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Texas football coach Tom Herman’s impact has been apparent during summer workouts this offseason.Sure, Herman has obtained nationwide headlines for his battles with LSU to hold a satellite camp in Louisiana, the resentment from Oklahoma’s football staff, his immediate recruiting impact, a hydration chart and renovations to the football facility. Without any real intent, Herman has garnered more offseason attention for the Longhorns than any other program has received prior to this season. If there was a coach who was winning in the offseason, Herman is that guy.
However, winning in the regular season is more important than any positive publicity Herman has received since taking over the program last year, and he knows it. That is why Herman set the tone from during his first meeting with the players, and it continued through winter conditioning and spring football. Nevertheless, summer football practice is arguably the most important phase for a football program.
Many college football coaches believe their teams become cohesive during summer workouts. This is the time when players form bonds, build trust, leaders are developed, and the foundation is laid for the upcoming season.
Herman’s team has been working out this offseason, and here are a few notes worth passing along to Longhorn fans:
There is some good news for those who are fans of freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Here is what I was told: “Having experienced an off-season workout regimen already with winter conditioning really paid dividends for Sam Ehlinger. He was a big kid already, but he’s getting after it in summer workouts and adding strength and explosiveness. He's really looking physically imposing for a quarterback.”
Obviously, nobody is saying Ehlinger is going to take Buechele’s position. We know Ehlinger has a lot of potential – yes, that is a dangerous word – but this report just means the freshman continues to improve, which should be an encouraging sign for Longhorn fans. Considering Buechele and Ehlinger are Herman’s only scholarship quarterbacks, he needs the backup to improve this summer before the season opener against Maryland.
The previous staff did not emphasis lower body workouts. From what I was told, former strength and conditioning coach Pat Moorer was always worried about player hurting themselves during offseason workouts. However, this is the reason why Herman revealed linebacker Malik Jefferson could bench press more than he was able to squat this offseason. However, I was told, “The focus on lower body strength is starting to show and where you can see it most is in the running drills. Across the board the team’s ability to bend, change direction and explode in and out of drills is dramatically improved.”
Speaking of Jefferson, here is something I was told about the linebackers when the subject of lower-body strength came up in conversation: “Two guys that have made the most progress are Anthony Wheeler and Malik Jefferson. They’re so much stronger, more flexible and really getting it done in drills.”
Jefferson’s progression is a good sign for Longhorn fans. There are many draft analysts who believe Jefferson could be a first-round pick after this season. Whether it is the potential to leave school early, or impress a new staff, Jefferson has been doing everything within his power to live up to the hype he received as a 5-star prospect coming out of high school.
Lastly, I was told everyone in the building is impressed with the team’s attitude. As we previously reported, Herman was able to get the buy-in from players at Texas easier than his first season at Houston. The players at Texas are desperate to win after back-to-back 5-7 seasons, and they view Herman and his current staff as coaches who will help them win at Texas.
“(We) continue to be impressed with the team’s attitude,” I was told. “Everyone shows up ready to work, is competing and wants to get better. It’s even more impressive considering the fact that their locker room and weight room are under construction, and they’re adapting to using other facilities. Everyone is buying in.” (Richardson)
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Like last week, lots of recruiting talk to get to and it’s going to be yet another busy weekend, so let’s get straight to the updates …
Rivals250 DB Trey Dean visited Texas a couple weeks ago, and the Longhorns have moved up to No. 1 on his list. If Texas wants to land Dean, who will decide on July 31, it will have to hold off in-state Georgia, but the Longhorns do have a bit of an unexpected ally with Dean’s sister living in Houston and her boyfriend living in Austin. Both accompanied him on his recent UT visit, and Dean plans to return in July for another visit with his entire family.
“Texas was a great school. Texas has really moved high on my list. They’re number one right now. No doubt about that,” Dean said. “Texas is a great school, both academically and athletically. I like their new coaching staff. They’re building something big up there, so they’re definitely in the running.”
Dean visited Notre Dame and Michigan this week, so those could be schools to watch as well. South Carolina was expected to be a big player, but most feel the Gamecocks have dropped off.
Dean on what he liked about his Texas visit:
“Just what they showed me, different things. Things they’re doing. They have a lot of Jim Thorpe Award winners. If you want to consider yourself DBU, they should be in the running for it.
“They said out of all the DBs they really want me because I fit their scheme. I’m really thankful for them telling me that because I’ll help bring back DBU.”
Dean is a well-put together 6-2 ½, 180-pound safety who showed good cover skills at the Five-Star Challenge, especially when he got his hands on the receiver at the line. He likes what he saw from Texas in terms of playing time, academics, DB history and safeties coach Craig Naivar.
