Texas Card House is the official sponsor of this week's War Room.
Visit www.TexasCardHouse.com for more information.
Texas football coach Tom Herman and his staff will enter the final stretch of preseason preparation in a few days.
Herman’s squad began with strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight’s winter conditioning program. That is when players learned about the expectations that Herman had for them. The buy-in occurred pretty quickly for players who were tired of the losing that they endured under their previous coach. For others who were hesitant, they either got on board or left the program.
The players eventually transitioned to spring practice, and Herman set the tone on day one. He forced players to redo drills until they got it right. Herman called out quarterback Shane Buechele in front of media members to get the attention of his team. They learned, progressed, and carried that momentum into summer workouts. Everyone in the program believes their players continued to work hard during the summer and will be ready to hit the ground when preseason practice begins.
Texas will resume its preparation for the season opener against Maryland this weekend.
Longhorn players will report for fall practice – as Geoff Ketchum points out, kind of weird to say fall practice when it is summertime – on Sunday. Players will see their position coaches and hear from Herman. It is safe to say Herman will express to his team what he expects from them when practice starts, and what the ensuing five weeks will look like prior to the season opener.
Once players get through their requirements on Sunday, Texas’ first practice will occur on Monday.
For those unfamiliar with the setup, the Longhorns will hold four practices without full contact. There will be two practices in helmets and shorts and two in shells. On the fifth day, the pads will go on.
That means the first padded practice will occur on August 4 (NCAA now prohibits 2-a-days).
According to the NCAA, “A single day may include a single, three-hour, on-field practice session and a walk-through. During walk-throughs, protective equipment such as helmets and pads can’t be worn, and contact is prohibited. Walk-throughs also can’t include conditioning activities and, in the Football Championship Subdivision, are limited to two hours in length. Three continuous hours of recovery are required between on-field practice and a walk-through. Activities such as meetings, film review, medical treatment and meals are allowed during recovery time.”
Herman pointed out several players he believes have made strides this off-season when asked during Big 12 Media Days this past week.
- Junior linebacker Malik Jefferson is viewed as a leader.
- Junior guard Patrick Vahe has gone from being benched last year to a player who is giving the new staff everything they want to see this year.
- Herman described junior safety DeShon Elliott’s season as “impactful”.
- Junior receiver Jerrod Heard has emerged into a leader on the offensive side of ball. One thing that has stood out about Heard this offseason is the amount of players who gravitate toward him. Some of the attention is personality based, but Heard is the kind of vocal leader/alpha male Herman loves to coach.
- Sophomore running back Kyle Porter is definitely a player who is loved by Herman and his staff. Porter owns a 3.6 grade point average and was recently accepted into the McCombs School of Business. He earned the trust of this staff through his work ethic and performance during the spring, and is often praised for being one of the few players not on social media.
- Junior linebacker Anthony Wheeler is described as a player who commands a lot of respect.
Once practice begins, there are really not a lot of starting spots up for grabs.
As most Longhorn fans know, Denzel Okafor will battle against Tristan Nickelson for the starting right tackle position. The hope within the building is Okafor steps up during practice and claims the starting spot. Nickelson is viewed as an adequate right tackle, but Okafor is a young player with a higher ceiling. Okafor must prove to the staff he is ready to take that next step.
Herman has a lot of talented players in the secondary, but just not enough of them.
Holton Hill, Kris Boyd and Davante Davis are currently viewed as the only cornerbacks ready to contribute this season. Each player has starting experience at Texas, while Hill and Davis have taken advantage of their second opportunities with a new staff. Hill was in Strong’s doghouse last season, while Davis started in only four games last season after starting in Texas’ final five games as a freshman in 2015.
However, Texas is stacked at safety. Brandon Jones, Elliott, Jason Hall and John Bonney are among the players expected to receive playing time this season. You can expect to see Bonney training at safety and cornerback when practice resume to give defensive coordinator Todd Orlando more options.
In addition, Toneil Carter and Porter will compete for playing time behind running back Chris Warren, while there several receivers fighting for time after Collin Johnson and Heard.
Most Longhorn fans assumed Shane Buechele locked up the starting job after spring football. He received most of the first-team reps during spring practice, started in the spring game, and seemed to be comfortably ahead of freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger.
