Texas wrapped up its second spring practice on Thursday, and coach Tom Herman seemed a tad more pleased than he was after Tuesday’s outing. Trust me, Herman still views Thursday’s practice as guys running around in tights. He wants to see how guys react when the pads come on.
For now, here are the highlights from his media availability:
- John Bonney practiced with the safeties on Thursday, and it appears his days at cornerback might be over. Here is Herman’s explanation for the position change: “That’s where we’d like him to be playing because of what we do with that boundary safety, the communication that’s involved. He’s a really bright guy. We’re hoping we don’t need him (with) the corner depth right now, and that he can play back there. He’s a physical guy that can support the run. We’re going to try to develop those young corners knowing that John is capable of playing corner or nickel, should we need him.”
- Herman said after the stretch portion of practice, his team was a little sluggish. He wanted to let players know that what they experienced on day one was not just talk, but the staff will never let up. Herman said the team responded well at the end of practice.
- Stretching went much better on Thursday. There were only five call-backs in contrast to 12 on Tuesday.
- Herman’s message to the team is to be safe during spring break: “I told them today we’re on a mission. That mission doesn’t press pause because you get a week off from school. Our culture needs to spread beyond just the building and the practice field. It needs to be in real life. If you’re with your brother, take care of your brother. If you’re alone or go home with friends, just be smart. Our coaches will be in constant communication with them.”
- Herman said we should not make a lot out of who is lining up with the first or second teams right now. He said they are rolling guys in and out right now, and the coach intends to learn more about each player after the pads come on.
- Here is what Herman said about the quarterback position: “Their heads are swimming right now with a new offense, the tempo of it and what’s expected of them. There’s a lot on the quarterback’s plate in this offense. Me and coach (Tim) Beck were talking, and it’s probably the only position in football where you have to teach scheme before you teach fundamentals. You literally can’t get through a practice if your quarterback doesn’t know to open left or open right, look at this guy versus look at that guy in his read and all that. You teach the scheme first. There’s some fundamental things. Both of them are a bit of over-striders, so we have to compact them a little bit That will come once we’re comfortable in the offense. Then we start talking about the minutia of fixing some of the issues with their mechanics.”
- Even though Herman plays the role of “bad cop," you can tell he likes this team based on his comment when I asked for his thoughts after watching film of Tuesday’s practice: “My thoughts were that we need to continue to develop our practice habits and go through the echo of the whistle. That was the main takeaway, but when guys were (doing that), it was impressive. When guys were going full speed and through the whistle, there’s certainly a lot of athleticism out there on the field.”
- Herman said Lil’ Jordan Humphrey needs to get in football shape, but described him as a big guy who loves football and wants to get better. (Richardson)
******
One of the biggest offseason stories – and question marks – has been Herman’s ability to get players to buy in.
Herman’s initial meeting with his players was well-documented. He went after them like a drill sergeant, and there was no telling how long it would take this current group of Texas players to buy in. They were recruited by coaches who were no longer with the program. More than one player did not like Herman’s initial tough approach. Herman did not change when he met with Longhorn parents and expressed his expectations.
Strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight told the media some players were resisting when offseason workouts began. However, we are slowly starting to hear about players buying in and getting on board. Now, it appears the majority of players are down with Team Herman.
Why?
Herman was asked about it before spring camp and gave us his theory.
“I haven't felt it as much, again, because I think they realize that was probably a big root of what three straight seven-loss seasons were, and so they understand that's really not how you've got to go about doing things,” Herman said. “So I haven't felt it as much. The lore of it has lived a little bit, but I think just the way we go about our business as a staff, too, there's just no room for any of that. It gets stamped out in such a hurry around here that it really has no time to breathe.”
That was Herman’s theory, but he was not sure if that was the real reason.
Well, Herman was right.
I asked players about it this week, and each person said getting behind Herman was easy for them because they are tired of losing.
“For the most part, what are we doing if we’re buying into a losing program?," senior linebacker Naashon Hughes said. “I’d rather buy into a winning program. I want to win.”
Hughes has never played on a winning team at Texas.
