A few football notes to chew on before we get into the recruiting section.
1. Every person I spoke with at all levels within the program seem to be encouraged by what happened in Los Angeles, which means that there's been zero moping around with the record falling to 1-2. It remains to be seen which direction this team will go in over the next nine weeks, but there don't appear to be any cracks in the foundations in terms of commitment and focus.
2. While Shane Buechele has been experiencing soreness in his recovery from his shoulder injury as he returns from practice, his performance in practice has been good when he's been asked to turn it loose. From what I can tell, any issues from the shoulder aren't obvious to the naked eye to those watching practice, which would seem to indicate a positive direction as he readies himself for a return to the field.
3. I haven't heard of any division as it relates to the quarterback situation. Internally, team support for Buechele has always been sky high. If anything, the team has developed more confidence in true freshman Sam Ehlinger, which will prove helpful when he's asked to play, but I haven't sensed a single bit of hesitation from anyone as it relates to support for Buechele.
4. Despite the obvious reasons for panic along the offensive line, I'm told the offensive coaches have stressed to every player in that unit that playing time will be available to those that prove that they should have it. With Williams out, there isn't a single sacred cow and Derek Warehime has implored his back-ups to take advantage of this moment, stressing to his pupils the need for increased intense competition. One source told me that I shouldn't be surprised to see rotation across the board against Iowa State if there are any struggles at all, but that Warehime needs to see players like Derek Kerstetter force his hand with better performances in practice. If you're looking for a player that might emerge, Kerstetter is the guy to watch. (Ketch)
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It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with some Houston and Dallas area sources to get their thoughts on some of the Longhorns top targets and commitments. Texas coaches are set to hit the road this weekend to check on most of their prospects, and we touched base with a few people who have knowledge of the situations of some of the players on UT’s board. (Note: We’ll make some calls and focus on the out-of-state targets for next week.)
Al'Vonte Woodard – “There’s no reason to be concerned about his commitment. He’s been wearing Longhorn gear in the warm-ups at his games. (Texas) is good.”
Second source: “When I’ve talked to Jamison about (Ta’Zhawn) Henry and TCU and Vonte and Texas, he responds in a manner that Vonte is really campaigning for him to be at Texas.”
My thoughts: Agree with both of the above. No need to worry here. Woodard has been one of Texas’ most vocal recruiters ever since committing.
Jaylen Waddle – “My sense with him, it’s interesting because I feel like he has good friendships with some of the guys committed to A&M. He’s been linked with FSU for a long time. Alabama is making a push for him. I’m not sure where Texas slides in for him at this point.”
Second source: “Florida State feels pretty good so far. People at FSU are pretty clear that it is them and Alabama. They’ve maintained that for a while.”
My thoughts: I’ve stuck to my guns about FSU for several months … no need to change now. Alabama is obviously a factor and Waddle did visit UT for the SJSU game (and listed Texas in his top six). If the Longhorns can get him on campus for an official visit, there’s a chance, but the smart money is on Waddle going out of state.
Malcolm Epps – “I think he gives Texas something it seems like they’re lacking in terms of a consistent, big target from their tight end targets. Every time I turn on a Texas game, they’re talking about the tight ends. I think Brewer is the number two right now, right? He’s a solid player, but should he really be a number two tight end right now? Epps is a good guy to have in that rotation.
My thoughts: Like Woodard, he’s plenty happy with his commitment and there’s no reason for Texas to be worried about Epps looking around.
Mustapha Muhammad – “I don’t think there’s been a whole lot of reason to think that Michigan, some of those schools in his recruitment that are on the higher end of consideration, have changed. We’ll see what is going to happen with some of the uncommitted kids if something shakes up at A&M. I don’t think Muhammad is not interested in A&M, necessarily. But Texas is definitely in there. The thing Texas is going to have to tell him is that they have roles for both him and the other tight end (Epps) in that offense. One thing he’s always said, he likes teams that take multiple tight ends, but they also have to show him they’ll use multiple tight ends.”
My thoughts: Muhammad told me after the loss to Maryland that it did impact his thoughts on Texas a bit, but he also noted that it’s a long season so he wasn’t making any quick decisions. Bottom line here … Texas needs to have a good season on the field. Do that and the Longhorns will have a shot. If not, he’s probably Michigan-bound. Muhammad will take an official visit to Texas, so the Longhorns could always make a late push, and he’s the type of player that could buy into the idea of playing with some of his Houston-area friends. But as it stands now, I think Michigan has the inside track.
Rafiti Ghirmai – “It’s funny that he doesn’t seem overly interested to make anybody mad or ruffle feathers. I feel like he could take or leave any visits he takes. He has something nice to say about everybody, so I’m not sure what that means how serious he is about taking these visits. (The Texas coaches) could probably just as easily sway him the other way, to be locked in on us. With only two offensive linemen, he has to feel pretty good about his spot and the plan for him.”