Of course, I recently asked Herman if he needed to play Ehlinger right away and not worry about redshirting, and this was his response during Big 12 Media Days: “In a perfect world … again, we’re assuming Sam doesn’t beat Shane out in training camp, which he’s going to have every opportunity to do that. Should he not, I think you would still like to redshirt him, if you could. Now, what does that mean? That means that if you’re in a mop-up duty situation, maybe it’s Jerrod Heard. Maybe it’s Josh Covey. But, to say you’re going to be able to redshirt him, and that Shane’s not going to break a shoelace, or roll an ankle and need to be spelled for a little bit, I think that’s probably a bit wishful thinking, but we’ll try as best we can, if he’s not the starter.”
Ehlinger will be given an opportunity to win the starting job, but there is still a chance Herman simply wants his freshman to remain motivated since that position lacks depth. Heard is viewed as the emergency quarterback, and there will be packages the former quarterback must practice throughout the week in case Buechele or Ehlinger sustains an injury.
When I inquired about the realistic chances of Ehlinger emerging as the opening day starter, I was told he would need to show “significant progress” and move ahead of Buechele during camp.
That being said, Ehlinger will be given every opportunity to compete for the starting job.
Here are some other things you need to know before camp begins:
- When Chris Warren was a high school senior, he weighed 223 pounds. The previous staff wanted Warren to gain weight, and he entered his freshman season weighing 232 pounds. In 2016, Warren weighed 255 pounds in the offseason and entered the regular season at 252 pounds.
However, Warren sustained a season-ending knee injury in 2016, and he was still recovering earlier this year.
As a result of the inactivity, Warren was at least 265 pounds at one point this offseason.
However, Warren currently weighs between 248 and 250 pounds, which appears to be a number Herman and his staff can live with.
- Meanwhile, defensive end Charlie Omenihu is going in a different direction on the scale.
As a high school senior, Omenihu 6-foot-4 and 227 pounds when he was part of Texas’ 2015 class. Omenihu is currently weighing 275 pounds as camp begins next week.
- Herman intends is committed to changing the game-day atmosphere at DKR. The days of polite hand claps by people sitting in their seats will be gone during the Herman era. Herman intends to play more hip-hop music during the pregame, and he wants to keep that vibe going during each home game.
When it comes to music, Herman’s desire to change the playlist is pretty simple – he wants Longhorn players to be loose, while appealing to recruits who are at the game. Remember, Herman is the same person who wanted recruits to be the first group of people to see Texas’ new locker room before anyone else. In Herman’s mind, every little detail matters, including DKR’s music selection.
In addition, Herman will do everything in his power to create a loud and hostile environment for opposing teams. He believes fans can directly affect the outcome of a game.
Here are two examples Herman recently shared.
“We were at Penn State (when he was the offensive coordinator at Ohio State),” Herman said. “Whiteout game with a redshirt freshman quarterback. We drive down and get into the student section end zone and couldn’t hear the quarterback, couldn’t hear any calls being made. It was deafening, so we had to go on a silent count. The defensive line was getting jumps. It was absolutely deafening. That directly impacted (the game). We won it, but it took double overtime to win that game because of the impact the student body had.
“At the University of Houston, we’re down 20 points in the fourth quarter to Memphis. Half of the stadium is empty, expect for the student section. The entire student section was full, and I really, firmly believe they won that game for us by sticking around, by still being loud, by cheering us on. We scored 21 points in the last 10 minutes of the game and wound up winning the game by one point. Those two instances tell me can a student section impact the outcome of a game? Without a doubt. Our student body needs us to realize that. If they want us to win, they need to be there. They need to be loud and it needs to be a definite home field advantage.”
How serious is Herman about changing the game-day environment?
Herman tried to condense the two student sections at DKR into one area this season, but was unable to pull it off because those seats had already been assigned. However, Herman is determined to rearrange the stadium seating and have one big student section in 2018.
- Whenever Texas fans question what Herman was seeing after a play-call they disagree with – oh, you know it is coming – nobody can blame his eyesight.
Herman has been extremely visible this off-season, but strengthened his eyesight with a Lasik procedure a couple of month ago.
Prior to the procedure, Herman was forced to wear glasses if he wanted to see a video screen. In addition, it was a little difficult for him to drive at night. In other words, Herman is starting to age just like the rest of us.
