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Alex's Chat Column: "Let's Talk About Football!"

Alex Dunlap

Any Updates on Desmond Harrison?
Staff
Jan 18, 2005
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Travis Settlement, TX
OK, it doesn't have to be about just football, you can ask whatever you want.

I'm leaving for a few days of travel to cover the Houston and then Dallas satellite camps starting tomorrow and figured it would be a good time to have a chat. We can talk whatever you want, but I will be able to give the best answers about Longhorns football, fantasy football, NFL in general, the Baylor scandal, food, music, dogs, fishing, DFS industry news and game-theory strategy, gardening, certain television shows or whatever else you have.

I will NOT be able to answer questions about hoops recruiting or give the kind of insight that Suchomel could about where certain football targets may be leaning, but can always give my evaluative views of recruits and their fits within the Texas system and depth chart.

I will answer each question in the thread in order until the chat is over, then copy and paste each question and answer here in the OP as well, so people can have all the answers in one place without having to wade through them, and also so it can stay up as an easier-to-read column-type piece once the chat is over.

GO.

---

Buy or Sell:

We see a defensive backfield that looks like this at least once this season....
(Elliott, Jones, Davis, Hill, Locke)

BUY.

Here's why. We know for a fact we'll see one with three of those guys - CBs Davis, Hill and nickel Locke - right from the start. As for Elliott and Brandon Jones at the safeties, I think Elliott will come into play sooner to give us those four. It only makes sense that, either through an injury occurring to Haines and/or Hall or possibly just in a garbage-time situation we'll see Davis, Hill and Locke in the game at the same time as Jones and Elliott. I would imagine that toward the end of the season - if that grouping does well while on the field together - they will be used like that more and more as both young safeties are going to be hard to keep off the field for too long. Elliott has already been a backup for too long as far as I'm concerned and Jones is an even better natural player than he is.

Alex-
How do you see our offense stacking up against a somewhat "new" Notre Dame defensive unit that also didn't face a passing threat or Foreman/Warren last season? Way too early prediction of output on the scoreboard?

My honest prediction is that Texas comes out versus Notre Dame and surprises Texas fans positively. It's a way-too-early thing, but that's what it did in the spring game and clearly the team will only get better with more time developing and especially more time with the new coaches. The ND defense has lost a number of good players and while the Texas offensive line isn't anything to write home about just yet, the game-plan along with the strength of Texas' two runners this season as opposed to Johnathan Gray last year - as you've mentioned - is night and day. Also, the OL should technically be better if Texas can depend on just-barely-below-average play from the center and left guard positions and marginal improvement from returning players at the other three.

My gut feeling is that Texas wins in a close game and fans will want to hire Sterlin Gilbert as the head coach -- or at least give him a statue. ; )

When do the summer 7 on 7 workouts begin?

It's an informal thing, but they usually get fired up around the end of the first session and in the time coming into the second session. I know some guys are getting together to get extra work right now, but I don't think they are going hard-core, organized 7v7 just yet. I would guess we'll start hearing reports about those getting kicked up with bigger participation in the next 10 days to 2 weeks.

Put our 24 incoming freshman into 1 of 4 categories for the 2016 season: Likely starter, Will play significant snaps, Will play some, Will likely redshirt.

Y'all never make it easy on me. : ) This is the kind of question I could have a completely different answer to once I see all these players on the same field as the current ones, but based on all I know, I'll try.

*** means = if they make it in

Likely starter

QB Shane Buechele
WR Collin Johnson
C Zach Shackelford

Will play significant snaps (offense or defense)

S Brandon Jones
LB Jeffery McCulloch
FOX Erick Fowler ***
DT Jordan Elliott
OL Denzel Okafor
DT D'Andre Christmas-Giles
DT Gerald Wilbon

Will play some

DT/DE Chris Daniels
DE Andrew Fitzgerald
DB Eric Cuffee
TE Peyton Aucoin
DE Malcolm Roach
WR Davion Curtis
OL Tope Imade

Will likely redshirt

LB Demarco Boyd
DT Marcell Southall ***
OT Jean Delance
RB Kyle Porter
WR Reggie Hemphill-Mapps
ATH Lil'Jordan Humphrey
S Chris Brown

Any word on attrition lately? Would you guess over/under 3.5 more guys to transfer before fall camp opens?

Not hearing really anything on more attrition at this point. I think I would take the under if you said it was even 2.5.

I added tasteful and pineapple tomatoes for the garden because of your info. What method do you prefer for supporting them as they produce fruit? I am using multiple methods right now so I can try to figure out which is best for each. Do you spray with Epsom salt water as they are producing fruit? (My uncle always did)

Any insight to DeShon Elliott's mastery of the playbook? Is that all that's holding him back?
Who do you feel are the 2 best options in the slot? (Not counting Duve)

With all tomatoes I grow, I support them by stalking on the tallest plastic stalks I can find. My plants will usually grow even taller than those. With the pineapple, it's very leggy and will grow wandering arms into other plants. When this happens, I simply put in another stalk and tie the loose branch onto that one for support. Make sure to use soft twine and to tie the plant to the stalks VERY loosely.

