Busy week on the recruiting front, so let’s dive right in with some notes …
UT OL coach Stacy Searels made his way to Arizona on Wednesday to check on UT commitment Connor Brewer (more on him in a bit) and top OL target Andrus Peat.
The five-star lineman from Tempe Corona Del Sol told us via text on Wednesday afternoon that he wasn’t able to talk to Searels, but Texas still sits high on his list. When asked if a visit to Texas was still a possibility, Peat said “for sure” and he just needed to work out a date.
We also spoke with Corona Del Sol head coach Tom Joseph to get some more details on the visit and some comments on his star prospect.
Joseph said Searels’ efforts have made an impression on Peat and he feels Texas is in a good position at this point. Joseph is working with peat to narrow his list down from the 31 offers he’s currently holding, and coach Joseph said he fully expects Texas to make the cut. Peat has never made an official list, but coach Joseph said he would guess Texas would sit in Peat’s top five.
There’s been a lot of speculation from outsiders that Nebraska is the team to beat since the Huskers signed Peat’s brother, Todd, in the 2011 class. Coach Joseph does not believe that to be the case.
“Everybody says that and I think they are kind of hoping that was a package deal for them,” Joseph said about the Husker faithful. “But I wouldn’t say Nebraska has the edge.”
Coach Joseph was told that Texas is going to offer four in-state linemen and four out-of-state linemen and will likely accept commitments from the first four or five that want to come on board.
Peat has taken recent unofficial visits to Florida State and Southern Cal, and Searels’ interest has made a strong impression. Searels called Peat on the first day coaches could reach out to juniors and he was one of the first coaches to stop by the school. According to coach Joseph, Searels will likely be back in May when Peat and his teammates are going through spring drills. He won’t be alone. Fifty-three coaches are currently scheduled to visit Corona Del Sol during the spring evaluation period.
“He really doesn’t care if he’s east of the Mississippi, west of the Mississippi. He just wants to go somewhere that he's wanted. That’s why it was great that coach Searels came out,” Joseph said.
And what makes Peat so special?
“He just has so much potential to be great. Size wise, he's 6-7 and 298 right now. He doesn't even shave yet, has size 16 feet,” said coach Joseph. “His upper body strength may be a bit of a weakness right now, but his hips, his thighs and his backside are huge. He has a lot of power in his lower half. He has long arms. And he's a good worker.
“He’s going to be a good 6-7 and 318-320 when someone gets him. He carries it so well. He really has knack for the game itself. He wants to be great at it. He doesn't want to be good, he wants to be great. He’s kind of a silent leader too. The kids look up to him and he kind of leads by example.”
Peat’s father played offensive line at Northern Illinois and went on to play professionally for the Raiders and the Cardinals. (Suchomel)
******
Speaking of Connor Brewer, who was also visited by Searels on Wednesday, we caught up with the future Longhorn signal caller to check in.
“It was good. I was excited for him to come up,” Brewer said. “I know his main reason to come over was to come and see Andrus. I’ve been talking to Andrus a lot. I think Texas has a great shot at getting Andrus if we can get him to campus. But seeing (Searels), it was a good trip for us. When he came to talk to our coaches, that was cool. They really liked him. I understand why he's a great guy and going to be a great coach for Texas.”
Prior to Searels’ visit, Brewer had talked to him via Facebook a few times, and Brewer’s doing everything he can to help out in the recruitment of Peat.
“From when I was talking to him and talking to my coach after meeting him, he liked Andrus a lot. He really wants him to come take a visit to Texas,” Brewer said. “I know I'm coming up for the June 5 camp, the one they’re trying to get the commits to. Hopefully Andrus can come up with me. Even if I'm not there when he goes, I hope he goes and has a good visit.”
In early April, Brewer took part in the L.A. Nike Camp. He performed well, but felt he could have done better. He’s going back out to a second Nike Camp in May with hopes of showing people he wasn’t at his best at the first event.