Herman may question the vision of others after he experiences the Big 12’s very questionable officiating this season. (Richardson)
*****
Due to the thin numbers at the tight end position on the current Texas roster, Ridge Point (Missouri City) tight end Mustapha Muhammad was one of the most important attendees at last Friday’s ‘Stars at Night’ showcase for the Texas staff. It's a good thing that the program left a strong impression on the Houston area prospect.
“It was really fun because I was anticipating another trip to Austin due to the recent buzz that has been going on with recruiting,” Muhammad told OB. “The visit did help (Texas) because I built relationships with people around the program and not just the coaches.”
Along with getting to meet people around the program, Muhammad also said one major highlight was getting to see the new facilities that the Texas coaches unveiled.
“The facilities are top notch and the locker room is probably the best I’ve ever seen,” Muhammad said.
After the recent commitments from Houston area prospects like Brennan Eagles, Al’vonte Woodard and Jalen Green, Muhammad noticed the momentum that the Texas program is picking up and likes the idea of playing with some players he’s already familiar with.
“The momentum definitely helps because a lot of the guys that are committed are my friends,” Muhammad said. “I’m happy to see them achieve their goals and it would be cool to play with them.”
Muhammad currently has no other visits arranged, but the four-star tight end indicated to OB that he should be back for an official visit sometime this coming season.
(Larkin)
*****
I spoke briefly with Clemens (Scheretz) wide receiver Tommy Bush after his visit to Texas earlier this week, and he had positive things to say about his trip to Austin.
“The visit went well,” Bush said. “It was mainly just focused on one-on-one conversation today, which we hadn’t gotten too much before.”
The four-star wide receiver visited Austin with his parents and older sister, and the family spent time talking with wide receivers’ coach Drew Mehringer and Tom Herman for the majority of the visit.
When asked about how the recent commitments of highly touted prospects Al’vonte Woodard and Brennan Eagles would affect his recruitment, Bush suggested that their presence in the 2018 class actually could help the Longhorns.
“It doesn’t impact me at all, it’s very good to have good receivers on the same team as you are,” Bush said. “I mean they’re just holding up for everybody else, so it’s not really a big impact, and Texas is still in the running.”
With three wide receivers already committed in the 2018 class, it’ll be interesting to see how the situation with Bush plays out the longer he weighs his options.
(Larkin)
*****
Following the commitment of Roschon Johnson, one of the biggest questions was how it would affect the recruitment of fellow 2019 quarterback Grant Tisdale. However, the Allen quarterback took time after his visit to reiterate that Johnson’s commitment has no bearing on how the Longhorns stand with him.
“I’m going to have to compete wherever I go, so I mean it’s the same situation. I’m not going to shy away from competition,” Tisdale said. “Roschon is a great quarterback and a great athlete, but I’m going to have to compete like everybody else. I mean it’s going to be a level platform once I get to college, so it’s a business up here.”
One of the reasons Texas is still in the mix is because of Tisdale’s relationship with Tom Herman and Tim Beck who have been recruiting the highly touted quarterback.
“[It’s] strong with Coach Herman and Coach Beck,” Tisdale said. “My parents love them, I love them. You know it feels more and more like home every time I’m around them.”
Among all the activities on Friday night, Tisdale said his favorite part of the visit was meeting the current commitments to the Longhorns and hear their stories for why they chose Texas.
“Getting to meet all the commits was the best part and just building a good relationship with them and describe why they committed,” Tisdale said.
As for where the new facilities rank in his eyes, Tisdale said he was blown away by the recent upgrades.
“In my opinion, it was the best locker room I’ve seen,” Tisdale said. “They put a lot of effort and time into that locker room.
With August fast approaching, Tisdale says he’s now concentrating on football and improving his game as he takes over the starting quarterback position.
“I got to establish myself. I’m a young recruit that hasn’t played a lot and I got buzz around my name, so I just want to go back that up,” Tisdale said. “Go compete and win and show the hype around me is not fake.”
(Larkin)
*****
After Friday’s camp, a name that kept being mentioned by those in attendance was 2019 defensive back Jonathan McGill. I caught up with the Coppell standout shortly after the camp, and he said he enjoyed the competitive nature of the camp.
“The atmosphere was crazy. It was a lot of energy from a lot of different people,” McGill said. “The water balloon fight had completive people trying to get each other wet, basketball was competitive and dodgeball was too. When you get a bunch of people who are really into it, it’s going to be fun no matter what you do.”
Texas has yet to offer McGill, but the Texas coaches are keeping a close eye on the 2019 defensive back this coming season. In fact, McGill has already built solid relationships with the defensive backs coach on Texas’ staff.