My thoughts: Ghirmai is committed, but has said he’ll still take a visit to UCLA. I’m not convinced. UCLA already has five OL commitments and Ghirmai’s mom really likes the idea of him at Texas. I’ll be mildly surprised if he takes any other visits, and I’d be shocked to see him really waiver on his UT commitment.
Bobby Brown – “He was on OU’s campus recently (last weekend). His connection with Alabama goes back pretty far, which is saying something when you’re talking about Alabama, who usually waits on moving on a lot of guys. I think Bama is probably number one based on the involvement they’ve had. People talk about A&M but if Texas is going to win this one, they’ll have to beat out Alabama and Oklahoma.”
Second source: “It sounds like the (OU) visit went well. I almost think, if he takes that visit now, they’re the hot team now, but maybe it gets them out of the way. My thought has always been I’m not sure if he’ll go that far from home, so I think A&M is still very much in it. Texas too, probably. But who know what might happen in College Station? That could shake everything up.”
My thoughts: I’d heard for a while from someone who stays in contact with Brown that A&M was in a better position that most realized, but it sounds like things may have changed. Brown told our friends at SoonerScoop.com that his OU visit last weekend blew him and his mom away, so you have to move OU up his list. The good news … I did hear a few weeks ago that Texas was in a better position than anyone thought, and one person with knowledge of Brown’s recruitment thought it was a Texas-Alabama battle. Last weekend’s OU visit may have changed things, and Texas absolutely has to get him back on campus (maybe even more than once) or there’s really no shot.
Keondre Coburn – “He seems pretty happy with where he is with Texas and where things stand. He’ll probably take some of those visits he’s talked about. He’s brought up Miami a couple times and I actually think there’s legitimate interest there. Florida State, too, and you can never count out Alabama. Those Florida teams might be something to look out for. Other visits might create a little drama but as of today, I don’t think there’s much to be worried about for Texas.”
Second source: “He’s supposed to visit Alabama, but I’m not even sure how hard they’re pushing right now. I haven’t talked to anyone at Alabama about him in a while, but I think they’ve always kind of chalked him up for Texas.”
My thoughts: Coburn has maintained all along, even on the day he committed to Texas, that he would take his other visits. I expect that to happen, but unless the wheels completely fall off for the Longhorns this fall, I think Texas is pretty safe here.
Max Wright – Him and Leon (O’Neal), a number of those guys who are committed to A&M, they all seem like they genuinely want to let things play out to see if the new situation is right for them. If one guy decides to break from it, especially a guy like Leon who is a big cheerleader, that could all change. Wright’s case can be made with (former high school teammate) Camron Horry, but what if Cameron is saying it’s not great there right now? The friend connection might not help in the end if that’s all they have left. In talking to (Wright), it seems like as long as he’s happy with his own decision, so he’ll stick with it. But that’s something only he can know, if he’s committing to the school and not the coach. We’ll just have to wait and see with this one. Let’s say we get to the end of the season and something happens with Sumlin, I think he takes some visits.”
Second source: “Basically, when he started hearing things (about a possible coaching shake-up at A&M) he was thinking about it. Everyone is still hitting him up – coaches trying to get their foot in the door. But I think he’s come to the conclusion that he loves A&M and that’s where he wants to go. If it comes to that with the coaching stuff, I think he gives that new coach the first shot.”
My thoughts: Tough one to call. On one hand, if something happens with Kevin Sumlin at A&M, it would make sense that Wright would want to take some visits, and Texas would probably be first on his list of potential stops. On the other hand, Wright has kind of always been a kid who has been drawn to A&M, and if the Aggies go out and make a quick move to hire a solid coach, I’ve heard he may be more drawn to be an Aggie than he is Sumlin and the current coaching staff. Wright and his family do really like Oscar Giles, so we’ll just have to wait a bit on this one to see how things play out.
Joseph Ossai – “It seemed like A&M has been the leader for some time, but since he hasn’t committed, the way things are right now (with A&M), you have to think he’s seriously examining his options. He has to know there’s an opportunity there at Texas, and he’s been there multiple times. It looks like he’s gotten bigger since the spring, which is good. As a pass rusher he wasn’t very dynamic with his finesse moves. If he can add some strength and some girth, that will help him.”
Second source: “A&M was out there last week watching him. I think it’s going to come down to A&M and Texas. I don’t really talk to him though, but I know A&M feels pretty comfortable that they’re in a good spot.”
My thoughts: I’m in agreement with both comments above. Everyone got so hung up on the comment from Ossai last spring that A&M was his dream school that people assumed he was locked in to be an Aggie. But he has taken a ton of visits to UT and for whatever reason, hasn’t found enough of a reason to commit to A&M. I’ve felt going back to this summer that this race was closer than most A&M reporters were giving credit for, and I still feel that way. I’d still lean A&M every-so-slightly, but if Texas can continue to chip away I have a sneaky feeling the Longhorns might just win out on this one.
Byron Hobbs – “He tells me every time I see him, the sooner he can get to Texas the better.”
