Former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire is still interested in attending Texas as a grad transfer.
It appears Texas football coach Tom Herman needs to have a conversation with Zaire to give him a better idea of what his role with the Longhorns might be if he came to Austin.
I touched based with a source close to the Zaire camp on Thursday night, and that person told me the quarterback still intends to announce his decision on May 19, which is when he graduates from Notre Dame. Obviously, anything can change between now and that time, but everyone in Zaire’s camp has told me for the past few weeks that next Friday would be the day of the announcement. So far, that has not changed.
However, from what I was told, Zaire is unsure if Herman wants him to compete against sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele. The biggest concern within Zaire’s camp is if Herman only wants the quarterback to push the incumbent, which results in him holding a clipboard for another season.
I was previously told Wisconsin, Florida, Texas and Harvard (in random order) were the schools on Zaire’s short list. If Texas wants to be the top choice, Herman may need to reach out to Zaire pretty soon.
“It's still the four (schools),” I was told. “Harvard is a real option. I really think he likes Texas. He just doesn't know if they wouldn't suck him in for insurance in case the kid (Buechele) doesn't get it done. He refuses to be a backup at this point. He is very good if given a chance a fair chance to show it.”
As we have reported for weeks, Zaire is not interested in being a backup at his next spot.
Last year, Zaire was battled DeShone Kizer for the starting position. Both quarterbacks rotated against Texas in the season-opener before Kizer took over. Zaire completed 2-of-5 passes for 23 yards, while Kizer completed 15-of-24 passes for 215 yards and five touchdowns during the double-overtime loss.
Kizer eventually took over as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback and emerged into a second-round draft pick by Cleveland. That being said, Zaire has been looking for a coach to give him assurances after the disappointment of losing his job at Notre Dame.
From what I was told, Zaire is definitely interested in Texas.
He had a close relationship with current Longhorn offensive coordinator Tim Beck, who recruited Zaire at Nebraska. Zaire heavily considered attending Nebraska because he liked Beck, but eventually decided to attend Notre Dame, a decision most people in the quarterback’s camp seemingly regrets. Nebraska finished second, which is a good sign for Texas.
However, I was told Zaire has not spoken to Herman in about a month, which may not be a good sign for Texas.
If Herman and Zaire talk in the future, there is a chance he can add another arm to the room.
If not, Zaire will likely sign with another school, leaving Herman to kick the tires on Duke transfer quarterback Thomas Sirk, who probably would not compete for a starting position. Sirk has already announced his intentions to transfer to East Carolina, but hasn't enrolled yet so could potentially make a last-minute switch if Texas picks up its interest. Sirk has battled several injuries during his college career, making it hard to see him as anything other than a backup at Texas right now.
I will keep you updated as we get closer to Zaire’s deadline. (Richardson)
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After Caden Sterns committed on Sunday, it was a pretty slow week for recruiting news, so we decided to check in with Rivals.com Regional Recruiting Analyst Nick Krueger to get his thoughts on some of the top UT targets with whom he has communicated of late.
Brennan Eagles - "When he came to (a Rivals) camp in Atlanta, he was talking about his relationship with Clemson. He was reaching out to them, so he started that relationship. It was interesting to hear him take that initiative, because that was after he released his top 10. They weren't in it because they hadn't offered. He got the offer and he added them and dropped UCLA. I still think Texas is probably in a good spot with him. I've always thought Oklahoma was an interesting team early on, and now that A&M is not part of it and Texas has some recruiting momentum, I think Texas would at least be in the top half of that top 10."
My thoughts: I certainly agree Texas is in the top half of the top 10. Some feel Texas is the clear leader. I don't think this is quite the runaway that some are making it out to be and Eagles is going to wait things out so this one could still go in any direction, but I'd put Texas' chances at least as good as anyone else on the list.
Al'Vonte Woodard - "He's kind of spoiled for options. I was always kind of nervous that teams were offering him as a handcuff for (Anthony) Cook, but I think he's definitely good enough on his own. It makes sense that he would want to stay more focused on some local teams even though the Florida States, Ohio States, the Clemsons have made plays for him. Those guys really haven't shown too much in way of huge efforts to get out of the state and look at the other big schools. Texas has the inside track, probably because they've been able to see him quite a bit."
My thoughts: Anything other than Texas would be a huge upset at this point.
Jaylen Waddle - "Florida State is going to be hard to beat, because Tim Brewster has such a good footprint with the circles that Waddle and Marvin Wilson run in. Florida State is going to be in there until the end. He's been putting out a lot of news about Oregon recently. The last time I talked to him, it didn't sound like he had firm opinions on most places, not tipping his hand or showing real depth of knowledge on most programs. I still think that's a battle that could be won by Texas, for sure. But from a familiarity standpoint, he definitely has legit ties with Florida State that Texas has to contend with."
My thoughts: Florida State has felt great about its chances for a while with this one. I've thought FSU was the team to beat, but after Waddle has made it to the UT campus a couple times this spring, it feels more like a two-team race and I'm not sure the Longhorns aren't the team to beat.
Malcolm Epps - "Epps doesn't really have quite the offer list that some of the other prospects have. If he's a guy they feel good about, part of that is probably because they don't have as many people to fend off as a guy like (Mustapha) Muhammad or (Brennan) Eagles. He keeps such a low profile, it's tough to tell what he's thinking very much."
My thoughts: When Epps and Alabama parted ways a while back, I always thought Texas could be the landing spot. He was really high on UT under Charlie Strong and those feelings have carried over to the new staff. If Texas stays on him and he's a top target, I'd go with UT to win out.
Mustapha Muhammad - "He's had a long relationship with Michigan, so that makes sense. The last time I talked to him, without looking at the story in front of me, he actually talked a lot about A&M. I wouldn't write them off either, especially with them being a relatively local team to him. He's releasing his top 10 at his spring game at the end of the month. I'll be there so I'll kind of feel him out better there."
My thoughts: Texas went from an afterthought in this one to what I'd probably describe as co-leaders, or maybe slightly behind Michigan. I expect Muhammad to look at a bunch of schools in the fall so it won't surprise me to see another school or two in the mix, but I think this one comes down to Michigan or UT and the level of success of the Longhorns on the field this year could be a huge factor.