“Coach Naivar, he’s a great coach. He produced a lot of DBs. A lot of two-star DBs. I’m not saying that means anything, but he always tells me, ‘If I can do that with a two-star, imagine what I can do with a four-star.’ That really hit me.
“He has a great personality. The head coach too. He has as much as (Naivar). I got to see them coach. They were showing me different things, how they do things down there at Texas. It was a great camp all around.” (Suchomel)
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While Texas has shot up the list of Trey Dean, it sounds like the UT staff might have some work to do in order to lock down a commitment from D'Shawn Jamison.
UT has been believed to be the leader for Jamison for a while, but the Houston Lamar standout said this week that Texas has fallen in line with the rest of his leaders, most notably TCU. USC, Oregon and Michigan are also in his top five.
“They’re one of my top schools. Hopefully they don’t get another commit. If they do that kind of messes me up with the recruiting thing,” Jamison said. “I plan on seeing TCU, seeing Texas, weighing my options out and making sure I make the right choice.
“It’s kind of even now.”
My thoughts: Jamison will visit UT this weekend so I would fully expect the Texas coaches to ease any concerns he has. He wants to commit in August. I still fully expect this one to fall UT’s way, but Jamison obviously has some issues that will need to be smoothed over.
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Landing a teammate or two of Jamison’s would probably help, and things still look very good with the Longhorns and wide receiver Al'Vonte Woodard. In my conversation with Woodard last weekend, he admitted he’s paying close attention of UT’s stellar recruiting efforts (he knew exactly where Texas’ recruiting class was ranked)
I mentioned to Woodard that most feel he’s a strong UT lean, and he said he can see why people feel that way since he and some of his running buddies have been on campus so much. He also talked about the group text that he and a large number of other Houston-area recruits are on, and may have tipped his hand a bit on what school they’re discussing when mentioned teammate Josh Landry, and “if he gets” an offer from Texas.
“Going up to the year, during the football season, we made a group chat with nothing but football players talking about schools. Some of my teammates - Anthony Cook, D’Shawn Jamison, Josh Landry, if he gets the offer. We’ve been talking to B.J. (Foster), talking to Mustapha (Muhammad), talking to Brennan (Eagles).” (Suchomel)
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Houston Lamar corner Anthony Cook has a top three of Texas, Ohio State and Clemson, but this one feels like a UT-OSU battle.
The Longhorns and Buckeyes are both making Cook a top priority, as evidenced by the Texas staff working its way into the Texas Southern satellite camp last weekend.
“Man, it was heated. It was impressive. As soon as I walked in, Texas was on me. And then when I walked past the entrance, Ohio State is right there and Texas is kind of getting in it. It was heated. I feel like they were having a little fun with it,” Cook said.
Cook did flash a bit of a smile when I brought up Urban Meyer, and he spoke very highly of OSU’s winning culture.
“For me, when I went up there – I said the Texas atmosphere was different, but so was Ohio State’s. It’s a certain level of winning that they hold themselves to, if that makes sense. It’s a standard,” Cook said. “You’re expected to win. You don’t get rewarded for winning. Everybody was pumped, fired up all the time I don’t know if it was because it was the spring game, but I feel like it’s like that all the time.”
This one, to me, will come down to how well Texas plays in the fall. If the Longhorns win games and show progress, Texas has a very good chance of landing Cook. If the Longhorns struggle, Cook likely heads to OSU.
I asked Cook flat out, if Texas has a great season, do the Longhorns have a great shot?
“I’ll say yes, because I feel like I can make a change. I don’t want it to be the same spiel when coach Strong was there. It was ridiculous the way they were using it. So I’ll say yes, if they’re winning, that will influence my decision,” Cook said.
One thing to keep in mind about Cook, he isn’t overly tied in with the other recruits from Houston Lamar, much less his own school. He admits he’s probably the least influenced by where his friends go of the prospect in that Houston click.
“That (playing together) would be sweet. We talk about it all the time. But at the end of the day, I feel like I’m going to take my time with it. I’m not going to let that influence my decision – me wanting to play with my boys,” Cook said. “At the end of the day, I’m trying to get to the next level. But that would be sweet.”
My thoughts: Cook does really like the new Texas staff and though he’s not locked in with his teammates, you have to think their decisions could have some bearing on him. Right now, I think he favors Ohio State because he knows the Buckeyes are going to be in the championship hunt just about every year. If Tom Herman and Texas can show him this year that they’re making strides to get into that same category, this one will probably go down to the wire between UT and OSU. (Suchomel)
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If you would have asked me a week ago, I would have said that cornerback Jalen Green was all but locked in for Texas. After talking to Green at last weekend’s Five-Star Challenge, I still think Texas is the team to beat, but it’s no slam dunk.
