Texas Card House is the official sponsor of this week's War Room.
Visit www.TexasCardHouse.com for more information.
Visit www.TexasCardHouse.com for more information.
Texas wrapped up a great preseason of media access with defensive lineman Chris Nelson and receiver Dorian Leonard on Thursday.
Herman was known for always being available to the media at Houston, and he continued that tradition at Texas. After Thursday’s media availability, it is safe to say Herman made nearly every starter available from Big 12 Media Days until now. In fact, it is hard to think of a starter who did not speak prior to the season. The Austin media went from virtually no preseason practice access is previous years to having players and coaches available six days a week under Herman.
As a reminder, that will change on Monday.
The NCAA passed a rule earlier this year stating players could have no more than 20 hours per week of countable athletically related activity. In addition, players must have at least one day off per week It appears Longhorn football players will have Mondays off during the regular season, which means Herman will be the only person who speaks that day. Herman is slated to conduct his Big 12 media conference call at 11:30 a.m. on Mondays, and he will likely address local reporters around noon. Select players will probably speak after practice on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, plus following each game.
Here is what Nelson and Leonard said on Thursday:
Chris Nelson
- Herman concluded practice early on Thursday. Nelson said the players went hard during Wednesday’s practice, and Herman liked the way they flew around hitting each other. Herman promised the team if they went hard during practice, he would take care of them. As a result, Herman cut practice short to reward his players for their effort.
- Nelson feels the program is getting back to where they want it to be, but as a unit, they are focusing on how to improve as a team. Nelson said, “We’re ready to fly around and hit somebody else because we’ve been hitting each other for so long.”
- Camp has felt a lot longer to Nelson under Herman and the new staff. Nelson joked that he did not know what day it was, but was enjoying it.
- Nelson said Herman has not taken his foot off the gas as Texas prepares for Maryland next Saturday. Every day is the same, according to Nelson: “If he sees you down, he’s going to come right up to your face. He doesn’t care if you’re a senior or a freshman. It doesn’t matter. Every day is go day.”
- Here is Nelson on Charles Omenihu: “He’s stepped up. He stepped up (with a) big role in the d-line room. We love it … It just goes back to being a pro. Charles, he was young. Now he’s doing things we need to help the program. He knows what he needs to do. That’s all he’s doing, day by day.”
- Nelson said the biggest difference with defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and Herman is their mindset. Here is Nelson’s explanation: “Really, no days off. Every day we set foot on the field, he wants us flying around. Today, we were in spiders, but it doesn’t matter. Flying around. It’s all about being a pro. We’re going to take care of ourselves, but it’s still full go.”
- In addition, Nelson said the staff challenges them to become a team. The motto within the football program is “coach fed, player led.”
- Nelson on the biggest defensive improvements: “It has to go to communication. If you are standing out there, you can hear everybody talking, yelling to one another. If you’re talking soft, they’re going to get on you. It has to be communication. We’re all one.” Just to be clear, Nelson was referring to the pre-snap communication.
-0 When asked how many pass rushers the team has, Nelson believed that number is four, including freshman defensive end Ta’Quon Graham: “He came in and learned the game real fast. He just sat down and said, ‘Coach me up.’ I’m his big brother. Just coach me up and tell me what I need to do. That’s what we took from day one, and we loved him. He’s been flying around. No excuses at all.”
Nelson on Malcolm Roach: “Roach has that dog mentality. Even though he was out, he was still on the sidelines taking mental reps, getting plays in his head, getting ready to go. He’s been back to practice with us, and he’s been doing good. He fell back in place like he wasn’t even out. That’s all it was.”
Nelson on Todd Orlando’s system being described as creative: “It’s creative because the game scheme that he has is just … When you sit down and think about it, you’re just like, ‘Where do you get this stuff from?’ That’s all you think in your head. He’s a very intelligent man. We just sit back and try to take everything in. Like, coach me up coach because it’s very intelligent.”
Dorian Leonard
- Herman recently said Leonard was a player he was unsure about early in the offseason, but has come become very reliable. When asked about Herman’s comment, Leonard said, “The thing is, when (the new staff) got here, there was a rough patch. I’m an older guy. I’ve matured, and things like that. It’s just me learning from my mistakes and making sure it doesn’t happen again.”