“Coach Huff with his background as an NFL player, and him being like the number seven overall pick I want to say, you’re going to take all the information you can from him,” McGill said. “Coach Washington and Coach Naivar both have great resumes too; you can see how they coach that they know what they’re talking about.”
In addition to a great coaching staff, McGill also mentioned that Texas stands out because of its proximity to home and the new direction that Tom Herman is taking the program.
“The things that stand out most about Texas is that it’s home, they’re changing the program, and they’re doing everything they got to do to make sure it’s a successful program,” McGill said. “The new facilities too, they are something crazy.”
Stanford, SMU and Nevada have already offered McGill, but with Texas already loaded up on defensive backs in the 2018 class, it’ll be interesting to see how they handle McGill’s recruitment.
(Larkin)
****
Aledo running back Jase McClellan has yet to enter his sophomore year of high school, but he’s already making waves in the recruiting world.
After an impressive freshman season that included 1,528 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns and state championship offensive MVP honors, McClellan has already racked in offers from the likes of Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas A&M.
McClellan made his way to Austin for Friday’s ‘Stars at Night’ event, and while he didn’t secure a Texas offer, he continued to establish a good relationship with running backs coach Stan Drayton.
“Stan Drayton talked to me about fitting in at Texas and becoming a better person and a better man,” McClellan said.
In particular, McClellan mentioned that Drayton’s work with running backs like Jordan Howard and Ezekiel Elliott could help the Longhorns in his decision.
“Yes that’s something that works into my decision with Texas,” McClellan said. “It shows me that he has the skills to work with good running backs.”
Though there’s a long way to go in his recruitment, McClellan did mention that he wasn’t as focused on Texas as other schools on his list because they have yet to offer him. Currently, the Aledo star said he has a strong interest in Georgia.
(Larkin)
*****
Angleton safety BJ Foster was one of several Longhorns commits on hand at last Friday’s event, and he said he enjoyed being back on campus with the coaches and players.
When asked about Texas’ recent recruiting momentum, Foster hinted that there’s more coming for the 2018 class.
“We just keep adding to the revolution,” Foster said. “It’s going to be live.”
At the event, Foster was also able to catch up with some of the current players in the Texas program, and he said that the team is coming together under the new direction of Tom Herman.
“I talked to some of the players, and they said they’re becoming more of a family,” Foster said. “At the beginning they weren’t really, but Coach Herman turned that around and now they’re much more close and all of that.”
Foster is now preparing for his upcoming season after missing most of the 2016 season and camp circuit with a knee injury.
(Larkin)
****
It’s safe to say Tom Herman and the Texas coaches have a made a strong early impression on Richmond Travis wide receiver Arjei Henderson. Despite not visiting Austin once since Herman has taken over, Henderson recently included the Longhorns in his top four.
Henderson, however, did make his first trip to Austin for the ‘Stars at Night’ event, and he had positive things to say regarding the visit.
“It was good to be here in Austin,” Henderson said. “The locker room, facilities and coaching staff were all great, so I’m planning to get back down here pretty soon.”
Notably, Henderson said his favorite part was the atmosphere around the program and getting to hang out with current recruits and players.
“My favorite part was being around the players and the water balloon fights and all that sort of stuff,” Henderson said.
The four-star wide receiver also met with Tom Herman during the camp, and he said the two connected in their conversations.
“I talked to Herman a lot,” Henderson said. “He showed a lot of love and he wants to stay in touch. I talk to him on a daily basis.”
Although he recently released his top four list of schools, the former Oklahoma commit said he has no immediate decision and wants to get a better feel for the schools he’s interested in.
(Larkin)
Another Texas commit on hand at last Friday’s event was Cibolo Steele safety Caden Sterns. While he didn’t compete as much as last year’s camp, Sterns still said last Friday was a good experience.
“it was good to watch the young ones compete and to get some work in with my future coaches, so that’s all good,” Sterns said. “I got to take some techniques away and work on it to get a head start before I get up here in five months. It was an awesome experience, and it’s a blessing to be a part of this family.”
Sterns also spent a lot of time with defensive backs coach Jason Washington, and he believes Washington is a key reason Texas is recruiting so well in the defensive backfield.