Sure, Texas finished 8-5 during Hughes’ freshman season in 2013, but he was redshirted that year. Hughes did not see playing time until Charlie Strong arrived in 2014. That means Hughes was part of a 6-7 season that year, followed by two consecutive 5-7 finishes.
Sure, Herman is demanding, but Hughes has thrived under the new coach. Herman quickly identified Hughes as one of his defensive leaders, and even gave him a first-string outside linebacker spot heading into spring.
“I don’t think it’s been that much of a demand,” Hughes said. “The demand for everything has changed. We all know coach Strong set the ground rules pretty hard. For the most part, it’s being demanding and winning and doing 100 percent in everything you do, whether that’s academics, going home, or on the field.”
Hughes is not the only person who believes in Herman.
Check out what safety P.J. Locke had to say:
Locke on giving Herman a chance
“The turnover rate on the college level is quick if you don’t get wins. The ideal goal is to get wins. When that doesn’t happen, the turnover rate is fast. The biggest thing as leaders on the team, we've got to get everybody to buy in. We have to give Herman a chance. Let go of the last staff and give Herman a chance and look at his background. Once you look at his background, and how he developed guys, it’s a lot easier to buy in to what he’s trying to accomplish."
Locke on buying in after consecutive 5-7 seasons
“You look at his background and he’s (22-4)? I’m not sure, but maybe 5-0 against top-ranked teams (Herman is actually 6-0)? I just feel like you have to open your eyes. It’s like a DB highly rated in the NFL, like Earl Thomas coming back to talk to us. It’s not hard to listen to what he’s saying and grasp all the knowledge he’s giving you.”
Locke on push back from the team
“I guess you had to get used to the intensity that they (coaches) bring, even in meetings. We think it’s supposed to be quiet or laid back, the intensity is still up. Anytime we’re in the facilities of Moncrief, the intensity is up. You’re awake, listening, grasping the knowledge they give us at a high level.”
Obviously, everybody says the right things prior to the season. Strong endured the same initial resistance and acceptance in his first season.
However, it is good to hear why players are on board. (Richardson)
******
There appears to be an effort behind the scenes to make linebacker Malik Jefferson into a vocal leader this offseason.
Herman touched on it during his pre-spring press conference on Monday.
“He's got to be a little bit more vocal,” Herman said. “I mean, he is very well-respected for everything that he does representing our program. I mean, he was just at a leadership conference or something in Indianapolis, right, for the NCAA. I mean, the kid is -- he's a phenomenal kid. But we asked him, great leaders aren't always liked by everybody, and stop -- don't worry about being liked, worry about being a great leader and being vocal and being demanding on your teammates, and he's done a really good job growing into that, and hopefully we continue to see more of it throughout the spring.”
Well, Hughes is doing his best to help Jefferson make that transition.
Hughes is working with Jefferson to voice his opinion more often. Jefferson hesitated to say much as a freshman. It was hard for him to be a vocal leader last year, especially after getting benched.
However, he has a clean slate … and new expectations from Herman.
“That just comes with plays happening here and there,” Hughes said. “Of course, guys are going to be like okay, he’s talking again. I just tell Malik to say something guys want to hear it. Whatever happens on the field, I say talk here. PJ will say something, too. Just mixes it up.”
******
Last thing from Locke and Hughes.
- Locke looks a lot bigger than last season. He was asked about the weight gain and said currently weighs 215 pounds. Locked weighed 205 last year.
- It took Texas players 20 minutes to get through their first spring practice stretch on Tuesday. To be fair, I found out it took Houston players 30 minutes during their first spring practice with Herman. I get the feeling if the Longhorns looked like Alabama on day one it wouldn't have mattered because Herman likes to send a message on the first day of practice.
- Texas defensive coordinator Todd Orlando likes to compare Hughes to former Houston linebacker Tyus Bowser.
