywhere. But the Banks visit has given Kenyatta Watson II reason to make visits of his own. I caught up with Watson’s father this weekend, and he told me that official visits elsewhere are a real possibility. I would keep a close eye on Florida and Tennessee.
— Texas once again played host to five-star 2020 Houston North Forest wide receiver and Texas A&M commit Demond Demas. He has now been on campus three times since giving the Aggies a verbal pledge, and it’s clear his interest level in the Longhorns remains high. Nothing is really going to matter with Demas until next signing day, and I still feel like Texas will eventually flip him, especially if the staff can keep his teammate, Javonne Shepherd, in the fold.
— Premium Sports is the biggest 7v7 organization in California. Guys like Floyd and McCoy are part of the program. Coach Matt, who is at the center of Premium Sports, made his way to Austin this weekend along with elite 2021 recruits Jake Garcia and Anthony Beavers Jr. Coach Matt said they loved their time on campus, especially hanging out with Texas Director of Recruiting Bryan Carrington. Coach Matt wants to see more California kids land at Texas, and Carrington has done an excellent job of establishing a relationship with him, which will help moving forward.
Bru McCoy is nearing a decision. The five-star athlete out of Mater Dei (Calif.) will announce his commitment in December or January and is making his final visits of the cycle. While many have pegged him to stay close to home and play for USC, Texas has remained a consistent player and is arguably the biggest threat to pull him away from the West Coast. “We feel Texas offers everything we are looking for,” said McCoy’s mother, Shelby. “Great education, great football team, great staff, great city and great tradition. It’s the total package.”
Shelby also made it clear that going out-of-state is something the family is completely comfortable with. “With the process coming to an end, Bru is extremely high on Texas,” she said. “We are not worried about him going out-of-state. I feel like it’s really important to experience different places.” McCoy made an official visit to Texas in September and watched the Longhorns pick up a marquee victory over USC. It was there where the family got an in-depth look at the program and really connected with the UT staff.
While McCoy is in the process of making his final official visits, a trip back to the Forty Acres is also in the works. “We want to get back to Austin to make sure Bru is comfortable and has all his questions answered,” Shelby said. Texas head coach Tom Herman has been more involved in McCoy’s recruitment as of late, and wide receivers coach Drew Mehringer flew out to California to see him in action during the bye week.
Shelby said both Herman and Mehringer, as well as the rest of the Texas staff, have done a tremendous job of recruiting the family. “The coaching staff is continuing to build a strong relationship with Bru and with my husband and I,” she said. “Coach Mehringer was out two weeks ago to watch Bru play and reiterated how important he is to Texas. It really meant a lot to see him. We love Tom Herman’s energy and the relationships he builds with the boys.”
Along with Texas and USC, McCoy is still strongly considering Oklahoma and Washington. At 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, McCoy is ranked as the No. 1 athlete in the country and No. 9 overall prospect in the state, per 247Sports Composite.
***
I made my way out to California this weekend to check out some of UT’s top targets out West. Here are some tidbits.
— Let’s go ahead and start with the aforementioned McCoy. I put my Crystal Ball pick in for the Longhorns for a reason. As Shelby mentioned above, the family loves the program and the coaching staff, and they are growing more and more comfortable sending him away from home. If Texas does in fact get him back on campus, my confidence will only grow. After all, the McCoy family would be paying their own way, which shows just how much of a threat Texas really is to USC.
— There are a couple of things that give me pause with McCoy. Obviously, USC has been the team to beat in his recruitment forever, his former quarterback, JT Daniels, starts for the Trojans and the USC campus is a short drive from his home. While I think Texas has the momentum right now, USC will likely receive his final official visit, which will make it even harder for him to turn down the Trojans. Still, Texas has done an amazing job over the last several months, and it doesn’t appear that Clay Helton is getting the job done on the field, which raises stability questions.
— So what are the chances that Texas makes a statement and wins over McCoy? I would say it’s still 50-50 right now. I disagree with everyone that thinks he’s a lock to end up at USC. McCoy’s parents genuinely love Texas as Shelby went as far as to call it ‘the total package.’ That unofficial visit is still in the works as well, and Tom Herman can provide stability, which as mentioned, is in question at USC. I also feel like Texas commit De’Gabriel Floyd is playing a role here both as a recruiter and an example of an elite Los Angeles kid carving his own path and taking his talents to Austin. Remember, they are good friends.
— One of UT’s top remaining priorities is JUCO inside linebacker Caleb Johnson. While some hyped up his Arkansas visit, I still don’t see the Razorbacks as a huge threat here. In fact, Johnson told me that Texas is still his leader and that he plans to make a commitment before the end of the month. After spending extended time with Johnson out in California, I feel more confident than ever that the Longhorns will close and earn a commitment from him. Remember, Johnson will have three years of eligibility remaining.