“Coach Washington keeps it real, and that’s what kids want,” Sterns said. “His excitement, his thrills and the way he approaches the game, he’s fired up every day about his job and wanting to be here. It’s a dream for us to play here and it’s a dream for him to coach here. To him, it’s a love for the game and I respect that.”
Lastly, the four-star safety said he was surprised by Jalen Green’s commitment at the camp, but he’s ecstatic to have a prospect like Green join the Longhorns and restore dominance to the Texas secondary.
“I was kind of surprised by (Jalen’s) commitment, but I can’t wait to get back there and have him join the rest of us,” Sterns said. “The things we’re going to do back there are going to be special, and I firmly believe that we’re going to turn this program around and bring back DBU.”
(Larkin)
*****
The final July evaluation period is ongoing, and will soon end. Las Vegas attracts nearly every college basketball coach this year, and Texas is rolling three-deep in Sin City: I saw Shaka Smart, Darrin Horn, and Jai Lucas today, and they’ve been here since the period began Wednesday. Mike Morrell is in Orlando watching top priority Keldon Johnson.
After attending the GASO in Dallas last week and talking to prospects and spending a day here in Las Vegas picking up notes, here’s an overview of the 2018 targets, and a future class that I believe has a real shot at being larger than three:
--- Quentin Grimes (College Park – The Woodlands)
The five-star combo guard told us last week that he’s planning on taking all five officials, but has already picked out three schools that will receive one – Texas, Arizona, and Kansas. The Houston-area product specifically mentioned that those three programs are on him the hardest. Guess who Grimes mentioned when discussing Texas?
“I know Matt Coleman really well. He plays a different style of point guard as a pass-first [guy] and I’m more of a scorer. I think we could complement each other really well,” said Grimes.
From what I’ve gathered, Texas is likely using the pitch to Grimes that he could immediately slide into the role that Andrew Jones will likely leave after this upcoming season.
“I’ve known Jai for a while. Coach Smart is a really cool coach. He respects me, calls me once a week. He keeps it real professional with me, and I like that,” he said
Kansas, who Grimes said he plans to take an unofficial and official visit to, seems like a possible team to beat. But Texas is firmly in the hunt. Earlier today, head coaches from Kentucky, Kansas, and Arizona were watching Grimes and Basketball University (2019 Will Baker’s team as well) along with Smart, Lucas, and Horn.
--- Keldon Johnson (Oak Hill Academy)
If Texas isn’t at the top of his list, it would be a surprise. Consider this from Eric Bossi earlier this week:
“Johnson told me that the next step will be to set his official visits in hopes of making a fall decision. The plan is to do that sometime in early August and after he finishes up the grassroots season at this week's AAU Super Showcase in Orlando. When I asked him which schools will for sure get an official visit his answer was simply "Texas.”
Texas clearly prioritized Johnson a long time ago, and remains in full-court press mode.
--- Gerald Liddell (Steele – Cibolo)
Liddell remains sidelined with a broken wrist he suffered during the NBPA Top 100 Camp. Last week at the GASO, Liddell gave us a list of schools he’s planning to take official visits too: Arizona, UCLA, Oregon and Texas. You’ll notice one of those things is not like the other. Although Liddell seems to have an infatuation with the West Coast, this quote about his relationship with Texas was telling, in my opinion.
“I have an awesome relationship with them. They’ve been on me a long time, and we have a really good relationship and I always talk to them. And it’s right down the road,” he said. “I can go up there and come back anytime I want, so I’ve probably been there the most of any school. I really know the players and coaches, so it feels like home there.”
Later, Liddell again brought up relationships and the home feeling.
“Of course who commits and who’s there and who is staying. And the relationships that I have,” the four-star prospect responded about what will matter the most in his decision-making process. “I want to feel at home. I have to really go up there and check it out and see where I feel comfortable.”
As for a timetable, Liddell wants to sign in the early period (November). From what we’ve heard, don’t be surprised if Liddell decides much sooner than November.
--- Kaden Archie (Midlothian)
Archie, a guard that takes pride in his outstanding ability to defend one through four, has three schools picked out for official visits: Texas, Florida and LSU. At the end of June, Archie took an unofficial visit to Texas prior to his high school team participating in the Longhorns’ Team Camp.