“It was good. I had just started getting ready a couple weeks before that camp. I had just started tuning up before the camp,” Brewer said. “It went pretty well. I didn't do the best I thought I could. I’m going to go back to another Elite 11. I definitely fixed a lot of quirks, so I’m going to go out there and prove what being a Texas quarterback is all about.”
Brewer has been working hard in the off-season to gain size and strength and he’s now up to 200 pounds, the most he’s ever weighed.
“Right now, I’m just lifting and throwing. This is kind of my high point of my weight in my career. I’m looking to play this season a little over that,” Brewer said. “But I’m still flexible and mobile, everything is looking good.”
Texas offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin is scheduled to go visit Brewer during Scottsdale Chaparral’s first week of spring ball in early May. (Suchomel)
******
We mentioned this on the boards earlier in the week, but Texas is now keeping an eye on Rockdale athlete, and current OU commitment, Daniel Brooks.
Brooks and Rockdale coach Jeff Miller said UT assistant Darrell Wyatt was going to stop by Rockdale on either Thursday or Friday (note: Brooks won’t be at school on Friday due to the holiday weekend but coach Miller thought Wyatt may go by to watch tape).
We’ll see where this one goes, but coach Miller said Brooks’ top choice is to play running back and he’s turned away interest from some programs who have told him he won’t get a chance as a tailback. With Texas expected to pick up a commitment from Johnathan Gray on Friday morning, it will be interesting to see how this one develops.
Brooks is a terrific athlete who has been burning up the track this year. As a back, he’s a smaller prospect (5-9, 175 per coach Miller) but he is pretty powerful, sporting a bench of about 280 pounds.
Coach Miller said he has not been informed by Texas of where the UT staff projects Miller, be it at running back, receiver or defensive back. We’ll check with him over the weekend for a follow-up. (Suchomel)
******
Time for our weekly update on Athens ATH (and Oklahoma State commitment) Kendall Sanders …
We noted last week that we were hearing that Texas still had an interest in the explosive athlete despite Sanders not having heard from UT since his spring game visit. On Monday, UT coaches Darrell Wyatt and Duane Akina made a stop by Athens for a closer look.
Beyond that, there’s not a lot to report. Sanders remains committed to Oklahoma State, but he’s told us previously (and told people close to him) that he wouldn’t shut the door on Texas if UT continues to show interest.
I asked him this week if he’s heard anything on where he stands with Texas after this week …
“I think they talked to my coach. But he hasn’t told me anything,” Sanders said. (Suchomel)
******
Next up, an update on Tampa Berkeley Prep stud athlete Nelson Agholor, another out-of-state prospect who is holding a verbal offer from Texas.
We spoke with Berkeley Prep head coach Dominic Ciao to get some comments on Agholor, a player who is being recruited as a DB by Texas.
Coach Ciao said he’s had conversations with Duane Akina and he believes Akina will be making a stop at the school after Berkley Prep begins its spring drills on May 2.
Agholor has yet to narrow his focus and though coach Ciao said he couldn’t cite any specific schools, he did think Agholor’s interest in UT was genuine.
“I can’t really speak for him on who he likes but I think his interest is sincere, absolutely,” Ciao said. “He’s open and there are some people he hasn’t met, but Texas is a great program that’s had great success.”
We’ll follow up on Agholor in May to see if anything heats up in regards to Texas. (Suchomel)
******
A few other out-of-state updates, in case you missed them during a busy week …
Stacy Searels stopped by to check on Shreveport Woodlawn defensive end Torshiro Davis earlier this week, and Woodlawn head coach Carlos Holmes said he was told that Texas had extended a verbal scholarship offer.
UT DL coach Bo Davis, with whom Torshiro has a very good relationship, contacted coach Holmes a couple times this week to check in. Torshiro Davis will camp at UT on June 5.
Morton defensive tackle Quay Evans is not talking to any media members, we’re told, and his coach was out of town during the second half of the week, but we’re told Bo Davis stopped by the school this week. Davis was recruiting Evans for Alabama.