Keondre Coburn - "If I had to guess, I think I'd put Texas in front of A&M based on my dealings with him. He's been picking up some good offers the last couple weeks. I don't know how wide open things are with him, but I think Texas is in good standing regardless."
My thoughts: This one feels like a recruitment Texas should win, but a couple reporters who cover A&M are hearing the Aggie coaches also feel pretty good about their chances. I'll side with Texas for now, but this race is probably closer than most realize.
Max Wright - "Until somebody tells me he's not an A&M lean, until somebody disproves that, that's how I have him categorized in my brain. He's such good friends with Camron Horry, who went there. I've even heard he's worked on some guys behind the scenes. But he's been so wrapped up with baseball, recruiting is kind of secondary to him right now."
My thoughts: Texas has made up a ton of ground here, but I still think A&M has the inside track right now.
Jalen Green - "I've always felt with Jalen, the more local teams are always going to be in the best position with him. I don't think he has the means to travel to see a lot of schools. He made some curious decisions with his top 13 that go against that way of thinking, but I think the local teams stand that much better of a chance with him. He's only going to make it to USC maybe once. I think Texas, maybe someone like TCU stands a chance."
My thoughts: I agree with Krueger that Green stays in this region, and I'd call him a strong Texas lean at this point. (Suchomel)
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The Texas staff did extend a handful of 2019 scholarship offers this week, including one to four-star running back Devyn Ford.
According to Ford, UT running backs coach Stan Drayton visited his school this week and spoke with Ford's coach. His coach passed along the word of an offer when Ford got to school.
"That was like a total surprise. I didn't know what was going on. My coach just pulled me aside and told me," Ford said. "The big picture, Texas, it's just Texas. It's the breeding ground for football. Everything is big there. Texas is pretty good, but I don't know a lot about Texas to be honest."
Ford told us he is "completely open" at this point. He's looking to take visits to North Carolina and Clemson this summer. I asked about the possibility of getting to Austin, but he said he hadn't really had time to think of where Texas fits in. We'll continue to track this one to see if anything heats up. (Suchomel)
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New UT commitment Ron Tatum tweeted out on Thursday evening that he'll be in Austin tomorrow. I checked in with Tatum to see if there was any particular reason for his trip, and he said he just wanted to get back to campus for another visit.
That's obviously a good sign for Texas that he wants to get back again after not being able to make it in for the Orange-White game. Tatum has talked about the possibility of still visiting other schools despite his UT pledge, but if he keeps making visits like these, you have to really like Texas' chances of hanging onto him. (Suchomel)
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Speaking of holding onto commitments, I talked to someone this week who speaks to UT quarterback commitment Casey Thompson quite a bit. This person seemed very confident that Thompson would stick with his Texas pledge, despite the commitment from Cameron Rising.
"They told him the second quarterback would probably be Cameron. After he (Rising) was committed, people were coming at him. It was more just fans from other schools. I think he'll stick with Texas," the source said. "I would understand if he looked a little, but Casey isn't the type that's going to shy away from competition." (Suchomel)
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Four-star quarterback Tanner McKee visited Texas on Saturday and told us via some text message exchanges that the trip went very well. McKee, out of Corona (CA) Centennial, said he felt comfortable with the UT staff and everything he saw in Austin.
"Things went great. Loved the visit," McKee said. "The thing that stood out the most was how it felt like a big family there. Everyone was so pumped to be part of that program. The highlight was face-timing coach (Tom) Herman during my photo shoot. They wanted him to see me in the Texas uniform. It was fun."
McKee is scheduled to take a two-year mission trip after he graduates high school, which would essentially make him a member of the 2020 recruiting class. The Texas coaches told him they'd love to eventually see him in Austin.
"They have always told me from day one they think I would be a perfect fit," McKee said. "There really wasn't a sales pitch. They just talked about all of the great things Texas has to offer.
"I really liked it there. I can tell the coaches genuinely care about their guys and want them to succeed." (Suchomel)
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A few more comments from Leslie Angilau, mother of offensive lineman Junior Angilau.
Angilau, out of Salt Lake City, took a weekend visit to UT with his mother and sister during the weekend of the Orange-White game. In talking to his mother, it sounds like the entire family was extremely impressed (more comments can be found in Tuesday's 3-2-1).
On their time with the coaches:
"We spent a lot of time with them. We got to meet coach Herman. He was awesome. Bob Shipley is a good guy. We were visiting with him a little bit, he was telling us that coach Herman is actually a genius. When we met coach Herman, he was like 'What have you heard of me?.' That was fun. Coach (Derek) Warehime, he's definitely a genuine soul. I loved to see how hard they worked on the field. Junior is just looking for a coach to connect with. He has only played a couple years, started out as a freshman, so he's definitely young in his learning of the game itself."
"I really do just love how genuine the people we met were. It was pretty impressive."
On the facilities:
"Junior loved the technology in the weight room. That's definitely top level of training. That personally was another cool thing."
On the interest from Texas and what made them want to visit:
"Once Junior got offered, it was perfect timing. I had some days off, my daughter booked some tickets, and we came down. It blew my mind how many people came down for that (spring game). That was impressive."
"It's just an honor that they're recruiting him, that Junior is being considered. Texas has (27) million population, it's such a big deal out there. It's really a blessing to be considered."
On if she's like her son to attend college close to home or is okay with him leaving the area:
"Absolutely what's best for Junior. We're definitely family oriented ... and would definitely support him in his decision. I would like to see him go, honestly. There are great schools here in Utah, don't get me wrong, but it's nice to see outside the state. I'm not going to lie."
On the possibility of returning for another visit:
"We will definitely be coming back for an official visit. We're waiting for the weight room to get done. We got to see it with coach (Yancy) McKnight, saw all the changes and the prototype of the locker. Junior is a pretty a humble kid, he's grateful for all the bells and whistles, but mostly he just wants to play for the coach and for the coach to put him in for what he's earned." (Suchomel)
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In case you missed it, UT commitments Caden Sterns and Byron Hobbs joined me and McComas on Orangebloods Radio on Thursday. It's worth a listen if you haven't heard the interviews (audio files can be found here).