My thoughts: Nothing to worry about here. Of all of the commits, Hobbs is probably the most solid.
Anthony Cook – “I’ve always thought Ohio State was the leader with him. If (Jeffrey) Okudah didn’t sign there last year, it would probably be a toss-up. If he was looking for something he hadn’t seen up to this point from Texas, they gave it their best shot last week. But when I’ve talked to him, he’s had good things to say about his visit to OSU and he’s been so close to Okudah for some time. I feel it’s always been Ohio State. That’s my read on it.”
My thoughts: The Okudah angle is interesting to me because I’ve never talked to Cook about his friendship with Okudah, but the two did spend a lot of time together last year at some of the national recruiting events. Texas will have its chance to win Cook over next week on his official visit and I’ll wait to get a read on Cook after that trip, but this one feels like it’s trending Ohio State’s way.
D'Shawn Jamison – “I think it has to be Texas. Every time I talk to him, I’ll bring up TCU, but I never feel like the conversation moves that direction. But it’s tough to say, because I know (Ta’Zhawn) Henry and (Taye) Barber are working on him. I’m sure Al’Vonte is working on him too, but of the three of them, Al’Vonte may be the least outgoing personality. D’Shawn says he already has his mind made up. My gut feeling is that it’s Texas.”
My thoughts: Texas has made Jamison such a priority as a nickel back, a different spot than the other DBs UT is recruiting, I just don’t see the Longhorns missing out on this one. We’ll have our answer in a few weeks with Jamison set to decide on October 14.
Jalen Green – “Him throwing up the smoke screen of all these other schools he kept in the mix and wanted to take visits to, that was never genuine. LSU has to be such a bearish recruiting market right now. People wanted to see what their team was going to look like and they laid an egg against Ole Miss. I don’t see any motivation for him to consider anyone else at this point.”
My thoughts: Agree with the above assessment. Green is locked in. (Suchomel)
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While I had a Houston-area source on the phone this week, I picked his brain on UT’s recruiting momentum with the Longhorns sitting at 1-2 after three weeks of the season …
“I don’t think Texas, from a recruit perspective needed to win USC. Texas did exactly what they needed to do to get recruits to think they’re on the right track. If they win, people would feel completely different, but they did what they needed to do.”
The Longhorns have a tough stretch of games coming up that could set the team struggling over the next month. Would that impact things? Probably not, according to this person.
“I think they’re fine. First of all, they did the smart thing by capitalizing on all the momentum in the off-season. It’s kind of the blueprint OU had in last year’s class – they got guys in early, developed all this camaraderie. Texas kind of lives in a state recruiting wise, especially given what’s going on in A&M, there’s not a lot of competition for the caliber of recruits they have in the class. Baylor’s not. Oklahoma is really the only one, but they have most of their guys. TCU kind of gets those higher end mid-tier guys rather than going for the home run guys Texas has. Same with Oklahoma State. In conference, I don’t think there’s a lot of competition for them. Outside of couple out of state schools who recruit on a national level, there’s not much to worry about. I think most of those guys they have were looking for a reason to go to Texas and they got it. Think they’ll be fine.
“They’ll do enough, have enough winnable games in the back end of the schedule, can close out the season and still look good to recruits. Just get to a bowl game, really. It’s the same situation with fans – a lot of these kids have proven to be fans of Texas. Just show improvement and that things are heading in the right direction.” (Suchomel)
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Texas extended a scholarship offer to JUCO offensive tackle Badara Traore last week, and after talking to Traore, it sounds like the Longhorns are very much in the mix.
“I was excited. Me and coach Warehime were talking for a little bit. One day he called me, said they were extending an offer. I was excited,” Traore said. “Texas is one of the top schools I’ve been dreaming about to play at. They play some big time ball at Texas. When he gave me that offer, I was excited.”
Texas has been talking to Traore for a while and he’s been hopeful an offer would come. According to Traore, after the UT staff checked on his credits and discovered they would in fact transfer, the offer was extended. Up next, Traore will work on scheduling an official visit. He has already taken one of his five visits – to Auburn – and said Texas is the only other trip he knows he’ll definitely take.
“I haven’t figured out an exact date, but I will be visiting the University of Texas,” Traore said. “I have no idea (on other visits) yet, but Texas is for sure one of them.”
Out of ASA College in New York, Traore will enroll at a Division I school in January and will have three years to play two seasons of football. Along with Texas and Auburn, he has scholarship offers from the likes of Oklahoma, Ohio State, Ole Miss and LSU. He originally committed to Boston College out of high school but grades forced him to go the JUCO route.
As for Texas, Traore has been told he’d have a chance to play right away, and he’s very familiar with UT’s depth chart.
“They told me that they needed a tackle because their left tackle is going into the draft, so they need someone to compete right away,” Traore said. “They felt I’m the right one out of everyone in JUCO. They sent me that offer, I was excited, I’ve always been a fan of Texas.