- In addition, Leonard said is willing to buy-into anything Herman has to say since this is his final season.
- Leonard on John Burt improving as a receiver: “John, every day, he’s just a guy that has been working throughout the offseason. Looking at him since he’s been here, his work ethic has just increased over time, and it’s just steady going. Everybody coming in, all the receivers, stuff like that. We get together, bonding with each other, and just working out with each other. I think that has really helped him develop.”
- During the offseason, Leonard performed a lot of sprint drills and improved his running form. In addition, Leonard worked on his pass-catching, and several other details to become a better receiver.
- Leonard on Reggie Hemphill-Mapps: “That’s my guy right there. He’s a really outgoing dude. He’s going to do whatever it takes to help us win. He’s a real fast guy. Whenever he touches the ball, he can get downfield quick. He’s just very explosive. That’s something I’ve really noticed about him.”
- Herman always talks about the depth in that receiving room. In fact, Herman recently said the Longhorns were at least two-deep in that room, and expects to rotate several receivers on Saturdays. When asked about that competition, Leonard described the brotherhood they have: “Whenever you see your brother out there making plays, you’re like, 'Ah, I can do that. I want to go out there and one up him,' or something like that. It just steady climbs and climbs until we’re just trying to reach out peak. We’re just in there pushing each other. Also, we’re having fun with each other, bonding with each other. When we’re getting onto each other, we don’t really get mad. It’s like, ‘Oh, okay. That’s my brother telling me this. I need to listen.’ It’s just that bond that has really helped us develop our game.”
- Leonard said one of his favorite defensive backs to battle during practice is Kris Boyd.
- Here is Leonard on Shane Buechele’s growth: “Shane, when he first got there, he was always a mature guy. Now, he’s really in that zone. I’m just looking at him, and you can just see it in his eyes. He’s just bought in as much as he can. He really wants to go out there and play for us. That’s something big that I’ve noticed.”
- Leonard said he has mentored Davion Curtis since the receiver stepped on campus. They have a strong bond, according to Leonard.
*****
The Longhorns picked up their first commitment for the 2018 class on April 7, meaning there has been a span of 139 days since Texas gained a verbal pledge from linebacker Byron Hobbs. In those 139 days, Texas has seen its commitment list jump up to 18, meaning Texas has gained a commitment at the rate of one every 7.7 days over the last four months … absolutely incredible.
The August dead period ends next week and recruits will begin setting up both unofficial and official visits, meaning we should see an uptick of action as the Longhorns’ top prospects make their way to campus.
Let’s take a look at where things stand overall with UT’s commitments and top targets …
Quarterback (needs - 2, committed – 2)
Casey Thompson – Thompson has gone pretty much silent this summer as he’s decided to take a step away from recruiting talk and focus on his preparations for his senior season. In a perfect world, you’d want to have him declaring his love for all things burnt orange, but Thompson has given no indication in our conversations that he’s having any second thoughts about his UT commitment. Other schools will continue to work him, but for right now it seems like a good bet that he’ll stick with Texas.
Cameron Rising – Rumors have swirled for a while that Rising is looking to explore other options – there was even talk of some cloak-and-dagger visit to Oregon – but I can only tell you what Rising has told me directly … there was no Oregon visit and he’s very happy with his Texas commitment. Several schools, including Oregon, aren’t giving up so we’ll have to monitor this one in the fall, but in my conversation with Rising a couple weeks ago, he seemed happy with his decision to be a Longhorn.
Running back (needs -1, committed – 1)
Keaontay Ingram – Ingram will likely be the only running back Texas takes in this class, and truthfully, he’s really the only one the staff ever actively pursued. Ingram recently mentioned to OB that he hasn’t ruled out the idea of taking other visits, but that would surprise me. This one is pretty much locked in.
Wide receiver (needs 4-5, committed -3)
Rondale Moore – Speedy slot receiver is happy with his commitment to Texas, but others are staying in touch and Moore told OB recently that he still wants to take visits. I don’t get the feeling that he’s looking to change his commitment, but if Texas lands another slot WR things could get interesting here.