Green said he may release a top five at The Opening in a couple weeks, and Texas will definitely make the cut.
“They’re coming at me hard, checking up on me every day, just seeing how I’m doing. I talk to coach Washington every day,” Green said. “He says I’m a different type of corner, that I can do all types of stuff and I could come in and play right away. He says I’m versatile.”
Green maintained that he plans to “hopefully” announce on National Signing Day, after taking all five official visits. He wants to see how teams play this year before sorting through his options.
“They (Texas) have a really good shot, but I’m just seeing how everything goes right now. It’s very important to me to see how many games, things like that. I just want to see progress” Green said.
The Houston Heights standout said he talks to UT commit B.J. Foster every day, so that can’t hurt UT’s chances. He’s another who went to the Texas Southern satellite camp last week, where both Texas and Ohio State were recruiting him.
“They were trying to get me to go up there for a visit. It was a little weird. At first it was pretty heated, but I got a chance to talk to both of them so it was all right,” Green said. (Suchomel)
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Texas lost a commitment from Ron Tatum this week, but the Longhorns have a shot of filling that void with their recruiting efforts on St. Louis Lutheran North DE Ronnie Perkins.
“They fit in great. I have a lot of love for Texas and they’re showing me a lot of love, a lot of love to St. Louis. Me and (UT commit) Dele (Adeoye) are really close. We talk about Texas. I want to go visit really soon with him. We’re working on that Texas visit together.”
Perkins said his coach is trying to set up a summer visit to Austin. If he likes what he sees, he may take an official visit to UT in the fall.
Prior to Bob Stoops stepping down, and OU getting a commit from Tatum, the Sooners were believed to be the favorite. Things seem to have opened up a bit now and Perkins detailed what he’s looking for in a school.
“I want a great d-line coach, and a head coach who can make me better. If football doesn’t work out, a school that can get me a great education so I can continue with my life after football,” he said.
And what stands out about Texas?
“Coach Herman, coach Giles. They’re recruiting me hard. My head coach, he speaks highly of coach Giles, so he’s a good guy in my book. Just in talking to them, I like them both,” Perkins said. (Suchomel)
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Offensive lineman Trey Hill is going to be tough to get away from Georgia, but he said he talks to UT OL coach Derek Warehime about three times a week via phone or text. Warehime has been telling Hill he’d like him to play guard or center and Hill would be a good fit at Texas
“I’ll be heading there this summer, probably end of June or going into July. Probably after The Opening,” Hill said.
The Rivals100 member said it won’t be tough to convince him to leave the state, but he needs to see UT in person first before he knows how strongly he’ll consider the Longhorns.
“They’ve been telling me all about the locker room, all the new stuff they’re getting in. I just have to go there, look at the academics, see what football team fits me best,” Hill said. (Suchomel)
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Could Baylor commitment Joshua Landry figure into the mix for Texas, with the Longhorns needing defensive linemen? He seems to think so.
Landry said Texas is the only school he’s considering, aside from Baylor. He camped at UT recently and feels an offer will come his way at some point.
“Coach Giles, they actually like me a lot. I’m actually waiting on an offer from them. I’m not sure when it’s coming, but I feel for sure I’m going to get it,” Landry said.
And if that offer comes?
“It would be a close run between them and Baylor. I’d talk to family and friends. I’ve always kind of been looking at Texas, from when I was a kid, so that would have a big role in that decision.”
The 6-3, 250-pound Landry said he texts with Giles a few times a week. He said he’d like to play with his Houston Lamar teammates, and he too may have tipped his hand a bit with the following comment:
“I’m trying to get them to go to Baylor, but I’m not sure. They’re talking to me about Texas,” Landry said. (Suchomel)
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Some comments from 2019 OL Kardell Thomas, an LSU commitment …
Thomas was set to visit Bama and Florida in the next couple weeks, and said he’ll return to UT in July for Under the Lights. That will mark his third time to visit Texas.
“With Texas, it’s just the fanfare. When I went to the spring game, people knew me. I’m an out-of-state kid and people know me, that was just great,” Thomas said. “That’s what keeps me coming back. I like that. If they win, they’ll definitely be considered when Signing Day comes.”
Thomas rates his LSU commitment at 80 percent, and put Texas at a 70. If the Longhorns win games in the fall, that could impact his decision.
UT’s big sales pitch …
“Their biggest thing is opportunity. Texas is obviously a grade-A school, and if you look at getting a degree from Texas and getting a degree from somewhere else, that’s two different things,” Thomas said. “So they talk about education and since I want to do journalism, they have the Longhorn Network and I could get an internship there so it’s cool.” (Suchomel)
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Texas commit Justin Watkins told me on Thursday that he won’t be able to make it into Austin this weekend for a visit. He’s trying to get to UT at some point this summer, but doesn’t have anything locked in.