“Depth chart to me is very important as far as coming in in and playing. I’m not there to sit for two years. I want to play right away. Texas gives me that opportunity. That’s why I’m excited – the opportunity to compete right away, possibly play as a starting tackle.”
Traore said he hasn’t really finalized a list of favorites, but said the Longhorns are definitely going to receive strong consideration.
“They’re definitely up there. Texas is great program, coming up,” he said. “They’re definitely up there for me. It’s a great school as far as tradition, as far as what I’m looking for. I can’t wait to see it for myself when I get down there.” (Suchomel)
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Another recent UT offer, and another likely official visitor … Nikolas Bonitto.
The Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas defensive end/linebacker picked up a UT offer earlier this month and said he wants to get over to Austin to get a closer look.
“It was pretty much out of the blue. I just know my coach called me one day, told me they’re interested in me. I was like, okay. Some of recruiting guys stated following me, then my coach called me later that day and told me about the offer,” Bonitto said. “I was pretty excited.
“That one is really big. Texas always has great tradition. I see the change coach Herman is trying to bring over there. It’s really exciting what’s going on over there.”
Bonitto just finished up with a Louisville official visit last week and said the overall atmosphere was the highlight. He told me he also wants to visit Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi State and LSU. He talked to UT Assistant Director of Player Personnel Bryan Carrington this week and hopes to pin down a Texas visit soon.
“I was just talking to one of their recruiting guys about it just now,” Bonitto said. “I haven’t set up a specific date for a visit yet, but I’ll come in at some point for sure.”
Texas has told Bonitto that he’d be used as an outside linebacker that could excel at getting to the quarterback, and he could also play with his hand on the ground at times as his body fills out.
Louisville has been on Bonitto for a while and has the inside track coming off his official visit, but Bonitto, a Rivals250 member, said he’s not rushing into any decisions.
“I would probably say they’re definitely recruiting me the hardest and showing me a lot of love, but I’m pretty open to all of those schools,” Bonitto said. (Suchomel)
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This weekend, Texas will host five-star combo guard Quentin Grimes. For Grimes, who is rated as the No. 11 overall in the 2018 Rivals150, the Texas visit will be the first of four official visits. He’ll visit Kentucky (September 29), Kansas (October 13), and Marquette (October 20). Those four schools make up his final four. How I think it stands right now:
Kansas
Texas
Marquette
Kentucky
Currently, Kansas holds a solid lead from what I’ve heard. Not insurmountable, but solid. Depending on how some dominoes fall at the guard spot for Kansas, Grimes could look at other programs with more interest as time goes on. Texas is a strong number two currently. Playing alongside Matt Coleman is a big appeal for Grimes, who would presumably slide right into the spot Andrew Jones likely vacates after this season.
Marquette being third might surprise some people. That staff was routinely four-deep with coaches during the final live periods, and it has made a great pitch about Grimes walking into a favorable situation with parts surrounding him as a featured player. It’s in the hunt. Kentucky is in the mix as well, but from what I’ve heard the idea of a one-and-done superteam doesn’t really appeal to Grimes. That being said, Kentucky can never be counted out if it’s getting an official visit.
If Texas is going to be able to leapfrog Kansas, this weekend will have to go perfectly. In particular, Texas needs to really hammer home how well Grimes could fit alongside Coleman. (McComas)
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Some more tidbits on Texas’s top hoops targets:
Kamaka Hepa – The forward visited Texas officially the first weekend in September, along with top priority Keldon Johnson, and then visited Gonzaga. So far, Hepa, a four-star forward, has yet to schedule any more official visits, according to his AAU coach Mike Plank. The general feeling is that it’s becoming more likely that he won’t schedule any more visits. Texas remains in good shape, though Gonzaga presents an interesting challenge.
Keldon Johnson – He’ll take a week off from official visits, and then will visit Maryland next weekend. Sometime in October, the five-star guard from Oak Hill Academy will officially visit Florida State too, and a decision could come in late October or early November. The more time that passes between the Kentucky official visit last weekend and a decision the better for Texas. Coleman remains a huge factor for Texas, and so does the relationship Johnson has with the Texas coaches. They’ve recruited him longer and harder than anyone, and Johnson and his family value that.
Jaxson Hayes – He took an official visit to Texas the weekend of the San Jose State game, and it sounded like a potential Xavier-Texas battle for a player that wanted to decide early. Recently, Hayes just added a Kentucky offer, which now makes this recruitment tough to figure out. However, he’s likely not one of Kentucky’s top targets, and told us today that the Kentucky offer hasn’t changed his timetable, and he has no other official visits planned at the moment. Hayes said after his Texas visit he wanted to decide around the end of September.
Kaden Archie – The four-star guard from Midlothian remains on the Longhorns’ radar, and they continue to recruit him. But it’s clear Archie’s link to Texas depends on what happens with Johnson and Grimes.