“Both of us play the same position,” Hughes said. “Coach Orlando actually made a joke. He said, ‘I don’t know which one of you guys are more athletic.’ Of course, it’s me. Me and Malik were like it’s no question it’s me. He was like, ‘I think he’s got you beat.’ I hope for success at that position.” (Richardson)
******
We're through two shorts and helmets spring practices to kick off 2017 and things are sure to change between now and the Orange-White scrimmage. However, there's a lot to take away and unpack from the portions of practice that have been open to the media to start. Here are my depth chart projections (two-to-three-deep) along with a few quick-hitter notes from each side of the football based on what I've seen this week:
UPDATED SPRING DEPTH CHART PROJECTIONS based on practice available to the media (click images below to enlarge):
OFFENSE
quick notes on the projections:
- I had the starting OL pencilled in correctly, but had a few surprises on the two-deep
- It's unbelievable to me that JP Urquidez seems to have won the early favor of the staff over Jean Delance
- I knew Patrick Hudson would be "in the mix" to be on the two-deep, but he comes in as the firm No. 2 and will have the chance to move up from there
- If the early part of spring is any indication, I wouldn't expect Denzel Okafor to emerge from fall camp as a Week 1 starter; he appears a good bit behind Nickelson and Hodges
- It's time to brace for a possibly big year out of Lil'Jordan Humphrey; he's one of the freakier physical athletes on the team
- Jerrod Heard appears poised to possibly hold down his own role starting on the outside as opposed to being a converted-QB weapon out of the slot -- it seems those "gadget" duties have moved on to Devin Duvernay and Davion Curtis
- Armanti Foreman has started out predominantly with the second group during portions of media open to the practice and looks to have a dogfight for playing time on his hands with Devin Duvernay
- An interesting note from practice today was that Vahe was snapping the football for field-goal team -- he slings that thing back there in a hurry, it's impressive ... that could be your new snapper for kicks but not punts
DEFENSE
quick notes on the projections:
- For now, it's time to get used to Breckyn Hager in the middle -- like it or not
- I'll be very interested to ask Todd Orlando about his eventual vision for Erick Fowler as I would have thought he'd never want to line him up inside
- Fans will clamor that Brandon Jones is destined to beat out John Bonney and they'd probably be right, but the staff clearly loves Bonney
- Speaking of players the staff loves, Naashon Hughes appears to be a bit of a teacher's pet and surefire starter for now
- The switch in defensive scheme may have been tough on Charles Omenihu who is now stuck behind a younger, dynamic player in Roach
- PJ Locke has the safest job on the entire defense
- New season, same problems: how do you get Davante Davis, Holton Hill and Kris Boyd on the field at the same time?
- Davante Davis may be the most physically scary player on the team from a measurables standpoint pound-for-pound; if he has a big season in 2017 he would be draftable based on physical size, speed and frame alone. (Dunlap)
******
Texas is set to begin spring break this weekend so things should die down a bit on the recruiting front, but we were able to catch up with a couple top prospects who took recent visits to check out the Longhorns.
Rockdale athlete Jaquayln Crawford didn't make it in for UT's actual junior day on February 25, but he was on campus that following day for a visit and Crawford told OB this week that it was a productive stop by the Forty Acres.
"Talking to all the coaches. Being around the facilities and the campus, that was really neat," Crawford said when asked what stood out. "I got to sit down with coach Herman, coach (Michael) Huff, coach (Drew) Mehringer, just get a feel for what they're doing there. It was good."
Crawford is a versatile athlete who can do a little bit of everything on the field. He's told me previously he wants to play on offense, and during his UT visit, he sat in on the receivers position meetings. Overall, he said the visit boosted the Longhorns' chances.
"It helped them a lot," Crawford said. "I can never be too high on a program until I visit them. Since I enjoyed the visit, it puts Texas high on my list."
Other schools that Crawford said are drawing strong consideration are Florida, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and TCU.
The 5-10, 163-pound Crawford is big on academics and he said he and his parents liked what they heard from Texas in that area as well.
"We sat down with the academic people and had a meeting with them. My parents and I liked it, how they do things, how the athletes learn, how they do that stuff," Crawford said. "That part was pretty good."
Crawford plans to visit Texas A&M soon, in addition to stops at Texas Tech, TCU and Baylor. He'll visit OU in early April for the Sooners' spring game. He texted with Herman early this week and told him he'll be at a UT practice very soon as well.