— So what about Oregon? Yes, I still feel like if there is a school that can steal Johnson away from Texas late, it’s Oregon. But as I reported last week, Texas is making him the bigger priority as Oregon has several linebackers committed. Johnson is originally from California and grew up liking the Oregon program, but Texas really blew him away on his official visit, and it’s not a for sure that he’ll make an OV to Eugene. Johnson told me he’s still trying to decide between Oregon and Nebraska for his last trip.
— There might not be too much to it, but it is worth noting that four-star Texas defensive back commit Chris Adimora is planning to make an official visit to Arizona State this weekend. Adimora is also looking at taking a couple of other visits, so it looks like Texas will need to keep recruiting him hard ahead of the early signing period. Adimora did tell me that he is locked in, but visits are always a reason for slight concern.
— There is nothing to worry about with four-star Texas linebacker commit De’Gabriel Floyd. He has been the face of the class and is continuing to work on guys like Johnson and McCoy. Floyd is looking to make it back to campus before the end of the season and is set to sign and enroll early.
***
Texas hosted several recruits for its huge matchup with West Virginia this weekend. Here are some nuggets.
— Elite IMG Academy (Fla.) running back Noah Cain is still on campus as you are reading this, but Texas made a huge impact this weekend. Cain and his family arrived on Saturday and got an in-depth look at the campus and program before taking in the game. Sunday was more about relationships. Cain got to spend some quality time with the staff and really connected with Stan Drayton, Bryan Carrington and others. Cain will have his final meeting with Tom Herman today.
— I am close to switching my Crystal Ball for Cain from LSU to Texas. We are still hearing that John Emery is trending to the Tigers, and Cain doesn’t want to be part of a three-back class. While Trey Sanders is still a big fish, Cain seems like the safer bet. Remember, his family lives in Dallas, and he’s always had an affinity for the program. Penn State is also in a great position, but Texas made some waves this weekend. We will have more on Cain after his visit.
— The other official visitor on campus this weekend was four-star Austin Bowie wide receiver Elijah Higgins, who wrapped up his visit on Sunday. Texas has done a nice job rising back up the list for Higgins. He really likes the program and the way the offense is producing this season. The staff has pitched him as the next Lil'Jordan Humphrey, which definitely has his attention. So did Texas do enough this weekend? I don’t think so. There is a slight chance Texas can still win him over before he makes his decision, but as of today, I would still give the edge to Stanford. Higgins sees a valuable opportunity away from home and an education that may be too good to pass up. Texas still has work to do after this trip.
—Could Texas be close to picking up one (or two) commits soon? It’s very much a possibility. Texas once again hosted Melissa wide receiver Kennedy Lewis this weekend. With Higgins looking unlikely at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lewis shuts things down in the near future. He’s visited Texas twice in the last few weeks and sees himself as a fit in Austin. Texas also put an offer on the table for rising offensive lineman Isaiah Hookfin. The Longhorns are in the pole position after the weekend and will push to seal the deal.
— One of the biggest storylines coming out of the weekend was the surprise visit of four-star Spring Dekaney cornerback Marcus Banks. The ex-LSU commit has always had a strong relationship with Texas cornerbacks coach Jason Washington, and the two have maintained contact over the last few months. While things are still preliminary here, you have to keep in mind that Texas was the favorite early in the cycle and that Banks isn’t making a new decision until January. Texas appeared to be done at corner, but Banks was a priority target in the spring, and his renewed interest has the Longhorns intrigued. By the way, I’m told Banks’ mother loves the program and would love to see her son in Austin.
— Will the recruitment of Banks have any ripple effects on the state of the cornerback class? Marques Caldwell is locked in and not going anywhere. But the Banks visit has given Kenyatta Watson II reason to make visits of his own. I caught up with Watson’s father this weekend, and he told me that official visits elsewhere are a real possibility. I would keep a close eye on Florida and Tennessee.
— Texas once again played host to five-star 2020 Houston North Forest wide receiver and Texas A&M commit Demond Demas. He has now been on campus three times since giving the Aggies a verbal pledge, and it’s clear his interest level in the Longhorns remains high. Nothing is really going to matter with Demas until next signing day, and I still feel like Texas will eventually flip him, especially if the staff can keep his teammate, Javonne Shepherd, in the fold.
— Premium Sports is the biggest 7v7 organization in California. Guys like Floyd and McCoy are part of the program. Coach Matt, who is at the center of Premium Sports, made his way to Austin this weekend along with elite 2021 recruits Jake Garcia and Anthony Beavers Jr. Coach Matt said they loved their time on campus, especially hanging out with Texas Director of Recruiting Bryan Carrington. Coach Matt wants to see more California kids land at Texas, and Carrington has done an excellent job of establishing a relationship with him, which will help moving forward.
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