Jared Butler – Recently, the combo guard from Reserve, Louisiana named a final three of Virginia, Alabama, and Baylor. Not a surprise given Texas’s numbers. (McComas)
1. Every person I spoke with at all levels within the program seem to be encouraged by what happened in Los Angeles, which means that there's been zero moping around with the record falling to 1-2. It remains to be seen which direction this team will go in over the next nine weeks, but there don't appear to be any cracks in the foundations in terms of commitment and focus.
2. While Shane Buechele has been experiencing soreness in his recovery from his shoulder injury as he returns from practice, his performance in practice has been good when he's been asked to turn it loose. From what I can tell, any issues from the shoulder aren't obvious to the naked eye to those watching practice, which would seem to indicate a positive direction as he readies himself for a return to the field.
3. I haven't heard of any division as it relates to the quarterback situation. Internally, team support for Buechele has always been sky high. If anything, the team has developed more confidence in true freshman Sam Ehlinger, which will prove helpful when he's asked to play, but I haven't sensed a single bit of hesitation from anyone as it relates to support for Buechele.
4. Despite the obvious reasons for panic along the offensive line, I'm told the offensive coaches have stressed to every player in that unit that playing time will be available to those that prove that they should have it. With Williams out, there isn't a single sacred cow and Derek Warehime has implored his back-ups to take advantage of this moment, stressing to his pupils the need for increased intense competition. One source told me that I shouldn't be surprised to see rotation across the board against Iowa State if there are any struggles at all, but that Warehime needs to see players like Derek Kerstetter force his hand with better performances in practice. If you're looking for a player that might emerge, Kerstetter is the guy to watch. (Ketch)
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It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with some Houston and Dallas area sources to get their thoughts on some of the Longhorns top targets and commitments. Texas coaches are set to hit the road this weekend to check on most of their prospects, and we touched base with a few people who have knowledge of the situations of some of the players on UT’s board. (Note: We’ll make some calls and focus on the out-of-state targets for next week.)
Al'Vonte Woodard – “There’s no reason to be concerned about his commitment. He’s been wearing Longhorn gear in the warm-ups at his games. (Texas) is good.”
Second source: “When I’ve talked to Jamison about (Ta’Zhawn) Henry and TCU and Vonte and Texas, he responds in a manner that Vonte is really campaigning for him to be at Texas.”
My thoughts: Agree with both of the above. No need to worry here. Woodard has been one of Texas’ most vocal recruiters ever since committing.
Jaylen Waddle – “My sense with him, it’s interesting because I feel like he has good friendships with some of the guys committed to A&M. He’s been linked with FSU for a long time. Alabama is making a push for him. I’m not sure where Texas slides in for him at this point.”
Second source: “Florida State feels pretty good so far. People at FSU are pretty clear that it is them and Alabama. They’ve maintained that for a while.”
My thoughts: I’ve stuck to my guns about FSU for several months … no need to change now. Alabama is obviously a factor and Waddle did visit UT for the SJSU game (and listed Texas in his top six). If the Longhorns can get him on campus for an official visit, there’s a chance, but the smart money is on Waddle going out of state.
Malcolm Epps – “I think he gives Texas something it seems like they’re lacking in terms of a consistent, big target from their tight end targets. Every time I turn on a Texas game, they’re talking about the tight ends. I think Brewer is the number two right now, right? He’s a solid player, but should he really be a number two tight end right now? Epps is a good guy to have in that rotation.
My thoughts: Like Woodard, he’s plenty happy with his commitment and there’s no reason for Texas to be worried about Epps looking around.
Mustapha Muhammad – “I don’t think there’s been a whole lot of reason to think that Michigan, some of those schools in his recruitment that are on the higher end of consideration, have changed. We’ll see what is going to happen with some of the uncommitted kids if something shakes up at A&M. I don’t think Muhammad is not interested in A&M, necessarily. But Texas is definitely in there. The thing Texas is going to have to tell him is that they have roles for both him and the other tight end (Epps) in that offense. One thing he’s always said, he likes teams that take multiple tight ends, but they also have to show him they’ll use multiple tight ends.”
My thoughts: Muhammad told me after the loss to Maryland that it did impact his thoughts on Texas a bit, but he also noted that it’s a long season so he wasn’t making any quick decisions. Bottom line here … Texas needs to have a good season on the field. Do that and the Longhorns will have a shot. If not, he’s probably Michigan-bound. Muhammad will take an official visit to Texas, so the Longhorns could always make a late push, and he’s the type of player that could buy into the idea of playing with some of his Houston-area friends. But as it stands now, I think Michigan has the inside track.
Rafiti Ghirmai – “It’s funny that he doesn’t seem overly interested to make anybody mad or ruffle feathers. I feel like he could take or leave any visits he takes. He has something nice to say about everybody, so I’m not sure what that means how serious he is about taking these visits. (The Texas coaches) could probably just as easily sway him the other way, to be locked in on us. With only two offensive linemen, he has to feel pretty good about his spot and the plan for him.”