We’ll try to follow up next week for more details on this one.
Finally, Searels stopped by Jacksonville Bolles on Thursday to check on five-star offensive lineman John Theus, who has a verbal offer from Texas. We were unable to connect with Theus on Thursday to get comments. Texas is still considered to be a longshot on this one (Theus’ brother plays at Georgia and most expect him to stay in the SEC/ACC). (Suchomel)
******
One last note … there was a report put out on Wednesday that Texas had offered Kenneth Marshall, who committed to Oklahoma State earlier this week.
Marshall told us on Wednesday that he hadn’t heard from Texas and after doing some further checking, we can confirm that Texas did not offer the South Houston H.S. safety. (Suchomel)
*******
West Orange-Stark cornerback Justin Thomas has been a known prospect for quite some time now. At 5-10, 170 pounds he is not the biggest but it does not stop Thomas from being a standout on offense, defense, and special teams. Then there is track where he recently posted times of 10.61 in the 100m and 21.88 in the 200m at the district meet.
Houston, Oklahoma St., Utah, and Texas Tech have already offered and an offer from TCU appears to be looming after the Horned Frogs made a recent visit to West Orange-Stark. Today Texas co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite was believed to be making a stop through West Orange-Stark to get a look at Thomas.
During the summer WO-S coach Toby Foreman said he usually heads out to camps at Texas Tech, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, and Houston and those camps are once again on the schedule for his guys.
Thomas is not the only member of the WO-S 2012 class receiving attention. Foreman said cornerback DaCarlos Renfro also holds offers from Tulane and Houston. Also 5-5, 155-pound running back Britton Lindsey is currently receiving interest from Tulsa.
The 2013 class has a lot of promise as well with prospects such as Colin Janice, Danny Woodson, and Josh Lynch. (Howell)
*******
The story that has sort of been playing out behind the scenes in the Texas football program - whether or not Cleve Bryant will return to the football staff - appears to have reached a resolution. According to three different sources, Bryant will not be back as Mack Brown's director of football operations.
We have tried to confirm this with the school, but multiple officials have been unwilling to discuss the matter.
As most know, Bryant was put on paid leave shortly before the Nebraska football game last season after a female employee in the football office filed a complaint against Bryant and hired celebrity attorney Gloria Allred to help her case.
We have received various reports of negotiations and a settlement with the female employee but have never been able to get that confirmed by the school. Cleve Bryant's wife, Jean, who has been married to Cleve for 36 years, is a life skills counselor in the football program and has returned to work. (She too was on paid leave for months, while the complaint against her husband was investigated.)
This has been a polarizing situation inside the football office. Bryant, who made $277,000 annually, was, in many ways, Mack Brown's bad cop. He was the guy who would tell everyone no so that Mack Brown wouldn't have to. Cleve gave tough love to players and didn't tolerate much nonsense. We were told Mack Brown wanted Cleve back, but that the situation was too divisive for that.
We have been told Bryant's duties will be divided among several people.
We have purposely stayed away from speculating on the allegations in the complaint because we have never seen the letter and the attorneys in the case (Allred for the complainant and Tom Nesbitt for Cleve Bryant) simply haven't been willing to discuss them. Of course, the school has been mum and has appealed any open records requests seeking the letter to the Texas attorney general's office. That appeal has kept the letter from being made public.
We will not engage in a she-said, he-said battle of hearsay, so we ask respectfully that such conversation is not discussed on the board. Thank you. (Brown)
*********
Had a chance to talk with an NFL scouting friend of mine on Thursday about next week’s NFL Draft and it was an fascinating little conversation to get his thoughts on what he expects to see next week.