Al'Vonte Woodard – He’s been one of the most vocal recruiters for Texas ever since committing in mid-July. Nothing to worry about here.
Brennan Eagles – Eagles committed to Texas on July 24 but truth be told, he was in the bag long before that. He doesn’t do many interviews so it’s tough to gauge what he’s thinking, but I’d be surprised if he looked around.
Terrace Marshall Jr. – He says he’ll visit Texas in the fall and while that may happen, Texas is facing an uphill climb here. I don’t see him as part of this class.
Tommy Bush – The longer this one goes on, the better it feels for Texas. Bush doesn’t want to decide until he takes several visits in the fall, and the Longhorns are very much in the mix. If Bush has a good senior season and Texas really pushes for his commitment, this one could fall UT’s way. Baylor is also a strong contender.
Jaylen Waddle – Waddle will remain a recruiting priority for Texas but the Longhorns are facing quite a bit of competition in this one. Win games this fall and Texas has a chance, but I’m not predicting him in the class just yet.
Tight end (needs - 2 or 3, committed – 2)
Dominick Anderson- The Longhornsscored a big recruiting win in this one. Anderson doesn’t do interviews so he’s another tough player to read, but I haven’t heard anything that would make me think he’s not solid with his commitment.
Malcolm Epps – Epps was a strong Texas lean long before he ever committed. No need to worry about this one.
Mustapha Muhammad – As much as any player in the class, Muhammad will sit back and watch to see how Texas performs this fall. Michigan is UT’s biggest threat. Muhammad has said he’s not paying attention to tight end numbers, but you have to wonder if Texas having a couple guys committed (even if one is a JUCO product) will impact his thinking a bit. Win games this fall and Texas has a good shot. Struggle and he’ll head out of state.
Luke Ford – Ford was really impressed with his UT visit in the summer, but Alabama is the clear leader here. I don’t see this one going UT’s way.
Offensive line (needs - 3 or 4, committed – 2)
Reese Moore – One of the Horns’ first commitments. No need to worry about this one.
Rafiti Ghirmai – Texas’ newest commitment, Ghirmai has said he still wants to visit UCLA. That’ll be a story worth watching if he does in fact visit. My guess is the UT staff talks to him and that visit never happens.
Junior Angilau – Not much new to report here. He’ll take an official visit to Texas in the fall and right now, the Longhorns’ chances are as high as anyone’s.
Cameron Wire – He’s committed to LSU and I don’t see that changing unless the Tigers implode this fall.
Badara Traore – A JUCO OT who has been in touch with the Texas staff. If the Longhorns offer, he’ll visit (more on him in a bit). Texas would face some tough competition but Traore does really like the Longhorns.
Defensive line (needs - 3 or 4, committed – 1)
Keondre Coburn – He’s committed but he’s another who is saying he’ll take all his visits. I don’t think there’s much to worry about with this one but it’ll be interesting to see how the staff handles it if Coburn does in fact take visits.
Bobby Brown – Texas continues to put the full-court press on Brown and from what I’ve heard, the Longhorns have closed the gap on schools like A&M and Alabama. I’m still not ready to call Texas the leaders, but depending on how things go on the field this fall, this one could definitely swing UT’s way. One thing to watch closely … Brown is set to commit on November 2 and already has some visits set up for September and October (I’m told Baylor, FSU and Bama are among the stops). If Texas hopes to land him, the Longhorns will almost certainly need to get him back on campus and there aren’t a lot of open weekends.
Israel Antwine – He holds a UT offer but with Coburn committed, the numbers are probably going to be an issue here.
Joseph Ossai – People have had Ossai pegged for A&M forever because he called them his childhood favorite, but the fact that he can’t bring himself to pull the trigger makes me think he’s more open that most realize. He’s visited Texas a few times and has always raved about those trips. I’d put Texas a little behind A&M right now, but not by much, and another visit could change that.
Ronnie Perkins – He already has a UT official visit scheduled for September 8, so that’s a good sign. Oklahoma is the leader right now, but if Texas can blow him away on his visit (I expect they will), the Longhorns could win out. Tough one to predict right now.