I’ll see Watkins at The Opening in a couple weeks, where I’ll get a chance to pick his brain a little more on his feelings for Texas. (Suchomel)
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2019 Allen wide receiver Theo Wease went from an Oklahoma commitment with no real interest in Texas to a player intrigued by the Longhorns’ recruiting success.
“You see everybody committing to Texas right now, so that definitely catches my attention,” Wease said. “I haven’t visited yet, so I need to visit to see what everyone is seeing, see if I could maybe one day commit there like everyone else is doing.”
Wease is supposed to visit Texas in a couple weeks for an unofficial visit.
“I want to see the campus. They’re one of my top schools so I want to get to know everybody,” he said.
Wease, who was very good at last weekend’s Five-Star Challenge, said he’s considering about 15 schools. He talks to UT assistants Tim Beck and Drew Mehringer on the phone every couple weeks. Those two, along with Tom Herman, have him looking closely at UT.
“Coach Herman, he’s definitely changed my perspective all the way,” Wease said. “You see he’s getting all these commitments so he’s obviously doing something right. I want to go see what this is all about.” (Suchomel)
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The Texas football program concluded the last of their football camps designed for high school and junior college athletes on Tuesday night. I was able to speak to a source who was on hand at the camp and got their thoughts on the camp and the new coaching staff as a whole.
According to my source, every coach was very impressive in the instruction they were giving and the attention they gave to each position group.
“The new staff as a whole is knowledge,” I was told. “All are energetic and all are good teachers of the game. All coaches treat these kids like they were at Texas regardless of their level of talent.”
Todd Orlando, Stan Drayton and Corby Meekins were all coaches that stood out either schematically or in a recruiting context.
Speaking of recruiting, Herman let each of his coaches spend the entire time with their position group in order to take advantage of the full two hours given to them. Herman, meanwhile, walked around between groups at the camp and scouted or recruited every position.
Lastly, I asked if there was a difference between Herman’s staff and the previous one at Texas, and I was given a resounding answer.
“This staff seems like they actually want to be at Texas and Strong’s seemed like he had to take the job,” they said. “That’s the biggest difference I have noticed. Herman wants to be here and has a plan.”
From what I’m told, Tom Herman continues to build great relationships with coaches, players and trainers across the high school ranks, and the early summer football camps are just another source he has used to take advantage in the recruiting battleground of Texas. (Robert Larkin)
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One of the big tasks Tom Herman had upon his arrival in Austin was changing the mindset of his players and instill a winning attitude.
I spoke to a source close to the program on the progression of the team in the offseason, and that source indicated that the team’s attitude continues to improve and most players have bought into the program.
“There’s always a constant reminder to go hard in every aspect and to finish everything strong,” he said. “I think everyone is buying into the idea that the team comes first.”
What does that mean for the team’s expectations going into the season?
“They truly think that the sky is the limit and that the expectation [this year] is to return Texas to national prominence.”
As the summer workouts continue, it appears the Texas football team is finally buying into Herman’s program and the expectations are increasing with it. (Robert Larkin)
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Riverside Academy (Reserve, Louisiana) 2018 combo guard Jared Butler took an unofficial visit to Texas today. Butler, a three-star prospect that is a strong bet to rise in the rankings after a solid summer thus far, was accompanied by his parents, brother, and his aunt. They all made the drive in, a seven-hour trip, after leaving at 6:30 a.m. and headed back home tonight.
On his agenda first was a chance to see Texas work out.
“They practice at a very high intensity. Thy focus on going hard… whatever happens doesn’t affect you, next play, or next drill. They do a lot of game like situations,” said Butler about the workouts, which were group, position workouts. “I really liked them.”
Butler spent a lot of time with Director of Basketball Operations Cody Hatt, Darrin Horn, and Shaka Smart. What stood out the most to Butler was Smart and the staff’s honesty.
“Coach’s honesty. He was very frank about things. We had a real good conversation about the future and how he sees me in the program and I also enjoyed the academic adviser,” he said. “She was fun to talk to. She made me feel at home.”
Interestingly, Butler noted something different about Texas while on his visit compared to Houston and Alabama, his other two unofficial visits.
“The thing that separates is I think the culture at Texas is kind of different. They kind of have this, ‘we’re going to recruit at a high level and win at a high level’ thing. They want guys that aren’t shy,” he said.
Butler added on that the staff was honest with him about being a very good player they want, that could come in and compete right away for minutes, especially with his shooting ability.
He’s done with unofficial visits, and is looking to narrow his list in August. Butler told me he hasn’t locked in any official visits yet, but is “pretty sure” Texas will be one. (McComas)
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