Here’s a look at some of his comments about the Longhorn players in the draft:
On Aaron Williams: “Everyone needs help at cornerback and we’re one of those teams, but there’s some concern about whether he’s really a cornerback. He’s a bigger guy than he was during last season and that’s not automatically a good thing, but I think it’s psyched out some people that have looked closely at him. He’s played at a very high level throughout his career, but there were some things that we saw from last season that I didn’t like and if you have and if you have any questions about his ability to play cornerback, then you can’t take him that early knowing he might be a safety and he hasn’t played there very much. He’s a guy we’ve talked about, but I can’t see us being one of the teams that goes in that direction at an early spot.”
On Curtis Brown: “The thing that Curtis really has going for him is that he’s a great natural cover guy. He doesn’t have to grab and tussle with a guy to get into his hip pocket. That’s a big deal because he should be able to adjust more quickly to our game than some other guys that can go in his spot. You wonder about why he doesn’t make more plays and you worry about his lack of physicality, but I have zero doubts that he can have success. If we’re betting, I’d guess he goes somewhere in the second round. Do not be surprised if he goes ahead of Williams.”
On Sam Acho: “Super-versatile, incredibly smart and he’s as coachable as any kid I’ve seen. The fact that he can probably help out both 3-4 and 4-3 teams is a definite plus and have to think that teams that are looking for 3-4 pass rushers are really going to like his upside. Every year there are guys that make you wonder if they can make a team really want them, but he’s not that guy. Someone is going to probably take him pretty early ? go ahead and pencil him into the second round somewhere. “
On Chykie Brown: “He hasn’t seen a lot of tackles that he likes, has he? He’s a hell of an athlete though and I think he’s caught some people by surprise with his speed in our evaluations. I know our (DB coach) thinks there’s a lot more there than what he’s done so far. I get the sense that the Texas coaches almost went crazy because they didn’t get more out of him. The funny thing about this league is that coaches will show a lot more patience with a guy like him because he can be a hell of a lot better than some back-up.”
On Kyle Hix: “When you eyeball him, you expect more on film, honestly. I mean he looks like a guy that can play in the NFL, but he’s going to have to prove that he can play tackle because a lot of people have some doubt. In the right situation I think he can stick as a back-up offensive lineman, but I’m not sure where he’ll be drafted. It would likely be late.”
On Michael Huey: “He’s a lot like Hix. You expect more when you turn on the film and it’s not always there. He has a chance to be drafted, but he can’t play multiple positions and I don’t ever see him being more than a back-up. He’s going to be challenged when he gets here.” (Ketch)
Five whispers to end things with…
1. How big of a deal is the commitment of Johnathan Gray to the Longhorns, assuming all goes as expected? Consider this remark from an in-state college coach I spoke with about him on Thursday. “I think he’s the best player to come through that position in Texas since Cedric Benson. Every player on the field knows who the best player is when they play Aledo and he embraces the target on his back. He’s not as physical as Benson was, but he’s more explosive and let me tell you something, his line isn’t nearly as good as what Midland Lee had when they won their titles. He can be one of the great ones.”
2. I continue to hear that the Kendall Sanders situation bears close watching, but it’s still quiet on that front. The key piece of the puzzle is that Sanders appears very open to the Longhorns if they decide to go in that direction. The fact that he hasn’t been offered yet probably is indication of just how tight things are on the scholarship front right now with Texas feeling very good about their top targets.
3. Overheard this week about Sanders: “I like it when guys don’t remind me of anyone. I think we’ll look back one day and see that he was the first Kendall Sanders.”
4. Whitewright athlete Tyrone Swoopes is the real deal in 2013. At 6-5, 220-pounds, Swoopes is a guy that could play a number of different positions. Again, he’s b-i-g time and should be considered a definite prospect of interest for the Longhorns.
5. Everyone wants to know about five-star Dorial Beckham-Green and while we continue to try to chase down an update on the Missouri star, I continue to hear that the Longhorns are a team that’s in the mix for a visit. This is a recruitment where DBG’s family will play an important role in his decision. If and when the Longhorns get him in for a visit, it will be imperative that they make a big first impression because there might not be a second chance.