A couple quick highlights ...
Sterns talks about what went into his decision to flip from LSU to Texas
The Texas coaches have told Sterns that he can play anywhere in the secondary - corner, nickel, safety.
Sterns has high expectations for the Longhorns' recruiting class.
Hobbs talks about how much he likes Tom Herman and Todd Orlando. "If they were at UofH right now, I'd probably be a UofH Cougar," Hobbs said.
Hobbs says Texas has some silent commitments and big things are coming for the Longhorns. (Suchomel)
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With the news posted on Twitter of Texas hosting a satellite camp in Las Vegas (it should be fun to cover), here is what appears to be the staff's schedule and routing for satellite camps during the 2017 summer recruiting period.
While the University has not provided any information to confirm these events, all five have been confirmed through the schools set to co-host:
(Destinations of camps plotted on the Deep Dig's NFL Prospect Hometown Heat Map).
IMAGE https://rosterwatch.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Heat-Map-1-2016.jpg
June 5th - East Texas Baptist University
Marshall, TX
Texas will head out and hit ETBU first, in an #EastTexasTakeover-branded event with HC Scott Highsmith in Marshall. Marshall, TX is located 150 miles due east of Dallas, very close to the Louisiana border. The Dallas area is the nation's 3rd most concentrated hotbed of NFL talent, and the heat map clearly shows pockets of talent being densely concentrated both to its south along the IH-35 corridor and to its east along the I-20 corridor extending basically all the way to Marshall. It should attract prospects from the Dallas area and also Louisiana, which is in the Top 12 state-wise as far as NFL prospect density based on land mass (one prospect per every 856 square miles).
June 8th - Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA
(also in attendance will be Arkansas, Houston, and Louisiana Tech; Texas A&M will hold its own satellite camp at Southeastern Louisiana University in the following week).
In a state that's in the Top 25% of the lower 48 in prospect density per square mile, the area around Hammond, which sits in just on the other side of Lake Ponchatrain from New Orleans, represents close proximity to all areas of the Southeastern Louisiana delta and I-12 and IH-10/12 interchange corridors. This area of Louisiana, if considered a state of its own from IH-10 and/or 12 south, would likely be Top 5 in prospect density or maybe greater.
June 11th - Kennesaw State
Kennesaw, GA
Kennesaw sits 30 minutes northwest of Atlanta, which is, of course, located in Georgia. Georgia is 7th overall in the population density rankings (1 former high school athlete playing in the NFL for every 525. 89 square miles); and is adjacent to both South Carolina and Florida which, respectively are No.9 (SC - 1 former high school athlete playing in the NFL for every 582.19 square miles) and No. 2 (FL - 1 former high school athlete playing in the NFL for every 322.34 square miles).
The greater Atlanta area specifically is the nation's 4th hottest recruiting hotbed. As you can see on the heat map, the areas surrounding Atlanta are a regional hub of talent that shows up like a hurricane among the states smaller - while still impressive - prospect storm systems, if you will. Especially with defensive linemen, where an astounding 6.7 percent of NFL players currently playing in positions along the defensive trenches for their NFL teams played high school football in this exact area. Is it any wonder that basically all of Texas' best defensive linemen did not come from in-state but from SEC country?
But not all of the Texas staff will be heading to Kennesaw ...
June 11th - UNLV
Las Vegas, NV
On the same day as the Kennesaw camp, Texas will also co-host a satellite camp way out west with UNLV. As the map shows, Vegas in itself has become somewhat of a recent talent hotbed (at least for Western US standards), but the big pull here is proximity to the Los Angeles Phoenix-Avondale areas as the map very, very obvious targeted populations). Anyone who has made the drive for Austin to Sin City knows it's 4 hours from PHX to LV and from Los Angeles, it's about the same - usually with a pit stop in Barstow, CA which is the Columbus, TX in an analogous comparison to the Austin-to-Houston trek.
It should surprise no one that Greater Los Angeles ranks at No. 2 on the recruiting hotbed list. It doesn’t seem like much when hearing the numbers, but it’s amazing that over 4 percent of all players in the NFL played high school football within about 35 miles of Los Angeles proper in any direction. It basically means that for every 25 NFL players you know, one came from this relatively small region. Even in the HUGE region that is the state of California, it's still in the Top 10 (No.10 overall) in prospect density (CA - 1 former high school athlete playing in the NFL for every 711.12 square miles), much more impressive than here in Texas (TX - No. 17 - 1 former high school athlete playing in the NFL for every 1297.57 square miles).
As for Phoenix/Avondale, it might as well be a very slightly poorer man's version of Greater Houston, TX. The heat map only shows Houston as about as fertile an area currently. Same as a number of others like Detroit, the Hampton Roads area, Rust-belt Ohio and Western PA, the Rock Hill-area of South Carolina (hello Poona Ford), Greater Charlotte, Phoenix-Avondale and many others. Quite simply, Houston is a recruiting hotbed, but it is not a recruiting treasure like Dallas. Still, it’s in the University of Texas’ back yard. Houston is an area that clearly must be recruited heavily - however, in recent years, Phoenix has technically been every bit as fertile when looking at the numbers.
June 15th - Florida Tech
Melbourne, FL
The motherland; the most fertile of the fertile in recent NFL prospecting. This camp will take place on the eastern coast of Florida between the "central" and the "southeast/Miami/Dade"-regions. (No.7 and No.1 nationally as hotbeds).
The hottest of all hot zones in modern recruiting looks like a hurricane coming off the Atlantic into Miami-Dade County when looking at the national heat map above. The density of talent extends northward from Miami up Florida’s eastern coast with major density to “Muck City” just south of Lake Okeechobee, an area known in popular sports culture as the place where documentaries have been made about young athletes of low socioeconomic status chasing rabbits to work on their speed, reaction-time and agility - and to put some protein on the table.
The facts: 9.6 percent of active NFL defensive backs played high school football in the region.
Orlando to Melbourne (via Google Maps): 1 hour, 13 minutes.
Belle Glade (Muck City) - 2 hours, 9 minutes.
MIAMI DADE (our nation's sickest bastion of prospect density) - 2 hours, 46 minutes.