Crawford isn't naming favorites just yet, but Texas is right there at the top of his list. He plans to graduate early and enroll at the college of his choice in January.
"I'm going to drop a top 10 pretty soon. I'll probably drop a top five going into the summer, maybe into the season," Crawford said. Then I'll take my OVs, make my decision probably midway through my senior season. I'm probably going to me a midterm graduate so I have until December." (Suchomel)
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While Crawford came in the day after UT's junior day, Houston Episcopal wide receiver Jaylen Waddle actually came in the day before, on Friday, since he was taking the ACT on Saturday. Waddle told OB this week that the visit went well, especially the time with the coaches.
"Meeting coach Herman was definitely good, important for me," Waddle said. "I think that was the biggest thing, talking to him.
"He just talking about how important my position is to their offense, the way they're planning on using it."
Waddle said the coaches told him he'd move around quite a bit and would line up at running back, slot and split wide from play to play. It will be interesting to see how they handle this one moving forward, because that's the same design they talked to commit Justin Watkins about, and Watkins does like the idea of being the only true "slot" receiver in the class.
Waddle said the visit was good but it didn't necessarily elevate Texas on his list.
"They pretty much stayed the same. They're still in there," he said.
The 5-10, 160-pound Waddle said he's keeping all options open and has not made a list of favorites. He does have some visits he wants to take this spring and summer.
"I plan on checking out Ole Miss, Oklahoma maybe this spring. Texas again. Oregon of course. I definitely want to get up there," Waddle said. (Suchomel)
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We'll likely have to wait a couple months, at least, to see how things turn out between Texas and quarterback Casey Thompson, but Thompson told OB this week he's not stressing over the situation at all.
According to Thompson, he's not yet ready to make a decision and it works out well because Texas isn't pushing for a commitment. He did say, however, that he feels his UT offer is committable.
"They didn't (talk about wanting to see him throw this spring). I don't think they need to see me throw. Coach Herman said I can throw the ball well, run the ball well," Thompson said. "Coach Herman said he was impressed with my intangibles, my social skills."
Thompson said Texas, North Carolina and Central Florida are all "being patient with him" and he's appreciative of that because he's not ready to make a decision.
Thompson, a Rivals250 member, has stayed in close contact with the UT coaches, including exchanging some texts while he was on his North Carolina visit last weekend.
"I texted a little bit over the weekend," Thompson said. "I talk to coach Herman weekly. Last week I talked to him on the phone. I talk to coach Beck almost daily." (Suchomel)
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Rockwall linebacker Alston Orji took an unofficial visit to Texas last weekend, and he told OB via text that it was a positive experience for him and his family.
The 6-2, 216-pound Orji said he liked that UT's academic center is centrally located in relation to the athletes' dorms and coaches offices, and he enjoyed his time spent with the UT staff.
"They are very upfront and don't sugarcoat with advertising their university," Orji said. "Their success at Houston speaks for itself."
Orji was joined by his family on the visit and said his parents have "a new outlook on the school."
A Rivals100 member, Orji doesn't have a formal list of favorites and said he wants to take his time with the recruiting process. (Suchomel)
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Frisco Wakeland offensive lineman Rafiti Ghirmai was a visitor for UT's junior day and the Longhorns made a strong enough impression that they locked in their spot among Ghirmai's favorites.
"They made me feel like family here. Because of this visit, University of Texas will be one of my official visits, they’ll be in my top five … I’ll be releasing a top 10 really soon, but they are in my top five, maybe top three," Ghirmai said
What was the sales pitch from the UT coaches during the visit?
"They were telling us about Texas like … you can’t find a school that’s great at academics and great at football. That’s what Texas is," Ghirmai said. "I’m trying to go into business, and they have a great business school. That’s something I like personally because I’m going to have to stop playing football at some time."
Texas A&M was believed to be a player for Ghirmai early on, but it sounds like he has moved on from the Aggies.
" I did want them to offer me, but I’m not really stressing over them anymore. Me and coach Turner we still talk, we’re close, but I don’t think they have any intention of offering me," Ghirmai said. "They already offered like three other guys and have a commit. I have amazing schools that have offered me, so I’m not really stressing over A&M anymore."