This post was edited on 4/22 12:01 AM by Ketchum
UT OL coach Stacy Searels made his way to Arizona on Wednesday to check on UT commitment Connor Brewer (more on him in a bit) and top OL target Andrus Peat.
The five-star lineman from Tempe Corona Del Sol told us via text on Wednesday afternoon that he wasn’t able to talk to Searels, but Texas still sits high on his list. When asked if a visit to Texas was still a possibility, Peat said “for sure” and he just needed to work out a date.
We also spoke with Corona Del Sol head coach Tom Joseph to get some more details on the visit and some comments on his star prospect.
Joseph said Searels’ efforts have made an impression on Peat and he feels Texas is in a good position at this point. Joseph is working with peat to narrow his list down from the 31 offers he’s currently holding, and coach Joseph said he fully expects Texas to make the cut. Peat has never made an official list, but coach Joseph said he would guess Texas would sit in Peat’s top five.
There’s been a lot of speculation from outsiders that Nebraska is the team to beat since the Huskers signed Peat’s brother, Todd, in the 2011 class. Coach Joseph does not believe that to be the case.
“Everybody says that and I think they are kind of hoping that was a package deal for them,” Joseph said about the Husker faithful. “But I wouldn’t say Nebraska has the edge.”
Coach Joseph was told that Texas is going to offer four in-state linemen and four out-of-state linemen and will likely accept commitments from the first four or five that want to come on board.
Peat has taken recent unofficial visits to Florida State and Southern Cal, and Searels’ interest has made a strong impression. Searels called Peat on the first day coaches could reach out to juniors and he was one of the first coaches to stop by the school. According to coach Joseph, Searels will likely be back in May when Peat and his teammates are going through spring drills. He won’t be alone. Fifty-three coaches are currently scheduled to visit Corona Del Sol during the spring evaluation period.
“He really doesn’t care if he’s east of the Mississippi, west of the Mississippi. He just wants to go somewhere that he's wanted. That’s why it was great that coach Searels came out,” Joseph said.
And what makes Peat so special?
“He just has so much potential to be great. Size wise, he's 6-7 and 298 right now. He doesn't even shave yet, has size 16 feet,” said coach Joseph. “His upper body strength may be a bit of a weakness right now, but his hips, his thighs and his backside are huge. He has a lot of power in his lower half. He has long arms. And he's a good worker.
“He’s going to be a good 6-7 and 318-320 when someone gets him. He carries it so well. He really has knack for the game itself. He wants to be great at it. He doesn't want to be good, he wants to be great. He’s kind of a silent leader too. The kids look up to him and he kind of leads by example.”
Peat’s father played offensive line at Northern Illinois and went on to play professionally for the Raiders and the Cardinals. (Suchomel)
******
Speaking of Connor Brewer, who was also visited by Searels on Wednesday, we caught up with the future Longhorn signal caller to check in.
“It was good. I was excited for him to come up,” Brewer said. “I know his main reason to come over was to come and see Andrus. I’ve been talking to Andrus a lot. I think Texas has a great shot at getting Andrus if we can get him to campus. But seeing (Searels), it was a good trip for us. When he came to talk to our coaches, that was cool. They really liked him. I understand why he's a great guy and going to be a great coach for Texas.”
Prior to Searels’ visit, Brewer had talked to him via Facebook a few times, and Brewer’s doing everything he can to help out in the recruitment of Peat.
“From when I was talking to him and talking to my coach after meeting him, he liked Andrus a lot. He really wants him to come take a visit to Texas,” Brewer said. “I know I'm coming up for the June 5 camp, the one they’re trying to get the commits to. Hopefully Andrus can come up with me. Even if I'm not there when he goes, I hope he goes and has a good visit.”
In early April, Brewer took part in the L.A. Nike Camp. He performed well, but felt he could have done better. He’s going back out to a second Nike Camp in May with hopes of showing people he wasn’t at his best at the first event.