(Dunlap)
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Earlier today in Chicago, NBC Sports’s Scott Phillips, who was kind enough to help us out with some coverage (look for a Q and A with Jones tomorrow), spoke with Texas freshman guard Andrew Jones. Jones, a participant in the NBA Draft Combine and its 5-on-5 games Thursday and Friday, told Phillips that he’s looking for a first-round pick in order to stay in the draft.
According to published data from NBA.com, Jones measured at 6-3.0 without shoes, 6-4.3 in shoes, 8-3.5 standing reach, and a 6-6.5 wingspan. In the lane agility drill, Jones posted a mark of 11.38 seconds, which was middle of the pack, and his standing vertical jump was 27.0 inches with a max vertical jump of 35.0 inches.
I’m going to pour everything I think, and what I’ve heard from multiple sources very close to the situation into this War Room update.
First, let’s start with the pursuit of a first-round pick as it relates to NBA Draft feedback. Personally, I think the NBA Draft feedback process can be difficult in some ways. For example, Isaiah Taylor was told he had a first-round grade – yes, I didn’t believe it either, but it came from Taylor’s mouth and sometimes these grades can be wide-ranging - prior to returning for his junior season at Texas. Obviously, Taylor went undrafted in last year’s draft, but has done a great job this season becoming an up-and-down player (D-League to NBA). I think the saying “it just takes one team” applies to the NBA, although a lot has changed now that players can enter early and remove their name from the draft; feedback tends to be more consistent now. That makes gathering as much accurate info as possible very important.
Respected people and outlets that cover the draft like ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, Rivals.com’s Eric Bossi, DraftExpress.com, and NBADraft.net are either projecting or reporting, based on NBA intel, that Jones is a second-round pick/candidate to go undrafted if he stays in.
NBADraft.net’s (who received a private workout from Jones for a video report) 5/10 projection: 2017 NBA Draft Combine Invitee ... Received unrealistic (1st round) internet hype during FR season leading to his decision to put name in NBA draft. To his credit, put out a statement that he wanted to enter the draft process in order to "learn what he needed to work on for future seasons at Texas". While he can opt to pull out of draft and return to school, the idea that "there's nothing to lose" and a poor performance in combine and workouts is easily forgotten by scouts is not so cut and dry ...
DraftExpress.com: Not listed in today’s updated 2017 mock draft; No. 20 in 2018 mock draft; ranked No. 45 among top 100 2017 prospects.
Jeff Goodman’s reporting from earlier this week: “He struggled, but so did the entire Longhorns team last season. The 6-foot-4 freshman was forced to play out of position at times, but next season coach Shaka Smart will have a true point guard in Matt Coleman. That will allow Jones to be able to play off the ball, and he should also have someone to help get him easier looks. Jones averaged 11.4 PPG, but he needs to become a more consistent shooter from deep. Jones will probably return to Austin.”
Range: 45 to undrafted
NBA says: Back to school
Eric Bossi’s Jones section in a NBA Draft story this week:
“What his return could mean: The Longhorns are going to be young next year, but they will also have a lot of talent as they look to climb out of the Big 12’s basement. If Jones comes back, he will give them a reliable scorer and a versatile guard capable of playing all three perimeter spots on the college level. A strong season could also propel him into the first round of next year’s Draft.”
Current Draft projection: Second round/Undrafted.
Second, I think deep down, based on my time around him as a recruit and college player, Jones wants to wear the one-and-done badge. And what player in his position doesn’t at least have that thought cross his mind? He’s very competitive, extremely confident, and has a ton of pride. I think being in Chicago in the moment and seeing reports of himself projected as a second-round pick or going undrafted adds to that. It also adds to the growing skepticism in my gut – save the waistline jokes, I’m down 20 pounds in the last two months - about Jones’s return to Texas.
But Jones isn’t making this decision on his own. Frankly, that’s too much to ask of any college freshman. Jones’s father David, an astute hoops mind that’s helped raise two standout college players, is guiding his son through the NBA Draft process, and everything I’ve heard indicates he’s not in a hurry to push his son into the NBA. Along those lines, a rumor circulated that Jones’s decision would be influenced by his family’s financial situation. Someone that would know reached out to me to shoot that down vehemently, and was perturbed it was actually a thing.
“He’s not trying to go into the NBA and be an up-and-down (D-League/NBA) player,” the source said. “That’s not the goal, and money isn’t either.”
Third, my sourcing on Jones’s decision-making process remains consistent, and that includes multiple people on different sides of the equation (Texas and outside Texas) very dialed into the process. I questioned them today, raising my own feelings that Jones staying in the draft seems more likely than they’re telling me. To be honest, I flat said I have a feeling I’m going to get burned in this and look like a dumbass. But, they didn’t budge. And I have no reason not to trust well-placed sources.
A source that stated a while ago the only way Jones stays in is if he’s a lottery pick didn’t back off that, even when I mentioned I was told by someone that talked to Jones today he mentioned a first-round designation and not lottery. The source reiterated when Jones does head to the NBA it’ll be when the feedback and the situation allows him the best chance at being a top pick that’s going to play minutes in the league and not ride the bench or play in the D-League.
Another said Jones has yet to receive first-round feedback, and remains of the opinion Jones not being back in Austin next season would be a surprise.
“I don’t think he will,” said this person when I asked about Jones making a surprise decision to bolt, referencing that it’s very unlikely the feedback required will be there.
Along those lines, each person I communicated with mentioned a lack of first-round status.
If you made me handicap this right now…
What my sources think: 90/10 in favor of a return
What I think: 70/30 he returns
You might be asking yourself, "why is there so much writing on this?" Because Jones’s return would be an enormous lift for the program, distancing it from last year’s debacle and potentially making Jones one of the most important players to ever play for Smart at Texas. As a sophomore at Texas, Jones would have a chance to emerge as one of the stars of the Big 12, and perhaps nationally. Teamed with Matt Coleman, Jones is a perfect complement that could thrive and be a part of one of the best backcourts around, potentially.
Jones is going to be a first-round NBA pick, but I don’t think that will be in this year’s draft. If he does pull what I and sources believe would be the surprising move (some more than others), it would be a gigantic blow to the Texas program. (McComas)
It appears Texas football coach Tom Herman needs to have a conversation with Zaire to give him a better idea of what his role with the Longhorns might be if he came to Austin.