Ghirmai plans to return to Texas this spring for another visit. (Suchomel)
For now, here are the highlights from his media availability:
- John Bonney practiced with the safeties on Thursday, and it appears his days at cornerback might be over. Here is Herman’s explanation for the position change: “That’s where we’d like him to be playing because of what we do with that boundary safety, the communication that’s involved. He’s a really bright guy. We’re hoping we don’t need him (with) the corner depth right now, and that he can play back there. He’s a physical guy that can support the run. We’re going to try to develop those young corners knowing that John is capable of playing corner or nickel, should we need him.”
- Herman said after the stretch portion of practice, his team was a little sluggish. He wanted to let players know that what they experienced on day one was not just talk, but the staff will never let up. Herman said the team responded well at the end of practice.
- Stretching went much better on Thursday. There were only five call-backs in contrast to 12 on Tuesday.
- Herman’s message to the team is to be safe during spring break: “I told them today we’re on a mission. That mission doesn’t press pause because you get a week off from school. Our culture needs to spread beyond just the building and the practice field. It needs to be in real life. If you’re with your brother, take care of your brother. If you’re alone or go home with friends, just be smart. Our coaches will be in constant communication with them.”
- Herman said we should not make a lot out of who is lining up with the first or second teams right now. He said they are rolling guys in and out right now, and the coach intends to learn more about each player after the pads come on.
- Here is what Herman said about the quarterback position: “Their heads are swimming right now with a new offense, the tempo of it and what’s expected of them. There’s a lot on the quarterback’s plate in this offense. Me and coach (Tim) Beck were talking, and it’s probably the only position in football where you have to teach scheme before you teach fundamentals. You literally can’t get through a practice if your quarterback doesn’t know to open left or open right, look at this guy versus look at that guy in his read and all that. You teach the scheme first. There’s some fundamental things. Both of them are a bit of over-striders, so we have to compact them a little bit That will come once we’re comfortable in the offense. Then we start talking about the minutia of fixing some of the issues with their mechanics.”
- Even though Herman plays the role of “bad cop," you can tell he likes this team based on his comment when I asked for his thoughts after watching film of Tuesday’s practice: “My thoughts were that we need to continue to develop our practice habits and go through the echo of the whistle. That was the main takeaway, but when guys were (doing that), it was impressive. When guys were going full speed and through the whistle, there’s certainly a lot of athleticism out there on the field.”
- Herman said Lil’ Jordan Humphrey needs to get in football shape, but described him as a big guy who loves football and wants to get better. (Richardson)
******
One of the biggest offseason stories – and question marks – has been Herman’s ability to get players to buy in.
Herman’s initial meeting with his players was well-documented. He went after them like a drill sergeant, and there was no telling how long it would take this current group of Texas players to buy in. They were recruited by coaches who were no longer with the program. More than one player did not like Herman’s initial tough approach. Herman did not change when he met with Longhorn parents and expressed his expectations.
Strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight told the media some players were resisting when offseason workouts began. However, we are slowly starting to hear about players buying in and getting on board. Now, it appears the majority of players are down with Team Herman.
Why?
Herman was asked about it before spring camp and gave us his theory.
“I haven't felt it as much, again, because I think they realize that was probably a big root of what three straight seven-loss seasons were, and so they understand that's really not how you've got to go about doing things,” Herman said. “So I haven't felt it as much. The lore of it has lived a little bit, but I think just the way we go about our business as a staff, too, there's just no room for any of that. It gets stamped out in such a hurry around here that it really has no time to breathe.”
That was Herman’s theory, but he was not sure if that was the real reason.
Well, Herman was right.
I asked players about it this week, and each person said getting behind Herman was easy for them because they are tired of losing.
“For the most part, what are we doing if we’re buying into a losing program?," senior linebacker Naashon Hughes said. “I’d rather buy into a winning program. I want to win.”
Hughes has never played on a winning team at Texas.
Sure, Texas finished 8-5 during Hughes’ freshman season in 2013, but he was redshirted that year. Hughes did not see playing time until Charlie Strong arrived in 2014. That means Hughes was part of a 6-7 season that year, followed by two consecutive 5-7 finishes.