“It was good. I had just started getting ready a couple weeks before that camp. I had just started tuning up before the camp,” Brewer said. “It went pretty well. I didn't do the best I thought I could. I’m going to go back to another Elite 11. I definitely fixed a lot of quirks, so I’m going to go out there and prove what being a Texas quarterback is all about.”
Brewer has been working hard in the off-season to gain size and strength and he’s now up to 200 pounds, the most he’s ever weighed.
“Right now, I’m just lifting and throwing. This is kind of my high point of my weight in my career. I’m looking to play this season a little over that,” Brewer said. “But I’m still flexible and mobile, everything is looking good.”
Texas offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin is scheduled to go visit Brewer during Scottsdale Chaparral’s first week of spring ball in early May. (Suchomel)
******
We mentioned this on the boards earlier in the week, but Texas is now keeping an eye on Rockdale athlete, and current OU commitment, Daniel Brooks.
Brooks and Rockdale coach Jeff Miller said UT assistant Darrell Wyatt was going to stop by Rockdale on either Thursday or Friday (note: Brooks won’t be at school on Friday due to the holiday weekend but coach Miller thought Wyatt may go by to watch tape).
We’ll see where this one goes, but coach Miller said Brooks’ top choice is to play running back and he’s turned away interest from some programs who have told him he won’t get a chance as a tailback. With Texas expected to pick up a commitment from Johnathan Gray on Friday morning, it will be interesting to see how this one develops.
Brooks is a terrific athlete who has been burning up the track this year. As a back, he’s a smaller prospect (5-9, 175 per coach Miller) but he is pretty powerful, sporting a bench of about 280 pounds.
Coach Miller said he has not been informed by Texas of where the UT staff projects Miller, be it at running back, receiver or defensive back. We’ll check with him over the weekend for a follow-up. (Suchomel)
******
Time for our weekly update on Athens ATH (and Oklahoma State commitment) Kendall Sanders …
We noted last week that we were hearing that Texas still had an interest in the explosive athlete despite Sanders not having heard from UT since his spring game visit. On Monday, UT coaches Darrell Wyatt and Duane Akina made a stop by Athens for a closer look.
Beyond that, there’s not a lot to report. Sanders remains committed to Oklahoma State, but he’s told us previously (and told people close to him) that he wouldn’t shut the door on Texas if UT continues to show interest.
I asked him this week if he’s heard anything on where he stands with Texas after this week …
“I think they talked to my coach. But he hasn’t told me anything,” Sanders said. (Suchomel)
******
Next up, an update on Tampa Berkeley Prep stud athlete Nelson Agholor, another out-of-state prospect who is holding a verbal offer from Texas.
We spoke with Berkeley Prep head coach Dominic Ciao to get some comments on Agholor, a player who is being recruited as a DB by Texas.
Coach Ciao said he’s had conversations with Duane Akina and he believes Akina will be making a stop at the school after Berkley Prep begins its spring drills on May 2.
Agholor has yet to narrow his focus and though coach Ciao said he couldn’t cite any specific schools, he did think Agholor’s interest in UT was genuine.
“I can’t really speak for him on who he likes but I think his interest is sincere, absolutely,” Ciao said. “He’s open and there are some people he hasn’t met, but Texas is a great program that’s had great success.”
We’ll follow up on Agholor in May to see if anything heats up in regards to Texas. (Suchomel)
******
A few other out-of-state updates, in case you missed them during a busy week …
Stacy Searels stopped by to check on Shreveport Woodlawn defensive end Torshiro Davis earlier this week, and Woodlawn head coach Carlos Holmes said he was told that Texas had extended a verbal scholarship offer.
UT DL coach Bo Davis, with whom Torshiro has a very good relationship, contacted coach Holmes a couple times this week to check in. Torshiro Davis will camp at UT on June 5.
Morton defensive tackle Quay Evans is not talking to any media members, we’re told, and his coach was out of town during the second half of the week, but we’re told Bo Davis stopped by the school this week. Davis was recruiting Evans for Alabama.