“It surprised me a lot when I was down there. My mom and dad enjoyed themselves a lot. They loved it. Just the facilities, atmosphere, all the coaches were nice and were excited to have me down there,” the Dallas-area prospect said. “Met some of the players, they knew my name before I even came. That was good. The strength and conditioning, how they develop players I really enjoyed that. Definitely opened my eyes up. I think that was my first time in Austin. I loved it, especially the campus and facilities. I saw the academic wing, the area where players eat. I was really impressed with the academic part, and so were my mom and my dad.”
What surprised Archie was the amount of players that have come on from Texas to play professionally.
“They had this wall with all the professional players and I didn’t realize how many professional alums Texas had put in the league. That surprised me a lot,” he said.
Archie added that Texas’s pitch to him is he’s unlike anyone it has on the roster because of his size and defensive ability.
In my opinion, Texas is at the top. By itself? I’m not sure. LSU has been on him hard as well. What Texas is going to have to ask itself at some point is how do we construct this class? Because the Longhorns are in strong standing with many bigger guards/wings/forwards but probably want a big guy too.
--- Brock Cunningham (Westlake – Austin)
Cunningham is back home in Austin sick, and was unable to make the trip to play in Las Vegas. As for his recruitment, Texas remains in really good shape for the local product.
--- David McCormack (Oak Hill Academy)
I almost didn’t recognize McCormack at first. After seeing him in April, he’s a new guy right now physically; he’s shed a lot of bad weight and looks great. That’s attracted even more programs as McCormack is one of the best bigs in the country among a very weak big man class.
“There are no schools that's a guaranteed official visit. Right now we're just seeing which schools we have the best relationship with and going about that process,” he said today.
Considering that Texas offered Jaxson Hayes, another big, and didn’t really have a deep presence at McCormack’s first game today, I wonder if Texas has identified the odds as being tough. However, McCormack did tell me today he still hears from Smart, Morrell, and Coleman, his former high school teammate. I wouldn’t rule out an official visit to Texas, but the odds don’t seem great currently.
--- Jaxson Hayes (Moeller – Cincinnati, Ohio)
Hayes, who has grown from 6-0 a couple years ago to 6-10 now, is a very intriguing prospect that’s just starting to really show what he’s capable of long-term. And he’s not done growing.
Hayes has a nice shooting stroke, with some solid touch. He’s raw in the paint, but he moves well for a guy that’s probably going to be 7-0 in college. During a game I saw today, he provided a “wow” moment when he jumped a passing lane, brought the ball up the floor, and did a spin move near the paint to draw a foul on a layup. His best basketball is way ahead of him, and he’s just scratching the surface, which has attracted a lot of teams. His offer list was zero before the summer and is now up to 24.
“Most recently, probably Texas, Purdue, Ohio State, Dayton, Xavier, Butler, TCU, VCU and then a few other schools,” he responded when asked what schools are recruiting him the most right now.
Although he hasn’t scheduled any official visits or picked any out, he does have a few schools in mind he’d like to visit and is considering.
“I don't know for sure. I already know I'm going to a few schools. I'm already scheduled to go to Butler and Xavier. And I plan on taking a visit to Texas, Ohio State, Dayton and probably Purdue,” he said about possible visits and future official visits.
Hayes stated he’ll cut his list soon to something like 10, and feels like Texas has started to prioritize him recently. Keep an eye on him moving forward. If Texas takes a big, he’s become one of the top options. Hayes wants to decide early and sign during the first period.
--- Kamaka Hepa (Jefferson – Portland, Oregon via Barrow, Alaska)
Another guy I’m scheduled to see tomorrow and talk to, Hepa attracted Smart, Lucas, and Horn for his game Wednesday night. Rivals.com’s Corey Evans reported this from Wednesday night: Hepa has a group of four schools standing out right now that are Gonzaga, Texas, USC and Washington.
Texas really values versatile, highly skilled “fours” and that’s what Hepa, who has an outstanding hoops IQ, is. Hepa took an unofficial visit to Texas earlier this summer, and the Longhorns are in solid shape.
--- Jared Butler (Riverside Academy – Reserve, Louisiana)
Texas remains in constant contact with Butler, who took an unofficial visit to UT earlier this summer. Smart watched him today, and afterwards, Butler, the No. 139 prospect overall, made it clear which three schools are standing out.
“Virginia, Texas, and Alabama for sure,” he responded about official visits he knows he wants to take, and then followed about those three schools making him a priority. “Yeah, they come to every game. Always there. Always texting. Those are the three making me a priority.”
Butler wants to figure out which team wants him the most in August, schedule visits in September, and then decide. (McComas)