Sure, Herman is demanding, but Hughes has thrived under the new coach. Herman quickly identified Hughes as one of his defensive leaders, and even gave him a first-string outside linebacker spot heading into spring.
“I don’t think it’s been that much of a demand,” Hughes said. “The demand for everything has changed. We all know coach Strong set the ground rules pretty hard. For the most part, it’s being demanding and winning and doing 100 percent in everything you do, whether that’s academics, going home, or on the field.”
Hughes is not the only person who believes in Herman.
Check out what safety P.J. Locke had to say:
Locke on giving Herman a chance
“The turnover rate on the college level is quick if you don’t get wins. The ideal goal is to get wins. When that doesn’t happen, the turnover rate is fast. The biggest thing as leaders on the team, we've got to get everybody to buy in. We have to give Herman a chance. Let go of the last staff and give Herman a chance and look at his background. Once you look at his background, and how he developed guys, it’s a lot easier to buy in to what he’s trying to accomplish."
Locke on buying in after consecutive 5-7 seasons
“You look at his background and he’s (22-4)? I’m not sure, but maybe 5-0 against top-ranked teams (Herman is actually 6-0)? I just feel like you have to open your eyes. It’s like a DB highly rated in the NFL, like Earl Thomas coming back to talk to us. It’s not hard to listen to what he’s saying and grasp all the knowledge he’s giving you.”
Locke on push back from the team
“I guess you had to get used to the intensity that they (coaches) bring, even in meetings. We think it’s supposed to be quiet or laid back, the intensity is still up. Anytime we’re in the facilities of Moncrief, the intensity is up. You’re awake, listening, grasping the knowledge they give us at a high level.”
Obviously, everybody says the right things prior to the season. Strong endured the same initial resistance and acceptance in his first season.
However, it is good to hear why players are on board. (Richardson)
******
There appears to be an effort behind the scenes to make linebacker Malik Jefferson into a vocal leader this offseason.
Herman touched on it during his pre-spring press conference on Monday.
“He's got to be a little bit more vocal,” Herman said. “I mean, he is very well-respected for everything that he does representing our program. I mean, he was just at a leadership conference or something in Indianapolis, right, for the NCAA. I mean, the kid is -- he's a phenomenal kid. But we asked him, great leaders aren't always liked by everybody, and stop -- don't worry about being liked, worry about being a great leader and being vocal and being demanding on your teammates, and he's done a really good job growing into that, and hopefully we continue to see more of it throughout the spring.”
Well, Hughes is doing his best to help Jefferson make that transition.
Hughes is working with Jefferson to voice his opinion more often. Jefferson hesitated to say much as a freshman. It was hard for him to be a vocal leader last year, especially after getting benched.
However, he has a clean slate … and new expectations from Herman.
“That just comes with plays happening here and there,” Hughes said. “Of course, guys are going to be like okay, he’s talking again. I just tell Malik to say something guys want to hear it. Whatever happens on the field, I say talk here. PJ will say something, too. Just mixes it up.”
******
Last thing from Locke and Hughes.
- Locke looks a lot bigger than last season. He was asked about the weight gain and said currently weighs 215 pounds. Locked weighed 205 last year.
- It took Texas players 20 minutes to get through their first spring practice stretch on Tuesday. To be fair, I found out it took Houston players 30 minutes during their first spring practice with Herman. I get the feeling if the Longhorns looked like Alabama on day one it wouldn't have mattered because Herman likes to send a message on the first day of practice.
- Texas defensive coordinator Todd Orlando likes to compare Hughes to former Houston linebacker Tyus Bowser.