I've never used Epsom Salt spray and never heard of it. I don't spray tomato fruit with anything. Nightly, I will go out and survey the plants for stinkbugs and just remove/squash them the old-fashioned way.

I think Elliott was just learning how to be a college football player last season. I don't foresee and haven't heard about issues with the playbook. Texas basically runs a Cover-3 defense most of the time that doesn't take a physicist to assimilate to.

Rank the following as prospects:

Jordan Elliott
Deandre Christmas-Giles
Chris Daniels
Gerald Wilbon
Marcel Southall
Stephon Taylor
LaGaryonn Carson
Marvin Wilson
Malcom Brown
Hassan Ridgeway

Coming out of High School?

Wilson
Brown
Ridgeway
DCG
Taylor
Elliott
Carson
Wilbon
Daniels
Southall

Who will gain more yards from scrimmage this season (assuming good health throughout), Alfred Morris or Ezekiel Elliot?

I'll one-up you with a hot take:

Elliott will DOUBLE Morris' yards from scrimmage in 2016.

1) Have you noticed or heard of a difference in the way the plays are being called on the field from the sidelines? Will you do a written piece on Gilbert's philosophy and his approach?

2) Do you think we'll see the 'chaos D' that Bedford/Strong exhibited in Louisville and against OU? We should have the athletes to pull it off.

- I've done numerous written pieces about various elements of the Gilbert offense since the hire, but I'm unsure of exact communication method from sideline to QB in-game. Since the offense only uses half of the field, it seems like it would be easy to just run in signals using signs and other visual things along with the calls. Gilbert, judging by the little we've seen in practice, will also sort of yell things out at the QB if he comes to the sideline for instruction, etc. as you'd expect. It's an aspect I'll pay closer attention to in the fall camp practices they allow media at.

- That is the "dime," speed-pressure package called Cheetah and I imagine we will continue seeing it on third and other passing-down situations. It was enormously helpful in getting offenses off the field in 2015 when used at Texas. My favorite player to picture in the Cheetah role is Kris Boyd, it's a great way to get him on the field.

What do you think the optimal offensive line lineup would be for Notre Dame?

Williams - Okafor - Shackelford - Vahe - Perkins

It's hard to pencil in a guy like Okafor as an optimal starter considering I've never seen him practice on a college football field. I have, however, seen Brandon Hodges and he's not impressive thus far. If Okafor is 3/4 of what people around the program hope he could be, then he represents a better option at LG.

Buy or sell: The movement to go WR heavy in fantasy drafts has gone too far and RB's have become underrated as a result.

SELL.

Some RBs have become underrated (Devonta Freeman's mid-round 2 current ADP) but the move toward picking WRs earlier and earlier is based in sound theory, I promise. Especially in 2016, we're seeing players like CJ Anderson (who will be an RB1 in 12-team leagues) go in the fourth and fifth rounds. Load up on your WRs early unless the rest of your league mates are doing the same thing. In this case, it's OK to take elite RB talent if it falls at terrific value.

Buy or sell: Baylor inexplicably keeps its 2016 class together minus Devin D through smoke, mirrors, and lies.

I honestly believe there are good people at Baylor who are going to do the right thing eventually, but, will be met at each step with a larger-than-should-be-thought-of-as-reasonable group of meddling donors. I worry all this in-fighting, the implementation of 105 new recommendations from the report, etc. may extend the process of releasing the players until a time where it's close to too late. Maybe that's by design or maybe they're just not handling things efficiently yet again.

Post a gif of your reaction to Baylor's interim president saying yesterday that their transparency is the very reason why the media is asking questions.

tumblr_mul4oz3C2i1rdutw3o1_400.gif


The only NCAA contact they have had with Baylor has been the law firm. So....

Will or when will the NCAA finally step in?

Do you believe Baylor at some point will be forced to show transparency?

(I say forced because I don't think they will ever volunteer that information)


What will be the effectiveness of our defensive line, especially when it's late in the fourth and we will mainly have true freshman...

- Baylor has "self-reported" the findings of the Pepper Hamilton report.

- I have no idea when the NCAA will respond to these reports, and with what force, but I do not necessarily agree with the many who equate this to a Penn State situation that the NCAA may want to stay out of as it falls more in legal realm than the institutional realm due to the grisly nature of the crimes.

Since the crimes involved actual student athletes and not just coaches, I think it gives the NCAA more room to possibly operate as a governing body over punishment for the events.

- If you mean we'll see the full P/H report by "transparency," then, no, I don't think we'll ever see the full report.

Does Hudson end up at Texas?

Is Briles done at Baylor?

Who is the starting QB at Denver by season's end?