Daniel Carson - It’s tough getting much out of Carson, but the Longhorns are in his grouping of favorites and he’s said he’d like to give UT a visit. I’ll start taking this one more seriously if/when that visit happens.
Vernon Jackson – Jackson is set to decide this weekend. He doesn’t say much at all but I’m not expecting the pick to be Texas. A&M or Alabama will likely win out on this one.
Linebackers (needs - 2 or 3, committed – 2)
Byron Hobbs – The first commit of the class, Hobbs is completely locked in. His only focus now is trying to recruit other players.
Ayodele Adeoye – When he first committed, when he was still in St. Louis, there was some thought that Texas would have to really work to hold onto his commitment. Now that he’s at IMG in Florida, you have to know other schools will be in his ear, but Adeoye has said all the right things and seems very solid with his pledge.
Amari Gainer – He’s committed to Florida State. Don’t see any way this one works out for Texas.
Defensive backs (needs – 4 to 6, committed – 4)
Caden Sterns – Sterns is locked in. Could see him making a push for five-star status with a big senior season.
B.J. Foster – He’s like Hobbs. No need to worry about this one.
DeMarvion Overshown – Overshown has been all UT for a long while. He’s locked in.
Jalen Green – Green made a case as the top player in the state after an impressive summer. He’s locked into his commitment as well.
D'Shawn Jamison – Jamison would be the smart bet for the next commitment in the class. TCU and Oregon are still factors, but this one continues to look very good for the Longhorns.
Anthony Cook – The nation’s number 9-ranked recruit, Cook will be interesting to follow over the next couple months. He plans to decide in late October, so pay close attention to who visits and when he takes them. He’s similar to Muhammad – play well this fall and he could wind up at Texas. If not, he’ll probably wind up at Ohio State. My gut right now still tells me OSU has a slight lead.
Kicker (needs – 1, committed – 1)
Cameron Dicker – The staff found its guy early and Dicker is locked in. (Suchomel)
******
I mentioned earlier in the week that Texas has picked up the communication with JUCO OT Badara Traore, and that Traore has a legitimate interest in the Longhorns. Badara, out of ASA College in Brooklyn (NY), said he’s been communication with Derek Warehime for two or three weeks, and Warehime has expressed that Texas is in need of offensive tackles for 2018.
“They haven’t talked about anything like offering yet. But they said they’re looking for tackles right now, that their left tackle is leaving soon,” Badara said. “They’re looking for a tackle but they haven’t offered yet.”
The 6-6, 320-pound Badara is looking at Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Ohio State. If Texas offers, he said the Longhorns will be in the mix.
“Texas would fit in up there. I would definitely be really interested in Texas,” Badara said. “If they offered me, I would be really excited about Texas. My interest would be really high in them.”
Badara has already taken one official visit to Auburn. He plans to take his four other visits this fall before committing in December and enrolling at a Division I school in January. He played his high school ball in Boston and originally committed to Boston College out of high school.
Badara on what he brings to the table …
“I’m a physical person. I finish blocks. I’m just a person that loves to play football, loves to play football in the trenches. I work hard on and off the field, in the class room, the film room. I’m excited about what I do. I just need to pick the right school that’s going to do it for me, help me compete for a starting job.”
If Texas does offer, Badara said the Longhorns will be one of the schools that gets an official visit. He’s aware of UT’s offensive line situation and said it’s something he’d like to look into further.
“I’m very interested in Texas. I’ve been watching their team since I was young,” Badara said. “I’m a big fan of Texas.” (Suchomel)
******
Linebacker Amari Gainer has been committed to Florida State for a while but he’s told OB on numerous occasions that he still planned on visiting Texas. In fact, he had told us he would visit this summer for an unofficial and again in the fall for an official visit.
Gainer obviously didn’t make it in this summer, and when I checked with him this week to see if he has talked to UT about dates for an official visit, he told me he’s now not sure if he’s going to take any visits aside from Florida State.