“Both of us play the same position,” Hughes said. “Coach Orlando actually made a joke. He said, ‘I don’t know which one of you guys are more athletic.’ Of course, it’s me. Me and Malik were like it’s no question it’s me. He was like, ‘I think he’s got you beat.’ I hope for success at that position.” (Richardson)
******
We're through two shorts and helmets spring practices to kick off 2017 and things are sure to change between now and the Orange-White scrimmage. However, there's a lot to take away and unpack from the portions of practice that have been open to the media to start. Here are my depth chart projections (two-to-three-deep) along with a few quick-hitter notes from each side of the football based on what I've seen this week:
UPDATED SPRING DEPTH CHART PROJECTIONS based on practice available to the media (click images below to enlarge):
OFFENSE
quick notes on the projections:
- I had the starting OL pencilled in correctly, but had a few surprises on the two-deep
- It's unbelievable to me that JP Urquidez seems to have won the early favor of the staff over Jean Delance
- I knew Patrick Hudson would be "in the mix" to be on the two-deep, but he comes in as the firm No. 2 and will have the chance to move up from there
- If the early part of spring is any indication, I wouldn't expect Denzel Okafor to emerge from fall camp as a Week 1 starter; he appears a good bit behind Nickelson and Hodges
- It's time to brace for a possibly big year out of Lil'Jordan Humphrey; he's one of the freakier physical athletes on the team
- Jerrod Heard appears poised to possibly hold down his own role starting on the outside as opposed to being a converted-QB weapon out of the slot -- it seems those "gadget" duties have moved on to Devin Duvernay and Davion Curtis
- Armanti Foreman has started out predominantly with the second group during portions of media open to the practice and looks to have a dogfight for playing time on his hands with Devin Duvernay
- An interesting note from practice today was that Vahe was snapping the football for field-goal team -- he slings that thing back there in a hurry, it's impressive ... that could be your new snapper for kicks but not punts
DEFENSE
quick notes on the projections:
- For now, it's time to get used to Breckyn Hager in the middle -- like it or not
- I'll be very interested to ask Todd Orlando about his eventual vision for Erick Fowler as I would have thought he'd never want to line him up inside
- Fans will clamor that Brandon Jones is destined to beat out John Bonney and they'd probably be right, but the staff clearly loves Bonney
- Speaking of players the staff loves, Naashon Hughes appears to be a bit of a teacher's pet and surefire starter for now
- The switch in defensive scheme may have been tough on Charles Omenihu who is now stuck behind a younger, dynamic player in Roach
- PJ Locke has the safest job on the entire defense
- New season, same problems: how do you get Davante Davis, Holton Hill and Kris Boyd on the field at the same time?
- Davante Davis may be the most physically scary player on the team from a measurables standpoint pound-for-pound; if he has a big season in 2017 he would be draftable based on physical size, speed and frame alone. (Dunlap)
******
Texas is set to begin spring break this weekend so things should die down a bit on the recruiting front, but we were able to catch up with a couple top prospects who took recent visits to check out the Longhorns.
Rockdale athlete Jaquayln Crawford didn't make it in for UT's actual junior day on February 25, but he was on campus that following day for a visit and Crawford told OB this week that it was a productive stop by the Forty Acres.
"Talking to all the coaches. Being around the facilities and the campus, that was really neat," Crawford said when asked what stood out. "I got to sit down with coach Herman, coach (Michael) Huff, coach (Drew) Mehringer, just get a feel for what they're doing there. It was good."
Crawford is a versatile athlete who can do a little bit of everything on the field. He's told me previously he wants to play on offense, and during his UT visit, he sat in on the receivers position meetings. Overall, he said the visit boosted the Longhorns' chances.
"It helped them a lot," Crawford said. "I can never be too high on a program until I visit them. Since I enjoyed the visit, it puts Texas high on my list."
Other schools that Crawford said are drawing strong consideration are Florida, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and TCU.
The 5-10, 163-pound Crawford is big on academics and he said he and his parents liked what they heard from Texas in that area as well.
"We sat down with the academic people and had a meeting with them. My parents and I liked it, how they do things, how the athletes learn, how they do that stuff," Crawford said. "That part was pretty good."
Crawford plans to visit Texas A&M soon, in addition to stops at Texas Tech, TCU and Baylor. He'll visit OU in early April for the Sooners' spring game. He texted with Herman early this week and told him he'll be at a UT practice very soon as well.
Crawford isn't naming favorites just yet, but Texas is right there at the top of his list. He plans to graduate early and enroll at the college of his choice in January.