We’ll try to follow up next week for more details on this one.
Finally, Searels stopped by Jacksonville Bolles on Thursday to check on five-star offensive lineman John Theus, who has a verbal offer from Texas. We were unable to connect with Theus on Thursday to get comments. Texas is still considered to be a longshot on this one (Theus’ brother plays at Georgia and most expect him to stay in the SEC/ACC). (Suchomel)
******
One last note … there was a report put out on Wednesday that Texas had offered Kenneth Marshall, who committed to Oklahoma State earlier this week.
Marshall told us on Wednesday that he hadn’t heard from Texas and after doing some further checking, we can confirm that Texas did not offer the South Houston H.S. safety. (Suchomel)
*******
West Orange-Stark cornerback Justin Thomas has been a known prospect for quite some time now. At 5-10, 170 pounds he is not the biggest but it does not stop Thomas from being a standout on offense, defense, and special teams. Then there is track where he recently posted times of 10.61 in the 100m and 21.88 in the 200m at the district meet.
Houston, Oklahoma St., Utah, and Texas Tech have already offered and an offer from TCU appears to be looming after the Horned Frogs made a recent visit to West Orange-Stark. Today Texas co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite was believed to be making a stop through West Orange-Stark to get a look at Thomas.
During the summer WO-S coach Toby Foreman said he usually heads out to camps at Texas Tech, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, and Houston and those camps are once again on the schedule for his guys.
Thomas is not the only member of the WO-S 2012 class receiving attention. Foreman said cornerback DaCarlos Renfro also holds offers from Tulane and Houston. Also 5-5, 155-pound running back Britton Lindsey is currently receiving interest from Tulsa.
The 2013 class has a lot of promise as well with prospects such as Colin Janice, Danny Woodson, and Josh Lynch. (Howell)
*******
The story that has sort of been playing out behind the scenes in the Texas football program - whether or not Cleve Bryant will return to the football staff - appears to have reached a resolution. According to three different sources, Bryant will not be back as Mack Brown's director of football operations.
We have tried to confirm this with the school, but multiple officials have been unwilling to discuss the matter.
As most know, Bryant was put on paid leave shortly before the Nebraska football game last season after a female employee in the football office filed a complaint against Bryant and hired celebrity attorney Gloria Allred to help her case.
We have received various reports of negotiations and a settlement with the female employee but have never been able to get that confirmed by the school. Cleve Bryant's wife, Jean, who has been married to Cleve for 36 years, is a life skills counselor in the football program and has returned to work. (She too was on paid leave for months, while the complaint against her husband was investigated.)
This has been a polarizing situation inside the football office. Bryant, who made $277,000 annually, was, in many ways, Mack Brown's bad cop. He was the guy who would tell everyone no so that Mack Brown wouldn't have to. Cleve gave tough love to players and didn't tolerate much nonsense. We were told Mack Brown wanted Cleve back, but that the situation was too divisive for that.
We have been told Bryant's duties will be divided among several people.
We have purposely stayed away from speculating on the allegations in the complaint because we have never seen the letter and the attorneys in the case (Allred for the complainant and Tom Nesbitt for Cleve Bryant) simply haven't been willing to discuss them. Of course, the school has been mum and has appealed any open records requests seeking the letter to the Texas attorney general's office. That appeal has kept the letter from being made public.
We will not engage in a she-said, he-said battle of hearsay, so we ask respectfully that such conversation is not discussed on the board. Thank you. (Brown)
*********
Had a chance to talk with an NFL scouting friend of mine on Thursday about next week’s NFL Draft and it was an fascinating little conversation to get his thoughts on what he expects to see next week.