My thoughts: Ghirmai is committed, but has said he’ll still take a visit to UCLA. I’m not convinced. UCLA already has five OL commitments and Ghirmai’s mom really likes the idea of him at Texas. I’ll be mildly surprised if he takes any other visits, and I’d be shocked to see him really waiver on his UT commitment.
Bobby Brown – “He was on OU’s campus recently (last weekend). His connection with Alabama goes back pretty far, which is saying something when you’re talking about Alabama, who usually waits on moving on a lot of guys. I think Bama is probably number one based on the involvement they’ve had. People talk about A&M but if Texas is going to win this one, they’ll have to beat out Alabama and Oklahoma.”
Second source: “It sounds like the (OU) visit went well. I almost think, if he takes that visit now, they’re the hot team now, but maybe it gets them out of the way. My thought has always been I’m not sure if he’ll go that far from home, so I think A&M is still very much in it. Texas too, probably. But who know what might happen in College Station? That could shake everything up.”
My thoughts: I’d heard for a while from someone who stays in contact with Brown that A&M was in a better position that most realized, but it sounds like things may have changed. Brown told our friends at SoonerScoop.com that his OU visit last weekend blew him and his mom away, so you have to move OU up his list. The good news … I did hear a few weeks ago that Texas was in a better position than anyone thought, and one person with knowledge of Brown’s recruitment thought it was a Texas-Alabama battle. Last weekend’s OU visit may have changed things, and Texas absolutely has to get him back on campus (maybe even more than once) or there’s really no shot.
Keondre Coburn – “He seems pretty happy with where he is with Texas and where things stand. He’ll probably take some of those visits he’s talked about. He’s brought up Miami a couple times and I actually think there’s legitimate interest there. Florida State, too, and you can never count out Alabama. Those Florida teams might be something to look out for. Other visits might create a little drama but as of today, I don’t think there’s much to be worried about for Texas.”
Second source: “He’s supposed to visit Alabama, but I’m not even sure how hard they’re pushing right now. I haven’t talked to anyone at Alabama about him in a while, but I think they’ve always kind of chalked him up for Texas.”
My thoughts: Coburn has maintained all along, even on the day he committed to Texas, that he would take his other visits. I expect that to happen, but unless the wheels completely fall off for the Longhorns this fall, I think Texas is pretty safe here.
Max Wright – Him and Leon (O’Neal), a number of those guys who are committed to A&M, they all seem like they genuinely want to let things play out to see if the new situation is right for them. If one guy decides to break from it, especially a guy like Leon who is a big cheerleader, that could all change. Wright’s case can be made with (former high school teammate) Camron Horry, but what if Cameron is saying it’s not great there right now? The friend connection might not help in the end if that’s all they have left. In talking to (Wright), it seems like as long as he’s happy with his own decision, so he’ll stick with it. But that’s something only he can know, if he’s committing to the school and not the coach. We’ll just have to wait and see with this one. Let’s say we get to the end of the season and something happens with Sumlin, I think he takes some visits.”
Second source: “Basically, when he started hearing things (about a possible coaching shake-up at A&M) he was thinking about it. Everyone is still hitting him up – coaches trying to get their foot in the door. But I think he’s come to the conclusion that he loves A&M and that’s where he wants to go. If it comes to that with the coaching stuff, I think he gives that new coach the first shot.”
My thoughts: Tough one to call. On one hand, if something happens with Kevin Sumlin at A&M, it would make sense that Wright would want to take some visits, and Texas would probably be first on his list of potential stops. On the other hand, Wright has kind of always been a kid who has been drawn to A&M, and if the Aggies go out and make a quick move to hire a solid coach, I’ve heard he may be more drawn to be an Aggie than he is Sumlin and the current coaching staff. Wright and his family do really like Oscar Giles, so we’ll just have to wait a bit on this one to see how things play out.
Joseph Ossai – “It seemed like A&M has been the leader for some time, but since he hasn’t committed, the way things are right now (with A&M), you have to think he’s seriously examining his options. He has to know there’s an opportunity there at Texas, and he’s been there multiple times. It looks like he’s gotten bigger since the spring, which is good. As a pass rusher he wasn’t very dynamic with his finesse moves. If he can add some strength and some girth, that will help him.”
Second source: “A&M was out there last week watching him. I think it’s going to come down to A&M and Texas. I don’t really talk to him though, but I know A&M feels pretty comfortable that they’re in a good spot.”
My thoughts: I’m in agreement with both comments above. Everyone got so hung up on the comment from Ossai last spring that A&M was his dream school that people assumed he was locked in to be an Aggie. But he has taken a ton of visits to UT and for whatever reason, hasn’t found enough of a reason to commit to A&M. I’ve felt going back to this summer that this race was closer than most A&M reporters were giving credit for, and I still feel that way. I’d still lean A&M every-so-slightly, but if Texas can continue to chip away I have a sneaky feeling the Longhorns might just win out on this one.
Byron Hobbs – “He tells me every time I see him, the sooner he can get to Texas the better.”