"I'm going to drop a top 10 pretty soon. I'll probably drop a top five going into the summer, maybe into the season," Crawford said. Then I'll take my OVs, make my decision probably midway through my senior season. I'm probably going to me a midterm graduate so I have until December." (Suchomel)
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While Crawford came in the day after UT's junior day, Houston Episcopal wide receiver Jaylen Waddle actually came in the day before, on Friday, since he was taking the ACT on Saturday. Waddle told OB this week that the visit went well, especially the time with the coaches.
"Meeting coach Herman was definitely good, important for me," Waddle said. "I think that was the biggest thing, talking to him.
"He just talking about how important my position is to their offense, the way they're planning on using it."
Waddle said the coaches told him he'd move around quite a bit and would line up at running back, slot and split wide from play to play. It will be interesting to see how they handle this one moving forward, because that's the same design they talked to commit Justin Watkins about, and Watkins does like the idea of being the only true "slot" receiver in the class.
Waddle said the visit was good but it didn't necessarily elevate Texas on his list.
"They pretty much stayed the same. They're still in there," he said.
The 5-10, 160-pound Waddle said he's keeping all options open and has not made a list of favorites. He does have some visits he wants to take this spring and summer.
"I plan on checking out Ole Miss, Oklahoma maybe this spring. Texas again. Oregon of course. I definitely want to get up there," Waddle said. (Suchomel)
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We'll likely have to wait a couple months, at least, to see how things turn out between Texas and quarterback Casey Thompson, but Thompson told OB this week he's not stressing over the situation at all.
According to Thompson, he's not yet ready to make a decision and it works out well because Texas isn't pushing for a commitment. He did say, however, that he feels his UT offer is committable.
"They didn't (talk about wanting to see him throw this spring). I don't think they need to see me throw. Coach Herman said I can throw the ball well, run the ball well," Thompson said. "Coach Herman said he was impressed with my intangibles, my social skills."
Thompson said Texas, North Carolina and Central Florida are all "being patient with him" and he's appreciative of that because he's not ready to make a decision.
Thompson, a Rivals250 member, has stayed in close contact with the UT coaches, including exchanging some texts while he was on his North Carolina visit last weekend.
"I texted a little bit over the weekend," Thompson said. "I talk to coach Herman weekly. Last week I talked to him on the phone. I talk to coach Beck almost daily." (Suchomel)
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Rockwall linebacker Alston Orji took an unofficial visit to Texas last weekend, and he told OB via text that it was a positive experience for him and his family.
The 6-2, 216-pound Orji said he liked that UT's academic center is centrally located in relation to the athletes' dorms and coaches offices, and he enjoyed his time spent with the UT staff.
"They are very upfront and don't sugarcoat with advertising their university," Orji said. "Their success at Houston speaks for itself."
Orji was joined by his family on the visit and said his parents have "a new outlook on the school."
A Rivals100 member, Orji doesn't have a formal list of favorites and said he wants to take his time with the recruiting process. (Suchomel)
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Frisco Wakeland offensive lineman Rafiti Ghirmai was a visitor for UT's junior day and the Longhorns made a strong enough impression that they locked in their spot among Ghirmai's favorites.
"They made me feel like family here. Because of this visit, University of Texas will be one of my official visits, they’ll be in my top five … I’ll be releasing a top 10 really soon, but they are in my top five, maybe top three," Ghirmai said
What was the sales pitch from the UT coaches during the visit?
"They were telling us about Texas like … you can’t find a school that’s great at academics and great at football. That’s what Texas is," Ghirmai said. "I’m trying to go into business, and they have a great business school. That’s something I like personally because I’m going to have to stop playing football at some time."
Texas A&M was believed to be a player for Ghirmai early on, but it sounds like he has moved on from the Aggies.
" I did want them to offer me, but I’m not really stressing over them anymore. Me and coach Turner we still talk, we’re close, but I don’t think they have any intention of offering me," Ghirmai said. "They already offered like three other guys and have a commit. I have amazing schools that have offered me, so I’m not really stressing over A&M anymore."
Ghirmai plans to return to Texas this spring for another visit. (Suchomel)