I touched based with a source close to the Zaire camp on Thursday night, and that person told me the quarterback still intends to announce his decision on May 19, which is when he graduates from Notre Dame. Obviously, anything can change between now and that time, but everyone in Zaire’s camp has told me for the past few weeks that next Friday would be the day of the announcement. So far, that has not changed.
However, from what I was told, Zaire is unsure if Herman wants him to compete against sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele. The biggest concern within Zaire’s camp is if Herman only wants the quarterback to push the incumbent, which results in him holding a clipboard for another season.
I was previously told Wisconsin, Florida, Texas and Harvard (in random order) were the schools on Zaire’s short list. If Texas wants to be the top choice, Herman may need to reach out to Zaire pretty soon.
“It's still the four (schools),” I was told. “Harvard is a real option. I really think he likes Texas. He just doesn't know if they wouldn't suck him in for insurance in case the kid (Buechele) doesn't get it done. He refuses to be a backup at this point. He is very good if given a chance a fair chance to show it.”
As we have reported for weeks, Zaire is not interested in being a backup at his next spot.
Last year, Zaire was battled DeShone Kizer for the starting position. Both quarterbacks rotated against Texas in the season-opener before Kizer took over. Zaire completed 2-of-5 passes for 23 yards, while Kizer completed 15-of-24 passes for 215 yards and five touchdowns during the double-overtime loss.
Kizer eventually took over as Notre Dame’s starting quarterback and emerged into a second-round draft pick by Cleveland. That being said, Zaire has been looking for a coach to give him assurances after the disappointment of losing his job at Notre Dame.
From what I was told, Zaire is definitely interested in Texas.
He had a close relationship with current Longhorn offensive coordinator Tim Beck, who recruited Zaire at Nebraska. Zaire heavily considered attending Nebraska because he liked Beck, but eventually decided to attend Notre Dame, a decision most people in the quarterback’s camp seemingly regrets. Nebraska finished second, which is a good sign for Texas.
However, I was told Zaire has not spoken to Herman in about a month, which may not be a good sign for Texas.
If Herman and Zaire talk in the future, there is a chance he can add another arm to the room.
If not, Zaire will likely sign with another school, leaving Herman to kick the tires on Duke transfer quarterback Thomas Sirk, who probably would not compete for a starting position. Sirk has already announced his intentions to transfer to East Carolina, but hasn't enrolled yet so could potentially make a last-minute switch if Texas picks up its interest. Sirk has battled several injuries during his college career, making it hard to see him as anything other than a backup at Texas right now.
I will keep you updated as we get closer to Zaire’s deadline. (Richardson)
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After Caden Sterns committed on Sunday, it was a pretty slow week for recruiting news, so we decided to check in with Rivals.com Regional Recruiting Analyst Nick Krueger to get his thoughts on some of the top UT targets with whom he has communicated of late.
Brennan Eagles - "When he came to (a Rivals) camp in Atlanta, he was talking about his relationship with Clemson. He was reaching out to them, so he started that relationship. It was interesting to hear him take that initiative, because that was after he released his top 10. They weren't in it because they hadn't offered. He got the offer and he added them and dropped UCLA. I still think Texas is probably in a good spot with him. I've always thought Oklahoma was an interesting team early on, and now that A&M is not part of it and Texas has some recruiting momentum, I think Texas would at least be in the top half of that top 10."
My thoughts: I certainly agree Texas is in the top half of the top 10. Some feel Texas is the clear leader. I don't think this is quite the runaway that some are making it out to be and Eagles is going to wait things out so this one could still go in any direction, but I'd put Texas' chances at least as good as anyone else on the list.
Al'Vonte Woodard - "He's kind of spoiled for options. I was always kind of nervous that teams were offering him as a handcuff for (Anthony) Cook, but I think he's definitely good enough on his own. It makes sense that he would want to stay more focused on some local teams even though the Florida States, Ohio States, the Clemsons have made plays for him. Those guys really haven't shown too much in way of huge efforts to get out of the state and look at the other big schools. Texas has the inside track, probably because they've been able to see him quite a bit."
My thoughts: Anything other than Texas would be a huge upset at this point.
Jaylen Waddle - "Florida State is going to be hard to beat, because Tim Brewster has such a good footprint with the circles that Waddle and Marvin Wilson run in. Florida State is going to be in there until the end. He's been putting out a lot of news about Oregon recently. The last time I talked to him, it didn't sound like he had firm opinions on most places, not tipping his hand or showing real depth of knowledge on most programs. I still think that's a battle that could be won by Texas, for sure. But from a familiarity standpoint, he definitely has legit ties with Florida State that Texas has to contend with."
My thoughts: Florida State has felt great about its chances for a while with this one. I've thought FSU was the team to beat, but after Waddle has made it to the UT campus a couple times this spring, it feels more like a two-team race and I'm not sure the Longhorns aren't the team to beat.
Malcolm Epps - "Epps doesn't really have quite the offer list that some of the other prospects have. If he's a guy they feel good about, part of that is probably because they don't have as many people to fend off as a guy like (Mustapha) Muhammad or (Brennan) Eagles. He keeps such a low profile, it's tough to tell what he's thinking very much."
My thoughts: When Epps and Alabama parted ways a while back, I always thought Texas could be the landing spot. He was really high on UT under Charlie Strong and those feelings have carried over to the new staff. If Texas stays on him and he's a top target, I'd go with UT to win out.
Mustapha Muhammad - "He's had a long relationship with Michigan, so that makes sense. The last time I talked to him, without looking at the story in front of me, he actually talked a lot about A&M. I wouldn't write them off either, especially with them being a relatively local team to him. He's releasing his top 10 at his spring game at the end of the month. I'll be there so I'll kind of feel him out better there."
My thoughts: Texas went from an afterthought in this one to what I'd probably describe as co-leaders, or maybe slightly behind Michigan. I expect Muhammad to look at a bunch of schools in the fall so it won't surprise me to see another school or two in the mix, but I think this one comes down to Michigan or UT and the level of success of the Longhorns on the field this year could be a huge factor.