Looks like you can pretty much close the book on this one and expect the Tallahassee product to stay home with Florida State. (Suchomel)
******
I checked in with an Ohio Stat source this week to see what the Buckeyes are thinking about their chances with five-star corner Anthony Cook.
“Cautiously optimistic but they know they are in a fight,” was the response I got.
Nothing earth-shattering, but it doesn’t sound like those close to the OSU program are overflowing with confidence and I’m told there’s a real concern by the Buckeyes that they’ll lose Cook to Texas if the Longhorns win big this fall. Kind of what we’ve been saying all along, but the OSU staff is usually extremely confident on all its top targets, so it was interesting to hear their perspective and hear that they feel they’re going to have to “fight” to win Cook’s commitment. (Suchomel)
*****
We’re not into September yet and the Longhorns already have two 2018 basketball commitments from Westlake (Austin) forward Brock Cunningham and Steele (Cibolo) wing Gerald Liddell. So, considering that September serves as an unofficial kickoff to the official visit season for those top prospects that plan to sign in November, the Longhorns are off to a really good start with a class that projects to be four.
But one target has remained on top of Texas’s board for a long, long time and that target is Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia) guard Keldon Johnson. After cracking five-star status, Johnson has continued to climb up the ranks. Based on reports that came out of Los Angeles from the Nike Basketball Academy, Johnson was arguably the top performer at the star-studded event.
So, it wasn’t a surprise when Kentucky brought Johnson to campus shortly after, and extended him a scholarship offer. A theme among the top of the 2018 class is that many in the industry see a lot of guys that have either plateaued as prospects, or doesn’t show the productivity associated with five-star prospects. Johnson doesn’t fit those descriptions. While some have stopped getting better, he’s stuffed the box score at every event all summer, and continues to get better.
Luckily for the Longhorns, they’ve put in more work than any other school, and have recruited Johnson for years. Sound familiar? Matt Coleman fit that same description, although there were a few point guards ahead of him on the national lists. For Johnson, that might not be the case at his position, which means Texas is going to have to dig in for a really tough battle in order to get him.
After asking around, the consensus from those linked to Kentucky or that are very dialed in nationally is that Kentucky made a big impression, and is going to be hard to beat. One source referred to it as a “game-changer.” But that’s always the response when Kentucky suddenly offers a prospect late in the process because Kentucky often gets who it wants. It also should be noted that Kentucky made the race tougher after Leonard Hamilton at FSU made it tougher by zeroing in on Johnson and locking up an official visit (September 10th the weekend after Johnson’s visit to Texas with Kamaka Hepa over Labor Day weekend).
Texas remains in good shape for Johnson, but it might be joined on the list with another school, or perhaps two, that’s in good shape also. This isn’t foreign territory for the Longhorns, and I doubt they’re at all surprised by Kentucky jumping in. What will be key for Texas during Johnson’s official visit is building on a relationship that put it in the lead over the summer, and making a big impression on Johnson’s family, who I’ve heard could play a big role in the eventual decision.
As the Kentucky visit and offer wears off, it’ll be interesting to see what Johnson does next in terms of scheduling official visits and if he hasn’t a timetable on his decision. That could tell us a lot, but how he reacts to his Texas official in a little over a week will tell us more because the Longhorns had Johnson’s full attention and admiration first. (McComas)
*****
Besides Johnson, the other priority targets right now for Texas are Hepa and five-star combo guard Quentin Grimes. As stated above, Hepa is visiting Texas over Labor Day weekend, and I believe the Longhorns are the team to beat; they could put themselves in position for a commitment if that visit goes really well, which would give Texas two versatile, skilled forwards and a 6-7 wing known for scoring. Grimes told OB over a month ago he planned to take an official visit to Texas, and has a really good relationship with the UT staff. However, Kansas still remains the team to beat for Grimes with the Longhorns likely running second and in the hunt.
Also, keep an eye on Midlothian guard Kaden Archie. Texas’s numbers could get even tighter after Labor Day weekend, and we know the Longhorns are going to have a spot for Johnson and Grimes. But Archie could be a candidate to take an official visit in late September or October, as well as Riverside Academy (Reserve, Louisiana) combo guard Jared Butler. (McComas)