My thoughts: Nothing to worry about here. Of all of the commits, Hobbs is probably the most solid.
Anthony Cook – “I’ve always thought Ohio State was the leader with him. If (Jeffrey) Okudah didn’t sign there last year, it would probably be a toss-up. If he was looking for something he hadn’t seen up to this point from Texas, they gave it their best shot last week. But when I’ve talked to him, he’s had good things to say about his visit to OSU and he’s been so close to Okudah for some time. I feel it’s always been Ohio State. That’s my read on it.”
My thoughts: The Okudah angle is interesting to me because I’ve never talked to Cook about his friendship with Okudah, but the two did spend a lot of time together last year at some of the national recruiting events. Texas will have its chance to win Cook over next week on his official visit and I’ll wait to get a read on Cook after that trip, but this one feels like it’s trending Ohio State’s way.
D'Shawn Jamison – “I think it has to be Texas. Every time I talk to him, I’ll bring up TCU, but I never feel like the conversation moves that direction. But it’s tough to say, because I know (Ta’Zhawn) Henry and (Taye) Barber are working on him. I’m sure Al’Vonte is working on him too, but of the three of them, Al’Vonte may be the least outgoing personality. D’Shawn says he already has his mind made up. My gut feeling is that it’s Texas.”
My thoughts: Texas has made Jamison such a priority as a nickel back, a different spot than the other DBs UT is recruiting, I just don’t see the Longhorns missing out on this one. We’ll have our answer in a few weeks with Jamison set to decide on October 14.
Jalen Green – “Him throwing up the smoke screen of all these other schools he kept in the mix and wanted to take visits to, that was never genuine. LSU has to be such a bearish recruiting market right now. People wanted to see what their team was going to look like and they laid an egg against Ole Miss. I don’t see any motivation for him to consider anyone else at this point.”
My thoughts: Agree with the above assessment. Green is locked in. (Suchomel)
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While I had a Houston-area source on the phone this week, I picked his brain on UT’s recruiting momentum with the Longhorns sitting at 1-2 after three weeks of the season …
“I don’t think Texas, from a recruit perspective needed to win USC. Texas did exactly what they needed to do to get recruits to think they’re on the right track. If they win, people would feel completely different, but they did what they needed to do.”
The Longhorns have a tough stretch of games coming up that could set the team struggling over the next month. Would that impact things? Probably not, according to this person.
“I think they’re fine. First of all, they did the smart thing by capitalizing on all the momentum in the off-season. It’s kind of the blueprint OU had in last year’s class – they got guys in early, developed all this camaraderie. Texas kind of lives in a state recruiting wise, especially given what’s going on in A&M, there’s not a lot of competition for the caliber of recruits they have in the class. Baylor’s not. Oklahoma is really the only one, but they have most of their guys. TCU kind of gets those higher end mid-tier guys rather than going for the home run guys Texas has. Same with Oklahoma State. In conference, I don’t think there’s a lot of competition for them. Outside of couple out of state schools who recruit on a national level, there’s not much to worry about. I think most of those guys they have were looking for a reason to go to Texas and they got it. Think they’ll be fine.
“They’ll do enough, have enough winnable games in the back end of the schedule, can close out the season and still look good to recruits. Just get to a bowl game, really. It’s the same situation with fans – a lot of these kids have proven to be fans of Texas. Just show improvement and that things are heading in the right direction.” (Suchomel)
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Texas extended a scholarship offer to JUCO offensive tackle Badara Traore last week, and after talking to Traore, it sounds like the Longhorns are very much in the mix.
“I was excited. Me and coach Warehime were talking for a little bit. One day he called me, said they were extending an offer. I was excited,” Traore said. “Texas is one of the top schools I’ve been dreaming about to play at. They play some big time ball at Texas. When he gave me that offer, I was excited.”
Texas has been talking to Traore for a while and he’s been hopeful an offer would come. According to Traore, after the UT staff checked on his credits and discovered they would in fact transfer, the offer was extended. Up next, Traore will work on scheduling an official visit. He has already taken one of his five visits – to Auburn – and said Texas is the only other trip he knows he’ll definitely take.
“I haven’t figured out an exact date, but I will be visiting the University of Texas,” Traore said. “I have no idea (on other visits) yet, but Texas is for sure one of them.”
Out of ASA College in New York, Traore will enroll at a Division I school in January and will have three years to play two seasons of football. Along with Texas and Auburn, he has scholarship offers from the likes of Oklahoma, Ohio State, Ole Miss and LSU. He originally committed to Boston College out of high school but grades forced him to go the JUCO route.
As for Texas, Traore has been told he’d have a chance to play right away, and he’s very familiar with UT’s depth chart.
“They told me that they needed a tackle because their left tackle is going into the draft, so they need someone to compete right away,” Traore said. “They felt I’m the right one out of everyone in JUCO. They sent me that offer, I was excited, I’ve always been a fan of Texas.