Here’s a look at some of his comments about the Longhorn players in the draft:
On Aaron Williams: “Everyone needs help at cornerback and we’re one of those teams, but there’s some concern about whether he’s really a cornerback. He’s a bigger guy than he was during last season and that’s not automatically a good thing, but I think it’s psyched out some people that have looked closely at him. He’s played at a very high level throughout his career, but there were some things that we saw from last season that I didn’t like and if you have and if you have any questions about his ability to play cornerback, then you can’t take him that early knowing he might be a safety and he hasn’t played there very much. He’s a guy we’ve talked about, but I can’t see us being one of the teams that goes in that direction at an early spot.”
On Curtis Brown: “The thing that Curtis really has going for him is that he’s a great natural cover guy. He doesn’t have to grab and tussle with a guy to get into his hip pocket. That’s a big deal because he should be able to adjust more quickly to our game than some other guys that can go in his spot. You wonder about why he doesn’t make more plays and you worry about his lack of physicality, but I have zero doubts that he can have success. If we’re betting, I’d guess he goes somewhere in the second round. Do not be surprised if he goes ahead of Williams.”
On Sam Acho: “Super-versatile, incredibly smart and he’s as coachable as any kid I’ve seen. The fact that he can probably help out both 3-4 and 4-3 teams is a definite plus and have to think that teams that are looking for 3-4 pass rushers are really going to like his upside. Every year there are guys that make you wonder if they can make a team really want them, but he’s not that guy. Someone is going to probably take him pretty early ? go ahead and pencil him into the second round somewhere. “
On Chykie Brown: “He hasn’t seen a lot of tackles that he likes, has he? He’s a hell of an athlete though and I think he’s caught some people by surprise with his speed in our evaluations. I know our (DB coach) thinks there’s a lot more there than what he’s done so far. I get the sense that the Texas coaches almost went crazy because they didn’t get more out of him. The funny thing about this league is that coaches will show a lot more patience with a guy like him because he can be a hell of a lot better than some back-up.”
On Kyle Hix: “When you eyeball him, you expect more on film, honestly. I mean he looks like a guy that can play in the NFL, but he’s going to have to prove that he can play tackle because a lot of people have some doubt. In the right situation I think he can stick as a back-up offensive lineman, but I’m not sure where he’ll be drafted. It would likely be late.”
On Michael Huey: “He’s a lot like Hix. You expect more when you turn on the film and it’s not always there. He has a chance to be drafted, but he can’t play multiple positions and I don’t ever see him being more than a back-up. He’s going to be challenged when he gets here.” (Ketch)
Five whispers to end things with…
1. How big of a deal is the commitment of Johnathan Gray to the Longhorns, assuming all goes as expected? Consider this remark from an in-state college coach I spoke with about him on Thursday. “I think he’s the best player to come through that position in Texas since Cedric Benson. Every player on the field knows who the best player is when they play Aledo and he embraces the target on his back. He’s not as physical as Benson was, but he’s more explosive and let me tell you something, his line isn’t nearly as good as what Midland Lee had when they won their titles. He can be one of the great ones.”
2. I continue to hear that the Kendall Sanders situation bears close watching, but it’s still quiet on that front. The key piece of the puzzle is that Sanders appears very open to the Longhorns if they decide to go in that direction. The fact that he hasn’t been offered yet probably is indication of just how tight things are on the scholarship front right now with Texas feeling very good about their top targets.
3. Overheard this week about Sanders: “I like it when guys don’t remind me of anyone. I think we’ll look back one day and see that he was the first Kendall Sanders.”
4. Whitewright athlete Tyrone Swoopes is the real deal in 2013. At 6-5, 220-pounds, Swoopes is a guy that could play a number of different positions. Again, he’s b-i-g time and should be considered a definite prospect of interest for the Longhorns.
5. Everyone wants to know about five-star Dorial Beckham-Green and while we continue to try to chase down an update on the Missouri star, I continue to hear that the Longhorns are a team that’s in the mix for a visit. This is a recruitment where DBG’s family will play an important role in his decision. If and when the Longhorns get him in for a visit, it will be imperative that they make a big first impression because there might not be a second chance.
This post was edited on 4/22 12:01 AM by Ketchum