Keondre Coburn - "If I had to guess, I think I'd put Texas in front of A&M based on my dealings with him. He's been picking up some good offers the last couple weeks. I don't know how wide open things are with him, but I think Texas is in good standing regardless."
My thoughts: This one feels like a recruitment Texas should win, but a couple reporters who cover A&M are hearing the Aggie coaches also feel pretty good about their chances. I'll side with Texas for now, but this race is probably closer than most realize.
Max Wright - "Until somebody tells me he's not an A&M lean, until somebody disproves that, that's how I have him categorized in my brain. He's such good friends with Camron Horry, who went there. I've even heard he's worked on some guys behind the scenes. But he's been so wrapped up with baseball, recruiting is kind of secondary to him right now."
My thoughts: Texas has made up a ton of ground here, but I still think A&M has the inside track right now.
Jalen Green - "I've always felt with Jalen, the more local teams are always going to be in the best position with him. I don't think he has the means to travel to see a lot of schools. He made some curious decisions with his top 13 that go against that way of thinking, but I think the local teams stand that much better of a chance with him. He's only going to make it to USC maybe once. I think Texas, maybe someone like TCU stands a chance."
My thoughts: I agree with Krueger that Green stays in this region, and I'd call him a strong Texas lean at this point. (Suchomel)
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The Texas staff did extend a handful of 2019 scholarship offers this week, including one to four-star running back Devyn Ford.
According to Ford, UT running backs coach Stan Drayton visited his school this week and spoke with Ford's coach. His coach passed along the word of an offer when Ford got to school.
"That was like a total surprise. I didn't know what was going on. My coach just pulled me aside and told me," Ford said. "The big picture, Texas, it's just Texas. It's the breeding ground for football. Everything is big there. Texas is pretty good, but I don't know a lot about Texas to be honest."
Ford told us he is "completely open" at this point. He's looking to take visits to North Carolina and Clemson this summer. I asked about the possibility of getting to Austin, but he said he hadn't really had time to think of where Texas fits in. We'll continue to track this one to see if anything heats up. (Suchomel)
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New UT commitment Ron Tatum tweeted out on Thursday evening that he'll be in Austin tomorrow. I checked in with Tatum to see if there was any particular reason for his trip, and he said he just wanted to get back to campus for another visit.
That's obviously a good sign for Texas that he wants to get back again after not being able to make it in for the Orange-White game. Tatum has talked about the possibility of still visiting other schools despite his UT pledge, but if he keeps making visits like these, you have to really like Texas' chances of hanging onto him. (Suchomel)
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Speaking of holding onto commitments, I talked to someone this week who speaks to UT quarterback commitment Casey Thompson quite a bit. This person seemed very confident that Thompson would stick with his Texas pledge, despite the commitment from Cameron Rising.
"They told him the second quarterback would probably be Cameron. After he (Rising) was committed, people were coming at him. It was more just fans from other schools. I think he'll stick with Texas," the source said. "I would understand if he looked a little, but Casey isn't the type that's going to shy away from competition." (Suchomel)
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Four-star quarterback Tanner McKee visited Texas on Saturday and told us via some text message exchanges that the trip went very well. McKee, out of Corona (CA) Centennial, said he felt comfortable with the UT staff and everything he saw in Austin.
"Things went great. Loved the visit," McKee said. "The thing that stood out the most was how it felt like a big family there. Everyone was so pumped to be part of that program. The highlight was face-timing coach (Tom) Herman during my photo shoot. They wanted him to see me in the Texas uniform. It was fun."
McKee is scheduled to take a two-year mission trip after he graduates high school, which would essentially make him a member of the 2020 recruiting class. The Texas coaches told him they'd love to eventually see him in Austin.
"They have always told me from day one they think I would be a perfect fit," McKee said. "There really wasn't a sales pitch. They just talked about all of the great things Texas has to offer.
"I really liked it there. I can tell the coaches genuinely care about their guys and want them to succeed." (Suchomel)
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A few more comments from Leslie Angilau, mother of offensive lineman Junior Angilau.
Angilau, out of Salt Lake City, took a weekend visit to UT with his mother and sister during the weekend of the Orange-White game. In talking to his mother, it sounds like the entire family was extremely impressed (more comments can be found in Tuesday's 3-2-1).
On their time with the coaches:
"We spent a lot of time with them. We got to meet coach Herman. He was awesome. Bob Shipley is a good guy. We were visiting with him a little bit, he was telling us that coach Herman is actually a genius. When we met coach Herman, he was like 'What have you heard of me?.' That was fun. Coach (Derek) Warehime, he's definitely a genuine soul. I loved to see how hard they worked on the field. Junior is just looking for a coach to connect with. He has only played a couple years, started out as a freshman, so he's definitely young in his learning of the game itself."
"I really do just love how genuine the people we met were. It was pretty impressive."
On the facilities:
"Junior loved the technology in the weight room. That's definitely top level of training. That personally was another cool thing."
On the interest from Texas and what made them want to visit:
"Once Junior got offered, it was perfect timing. I had some days off, my daughter booked some tickets, and we came down. It blew my mind how many people came down for that (spring game). That was impressive."
"It's just an honor that they're recruiting him, that Junior is being considered. Texas has (27) million population, it's such a big deal out there. It's really a blessing to be considered."
On if she's like her son to attend college close to home or is okay with him leaving the area:
"Absolutely what's best for Junior. We're definitely family oriented ... and would definitely support him in his decision. I would like to see him go, honestly. There are great schools here in Utah, don't get me wrong, but it's nice to see outside the state. I'm not going to lie."
On the possibility of returning for another visit:
"We will definitely be coming back for an official visit. We're waiting for the weight room to get done. We got to see it with coach (Yancy) McKnight, saw all the changes and the prototype of the locker. Junior is a pretty a humble kid, he's grateful for all the bells and whistles, but mostly he just wants to play for the coach and for the coach to put him in for what he's earned." (Suchomel)
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In case you missed it, UT commitments Caden Sterns and Byron Hobbs joined me and McComas on Orangebloods Radio on Thursday. It's worth a listen if you haven't heard the interviews (audio files can be found here).