“Depth chart to me is very important as far as coming in in and playing. I’m not there to sit for two years. I want to play right away. Texas gives me that opportunity. That’s why I’m excited – the opportunity to compete right away, possibly play as a starting tackle.”
Traore said he hasn’t really finalized a list of favorites, but said the Longhorns are definitely going to receive strong consideration.
“They’re definitely up there. Texas is great program, coming up,” he said. “They’re definitely up there for me. It’s a great school as far as tradition, as far as what I’m looking for. I can’t wait to see it for myself when I get down there.” (Suchomel)
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Another recent UT offer, and another likely official visitor … Nikolas Bonitto.
The Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas defensive end/linebacker picked up a UT offer earlier this month and said he wants to get over to Austin to get a closer look.
“It was pretty much out of the blue. I just know my coach called me one day, told me they’re interested in me. I was like, okay. Some of recruiting guys stated following me, then my coach called me later that day and told me about the offer,” Bonitto said. “I was pretty excited.
“That one is really big. Texas always has great tradition. I see the change coach Herman is trying to bring over there. It’s really exciting what’s going on over there.”
Bonitto just finished up with a Louisville official visit last week and said the overall atmosphere was the highlight. He told me he also wants to visit Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi State and LSU. He talked to UT Assistant Director of Player Personnel Bryan Carrington this week and hopes to pin down a Texas visit soon.
“I was just talking to one of their recruiting guys about it just now,” Bonitto said. “I haven’t set up a specific date for a visit yet, but I’ll come in at some point for sure.”
Texas has told Bonitto that he’d be used as an outside linebacker that could excel at getting to the quarterback, and he could also play with his hand on the ground at times as his body fills out.
Louisville has been on Bonitto for a while and has the inside track coming off his official visit, but Bonitto, a Rivals250 member, said he’s not rushing into any decisions.
“I would probably say they’re definitely recruiting me the hardest and showing me a lot of love, but I’m pretty open to all of those schools,” Bonitto said. (Suchomel)
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This weekend, Texas will host five-star combo guard Quentin Grimes. For Grimes, who is rated as the No. 11 overall in the 2018 Rivals150, the Texas visit will be the first of four official visits. He’ll visit Kentucky (September 29), Kansas (October 13), and Marquette (October 20). Those four schools make up his final four. How I think it stands right now:
Kansas
Texas
Marquette
Kentucky
Currently, Kansas holds a solid lead from what I’ve heard. Not insurmountable, but solid. Depending on how some dominoes fall at the guard spot for Kansas, Grimes could look at other programs with more interest as time goes on. Texas is a strong number two currently. Playing alongside Matt Coleman is a big appeal for Grimes, who would presumably slide right into the spot Andrew Jones likely vacates after this season.
Marquette being third might surprise some people. That staff was routinely four-deep with coaches during the final live periods, and it has made a great pitch about Grimes walking into a favorable situation with parts surrounding him as a featured player. It’s in the hunt. Kentucky is in the mix as well, but from what I’ve heard the idea of a one-and-done superteam doesn’t really appeal to Grimes. That being said, Kentucky can never be counted out if it’s getting an official visit.
If Texas is going to be able to leapfrog Kansas, this weekend will have to go perfectly. In particular, Texas needs to really hammer home how well Grimes could fit alongside Coleman. (McComas)
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Some more tidbits on Texas’s top hoops targets:
Kamaka Hepa – The forward visited Texas officially the first weekend in September, along with top priority Keldon Johnson, and then visited Gonzaga. So far, Hepa, a four-star forward, has yet to schedule any more official visits, according to his AAU coach Mike Plank. The general feeling is that it’s becoming more likely that he won’t schedule any more visits. Texas remains in good shape, though Gonzaga presents an interesting challenge.
Keldon Johnson – He’ll take a week off from official visits, and then will visit Maryland next weekend. Sometime in October, the five-star guard from Oak Hill Academy will officially visit Florida State too, and a decision could come in late October or early November. The more time that passes between the Kentucky official visit last weekend and a decision the better for Texas. Coleman remains a huge factor for Texas, and so does the relationship Johnson has with the Texas coaches. They’ve recruited him longer and harder than anyone, and Johnson and his family value that.
Jaxson Hayes – He took an official visit to Texas the weekend of the San Jose State game, and it sounded like a potential Xavier-Texas battle for a player that wanted to decide early. Recently, Hayes just added a Kentucky offer, which now makes this recruitment tough to figure out. However, he’s likely not one of Kentucky’s top targets, and told us today that the Kentucky offer hasn’t changed his timetable, and he has no other official visits planned at the moment. Hayes said after his Texas visit he wanted to decide around the end of September.
Kaden Archie – The four-star guard from Midlothian remains on the Longhorns’ radar, and they continue to recruit him. But it’s clear Archie’s link to Texas depends on what happens with Johnson and Grimes.
Jared Butler – Recently, the combo guard from Reserve, Louisiana named a final three of Virginia, Alabama, and Baylor. Not a surprise given Texas’s numbers. (McComas)