How concerned about kicker should I be?

How is the garden? I planted some tomatoes from your list.

- I think he'll eventually get released and I think Texas would be the leader so --- yes.
- Yes.
- Paxton Lynch.
- Somewhat
- It's blowing up now that the rain has stopped for a while and things are heating up.

Do Fowler and/or Southall qualify?

If you put a gun to my head and made me say one thing or the other I'd say no.

Wednesday Night Update: It looks like I would have been wrong ...

If you can only sign one of them, which would you choose that would help Texas more at a position of need and in regards to recent recruiting classes; Walker Little or Marvin Wilson?

That's such a tough question. They're both beasts, I don't know how one school can basically have two players that are the two best in the state. The wild part is Episcopal also had Jhamon Ausbon the WR before he went to IMG.

If I have to choose one, give me Marvin. Texas is not in terrific shape at OT but it's in better shape there than it is along the defensive line. The 2016 group along with 2017 additions headlined by a Wilson would pave the way for possibly dominant defensive lines at Texas for the next four years.

Alex assuming both replacement options are tied, meaning that both perform the same at their given position. Where do you play Perk this year?

I would play him at guard because IMO it is easier to give the RT help than it is a guard. Plus I really feel like being strong up the middle is more important in this offense than the edges. Thoughts?

If this were to be the case regarding capability of replacement, I'd move him in to guard as well, but to me, it's for the simple reason that he's a better guard than he is a tackle.

Can you speak about DFS in Texas currently. Do I have any options?

How about an early top 15 WR for .5 ppr

Sure, you currently have the option of DraftKings along with many other smaller sites such as FantasyDraft, FantasyAces, Fantasy Feud and others. An issue could arise in the coming weeks regarding DraftKings, though, as it has been reported that they are in merger talks with Fanduel. Fanduel has pulled out of the state of Texas following an unfavorable recommendation and then threats by our criminal, BU grad attorney general.

If DK and FD were to merge, it is unclear what this would mean for current Texas DK players. The next legislative session starts in January at which point, hopefully, there will be legislation drawn up to regulate the industry and create revenue while protecting players as has been done in other states. What happens in NY will be absolutely key; so following that is important.

Top 15 WR in PPR (early)

Antonio Brown
Odell Beckham
Deandre Hopkins
Julio Jones
Allen Robinson
Dez Bryant
AJ Green
Alshon Jeffery
Jordy Nelson
Brandon Marshall
Julian Edelman
Amari Cooper
Keenan Allen
Mike Evans
Demaryius Thomas

Looking at our 2016 schedule, what do you see as the floor and what do you see as the ceiling in terms of our final record?

I see a floor of 5 wins and a ceiling of 10.

What is your opinion on this bag of dicks latest comments?

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F859DFBF-0EEE-437A-9A31-D051FB333B72_zpskzbxsbqu.png

My feelings are, that when you describe graphic rape, it probably sounds like 'porn.' What else was to be expected? I also think it is awful to talk about your selfish feelings and emotions when the subject is sexually assaulted women. In short, I think this general line of thinking and mentality we see in fan after fan of the program (yes, that board's mods and owners are fans unlike here, make no mistake) is despicable and revolting.

It's been 15-20 minutes.

Follow up question to the above, where is your preferred spot to purchase heirloom tomatoes? HEB's stock is very hit or miss, by the time I get there they are soft and too far gone. I'm chasing nose plump crisp heirlooms.

The Tasteful Garden

If the offense show great improvement over the next 2yrs do you see Charlie having to find replacements for Gilbet, Traylor and the oline coach before the 2018 season

If the offense shows fantastic improvement it will mean that Charlie Strong will still be around for the 2018 season and that yes, he'll likely have to replace two out of three of Gilbert, Mattox and Traylor.

I would love Perkins and Vahe as bookends around Shack. In fact, I am pretty worried about the middle if this doesn't happen. I contend it to be close to critical they find a RT from this group plus incoming freshman. This would allow Perk inside to help Shack. You have speculated on LG, can you do the same for RT, with the goal of moving Perkins inside? I think it will be a mess if two true freshman start in the middle, unless one is named Hudson! Are my fears unfounded ? That said, I was chicken little last year when the true frosh was named starting LT. Your thoughts ?

I can't speculate the same for RT the way I can for LG because I don't see any of the available options in 2016 being good enough replacements for Perkins. Nickelson is still a work in progress, Major most certainly is not ready and neither is Delance from all I can tell. I don't think Okafor could succeed at tackle as a freshman the same way he could possibly succeed at guard if given the opportunity.

What is the current process regarding the release request of the Baylor players? Have they all been told they will not be released and all have appealed but now await the NCAA? If so, how long does the NCAA have to make a decision? Just trying to get a better idea of where things are and when things might get settled. Thanks!

You literally have all the same questions Parrish Cobb and his family are screaming for answers regarding.
 
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