A couple quick highlights ...
Sterns talks about what went into his decision to flip from LSU to Texas
The Texas coaches have told Sterns that he can play anywhere in the secondary - corner, nickel, safety.
Sterns has high expectations for the Longhorns' recruiting class.
Hobbs talks about how much he likes Tom Herman and Todd Orlando. "If they were at UofH right now, I'd probably be a UofH Cougar," Hobbs said.
Hobbs says Texas has some silent commitments and big things are coming for the Longhorns. (Suchomel)
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With the news posted on Twitter of Texas hosting a satellite camp in Las Vegas (it should be fun to cover), here is what appears to be the staff's schedule and routing for satellite camps during the 2017 summer recruiting period.
While the University has not provided any information to confirm these events, all five have been confirmed through the schools set to co-host:
(Destinations of camps plotted on the Deep Dig's NFL Prospect Hometown Heat Map).
IMAGE https://rosterwatch.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Heat-Map-1-2016.jpg
June 5th - East Texas Baptist University
Marshall, TX
Texas will head out and hit ETBU first, in an #EastTexasTakeover-branded event with HC Scott Highsmith in Marshall. Marshall, TX is located 150 miles due east of Dallas, very close to the Louisiana border. The Dallas area is the nation's 3rd most concentrated hotbed of NFL talent, and the heat map clearly shows pockets of talent being densely concentrated both to its south along the IH-35 corridor and to its east along the I-20 corridor extending basically all the way to Marshall. It should attract prospects from the Dallas area and also Louisiana, which is in the Top 12 state-wise as far as NFL prospect density based on land mass (one prospect per every 856 square miles).
June 8th - Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA
(also in attendance will be Arkansas, Houston, and Louisiana Tech; Texas A&M will hold its own satellite camp at Southeastern Louisiana University in the following week).
In a state that's in the Top 25% of the lower 48 in prospect density per square mile, the area around Hammond, which sits in just on the other side of Lake Ponchatrain from New Orleans, represents close proximity to all areas of the Southeastern Louisiana delta and I-12 and IH-10/12 interchange corridors. This area of Louisiana, if considered a state of its own from IH-10 and/or 12 south, would likely be Top 5 in prospect density or maybe greater.
June 11th - Kennesaw State
Kennesaw, GA
Kennesaw sits 30 minutes northwest of Atlanta, which is, of course, located in Georgia. Georgia is 7th overall in the population density rankings (1 former high school athlete playing in the NFL for every 525. 89 square miles); and is adjacent to both South Carolina and Florida which, respectively are No.9 (SC - 1 former high school athlete playing in the NFL for every 582.19 square miles) and No. 2 (FL - 1 former high school athlete playing in the NFL for every 322.34 square miles).
The greater Atlanta area specifically is the nation's 4th hottest recruiting hotbed. As you can see on the heat map, the areas surrounding Atlanta are a regional hub of talent that shows up like a hurricane among the states smaller - while still impressive - prospect storm systems, if you will. Especially with defensive linemen, where an astounding 6.7 percent of NFL players currently playing in positions along the defensive trenches for their NFL teams played high school football in this exact area. Is it any wonder that basically all of Texas' best defensive linemen did not come from in-state but from SEC country?
But not all of the Texas staff will be heading to Kennesaw ...
June 11th - UNLV
Las Vegas, NV
On the same day as the Kennesaw camp, Texas will also co-host a satellite camp way out west with UNLV. As the map shows, Vegas in itself has become somewhat of a recent talent hotbed (at least for Western US standards), but the big pull here is proximity to the Los Angeles Phoenix-Avondale areas as the map very, very obvious targeted populations). Anyone who has made the drive for Austin to Sin City knows it's 4 hours from PHX to LV and from Los Angeles, it's about the same - usually with a pit stop in Barstow, CA which is the Columbus, TX in an analogous comparison to the Austin-to-Houston trek.
It should surprise no one that Greater Los Angeles ranks at No. 2 on the recruiting hotbed list. It doesn’t seem like much when hearing the numbers, but it’s amazing that over 4 percent of all players in the NFL played high school football within about 35 miles of Los Angeles proper in any direction. It basically means that for every 25 NFL players you know, one came from this relatively small region. Even in the HUGE region that is the state of California, it's still in the Top 10 (No.10 overall) in prospect density (CA - 1 former high school athlete playing in the NFL for every 711.12 square miles), much more impressive than here in Texas (TX - No. 17 - 1 former high school athlete playing in the NFL for every 1297.57 square miles).
As for Phoenix/Avondale, it might as well be a very slightly poorer man's version of Greater Houston, TX. The heat map only shows Houston as about as fertile an area currently. Same as a number of others like Detroit, the Hampton Roads area, Rust-belt Ohio and Western PA, the Rock Hill-area of South Carolina (hello Poona Ford), Greater Charlotte, Phoenix-Avondale and many others. Quite simply, Houston is a recruiting hotbed, but it is not a recruiting treasure like Dallas. Still, it’s in the University of Texas’ back yard. Houston is an area that clearly must be recruited heavily - however, in recent years, Phoenix has technically been every bit as fertile when looking at the numbers.
June 15th - Florida Tech
Melbourne, FL
The motherland; the most fertile of the fertile in recent NFL prospecting. This camp will take place on the eastern coast of Florida between the "central" and the "southeast/Miami/Dade"-regions. (No.7 and No.1 nationally as hotbeds).
The hottest of all hot zones in modern recruiting looks like a hurricane coming off the Atlantic into Miami-Dade County when looking at the national heat map above. The density of talent extends northward from Miami up Florida’s eastern coast with major density to “Muck City” just south of Lake Okeechobee, an area known in popular sports culture as the place where documentaries have been made about young athletes of low socioeconomic status chasing rabbits to work on their speed, reaction-time and agility - and to put some protein on the table.
The facts: 9.6 percent of active NFL defensive backs played high school football in the region.
Orlando to Melbourne (via Google Maps): 1 hour, 13 minutes.
Belle Glade (Muck City) - 2 hours, 9 minutes.
MIAMI DADE (our nation's sickest bastion of prospect density) - 2 hours, 46 minutes.
(Dunlap)
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Earlier today in Chicago, NBC Sports’s Scott Phillips, who was kind enough to help us out with some coverage (look for a Q and A with Jones tomorrow), spoke with Texas freshman guard Andrew Jones. Jones, a participant in the NBA Draft Combine and its 5-on-5 games Thursday and Friday, told Phillips that he’s looking for a first-round pick in order to stay in the draft.
According to published data from NBA.com, Jones measured at 6-3.0 without shoes, 6-4.3 in shoes, 8-3.5 standing reach, and a 6-6.5 wingspan. In the lane agility drill, Jones posted a mark of 11.38 seconds, which was middle of the pack, and his standing vertical jump was 27.0 inches with a max vertical jump of 35.0 inches.
I’m going to pour everything I think, and what I’ve heard from multiple sources very close to the situation into this War Room update.
First, let’s start with the pursuit of a first-round pick as it relates to NBA Draft feedback. Personally, I think the NBA Draft feedback process can be difficult in some ways. For example, Isaiah Taylor was told he had a first-round grade – yes, I didn’t believe it either, but it came from Taylor’s mouth and sometimes these grades can be wide-ranging - prior to returning for his junior season at Texas. Obviously, Taylor went undrafted in last year’s draft, but has done a great job this season becoming an up-and-down player (D-League to NBA). I think the saying “it just takes one team” applies to the NBA, although a lot has changed now that players can enter early and remove their name from the draft; feedback tends to be more consistent now. That makes gathering as much accurate info as possible very important.
Respected people and outlets that cover the draft like ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, Rivals.com’s Eric Bossi, DraftExpress.com, and NBADraft.net are either projecting or reporting, based on NBA intel, that Jones is a second-round pick/candidate to go undrafted if he stays in.
NBADraft.net’s (who received a private workout from Jones for a video report) 5/10 projection: 2017 NBA Draft Combine Invitee ... Received unrealistic (1st round) internet hype during FR season leading to his decision to put name in NBA draft. To his credit, put out a statement that he wanted to enter the draft process in order to "learn what he needed to work on for future seasons at Texas". While he can opt to pull out of draft and return to school, the idea that "there's nothing to lose" and a poor performance in combine and workouts is easily forgotten by scouts is not so cut and dry ...
DraftExpress.com: Not listed in today’s updated 2017 mock draft; No. 20 in 2018 mock draft; ranked No. 45 among top 100 2017 prospects.
Jeff Goodman’s reporting from earlier this week: “He struggled, but so did the entire Longhorns team last season. The 6-foot-4 freshman was forced to play out of position at times, but next season coach Shaka Smart will have a true point guard in Matt Coleman. That will allow Jones to be able to play off the ball, and he should also have someone to help get him easier looks. Jones averaged 11.4 PPG, but he needs to become a more consistent shooter from deep. Jones will probably return to Austin.”
Range: 45 to undrafted
NBA says: Back to school
Eric Bossi’s Jones section in a NBA Draft story this week:
“What his return could mean: The Longhorns are going to be young next year, but they will also have a lot of talent as they look to climb out of the Big 12’s basement. If Jones comes back, he will give them a reliable scorer and a versatile guard capable of playing all three perimeter spots on the college level. A strong season could also propel him into the first round of next year’s Draft.”
Current Draft projection: Second round/Undrafted.
Second, I think deep down, based on my time around him as a recruit and college player, Jones wants to wear the one-and-done badge. And what player in his position doesn’t at least have that thought cross his mind? He’s very competitive, extremely confident, and has a ton of pride. I think being in Chicago in the moment and seeing reports of himself projected as a second-round pick or going undrafted adds to that. It also adds to the growing skepticism in my gut – save the waistline jokes, I’m down 20 pounds in the last two months - about Jones’s return to Texas.
But Jones isn’t making this decision on his own. Frankly, that’s too much to ask of any college freshman. Jones’s father David, an astute hoops mind that’s helped raise two standout college players, is guiding his son through the NBA Draft process, and everything I’ve heard indicates he’s not in a hurry to push his son into the NBA. Along those lines, a rumor circulated that Jones’s decision would be influenced by his family’s financial situation. Someone that would know reached out to me to shoot that down vehemently, and was perturbed it was actually a thing.
“He’s not trying to go into the NBA and be an up-and-down (D-League/NBA) player,” the source said. “That’s not the goal, and money isn’t either.”
Third, my sourcing on Jones’s decision-making process remains consistent, and that includes multiple people on different sides of the equation (Texas and outside Texas) very dialed into the process. I questioned them today, raising my own feelings that Jones staying in the draft seems more likely than they’re telling me. To be honest, I flat said I have a feeling I’m going to get burned in this and look like a dumbass. But, they didn’t budge. And I have no reason not to trust well-placed sources.
A source that stated a while ago the only way Jones stays in is if he’s a lottery pick didn’t back off that, even when I mentioned I was told by someone that talked to Jones today he mentioned a first-round designation and not lottery. The source reiterated when Jones does head to the NBA it’ll be when the feedback and the situation allows him the best chance at being a top pick that’s going to play minutes in the league and not ride the bench or play in the D-League.
Another said Jones has yet to receive first-round feedback, and remains of the opinion Jones not being back in Austin next season would be a surprise.
“I don’t think he will,” said this person when I asked about Jones making a surprise decision to bolt, referencing that it’s very unlikely the feedback required will be there.
Along those lines, each person I communicated with mentioned a lack of first-round status.
If you made me handicap this right now…
What my sources think: 90/10 in favor of a return
What I think: 70/30 he returns
You might be asking yourself, "why is there so much writing on this?" Because Jones’s return would be an enormous lift for the program, distancing it from last year’s debacle and potentially making Jones one of the most important players to ever play for Smart at Texas. As a sophomore at Texas, Jones would have a chance to emerge as one of the stars of the Big 12, and perhaps nationally. Teamed with Matt Coleman, Jones is a perfect complement that could thrive and be a part of one of the best backcourts around, potentially.
Jones is going to be a first-round NBA pick, but I don’t think that will be in this year’s draft. If he does pull what I and sources believe would be the surprising move (some more than others), it would be a gigantic blow to the Texas program. (McComas)
