Lots of speculation about coaching changes right now, but any speculation about Will Muschamp leaving Texas for a head coaching job is very premature at this point. About the only job that would be in the mix for Muschamp this year would be Georgia, and our sources close to that situation say the odds are overwhelming that Mark Richt stays.
Another report today speculated that Richt could end up at Colorado to get a better, longer-term deal than what he has at Georgia. But a source close to Richt and the Georgia program told OB tonight there's no chance Richt ends up at Colorado. There's a new athletic director at UGA, so there's always the chance the new AD will want to put a stamp on the program by hiring his own football coach. But right now, the indications we're getting are that Richt is back at UGA and Muschamp is back at Texas next season. (BROWN)
******
Talked to some of my sources in the NFL this week and the vibe they are getting is that Aaron Williams is leaning toward entering the NFL Draft after this season, whether there is a lockout or not. Aaron Williams' father, Anthony, told Orangebloods.com that Aaron is totally focused on the rest of the Texas season and then will request the NFL Draft evaluation for juniors and make a decision after that.
If Williams comes out after this season, the NFL will want to see if he can run a legit 4.4 in the 40. If he can, he's a top 15 pick, according to my sources. He's battling LSU's Patrick Peterson and Nebraska's Prince Amukamara to be the top DB taken in the 2011 draft.
We broke the news earlier today that junior LB Keenan Robinson will be back for his senior season in 2011. That's great news for Mack Brown, Will Muschamp and the Texas defense. The scouts have taken close notice of Robinson, and I'm told he's probably a second- or third-round pick if he were to come out, which is not bad.
Sam Acho is seen as a third-round pick, according to my sources. Curtis Brown is seen as a third- or fourth-round pick, according to my sources. Chykie Brown is seen as a fourth- or fifth-round pick. (BROWN)
*****
As first reported by Orangebloods.com, don't be surprised if we hear something from ESPN as early as next week about that network becoming the distributor of the Texas/Longhorn Network. I initially reported the deal will be $12 million annually to Texas for 10 years with $10 million up front. But I expect the numbers to be even greater than that. The deal is close to being done. The UT Network will launch in the fall of 2011. (BROWN)
***************
To follow up on the reporting from Chip earlier in the report, I wanted to pass on some information on the Georgia situation. Although I haven’t talked with any of my UGA sources in the last 72 hours or so, I have had quite a few conversations throughout the season with them about Richt’s job security and whatever buzz surrounding the possibility of Will Muschamp being in play.
Three quick thoughts:
1. Even in the worst of this season in Athens, my sources have never indicated that Richt is under any real pressure right now that would include any real urgency following this season. Yes, he’s feeling some heat, but he also has enough skins on the wall to warrant a little latitude and the UGA athletic department is giving him that this year. Like Mack, he might have to tweak some things in the off-season, but the feeling has always been that he’ll return.
2. There has been a lot of instability in the Georgia athletic department across the board and there’s a strong sentiment that Richt is the only real piece of stability that have in that department and that’s a big deal to a lot of people that matter. UGA needs some more time to stabilize and a change now would be counter-productive for the program in a lot of ways.
3. As hot as Muschamp’s stock is in a lot of circles, my sources do not feel like he would be a front of the line candidate because of his lack of head coaching experience. Again, with everything that has occurred in Athens in the last year-plus, there’s a huge sentiment that they need someone that can be their rock. Security and safe is in play in 2010. (KETCH)
*****************
It was another fairly quiet week on the football recruiting front, which seems to be the norm with the Texas team working hard to finish the season with a couple wins and all but full in the 2011 class.
We did catch up with standout 2012 RB [db]Trey Williams[/db] for an update, and the Spring Dekaney prospect listed a top three of Auburn, Texas A&M and LSU (he’ll be at A&M this weekend).
As for Texas, Williams said he has received some mail but hasn’t had a bunch of one-on-one contact in terms of email or hand-written letters. The Longhorns have danced in and out of his list of favorites and right now are behind the top grouping.
Of note, Williams has mentioned to us in the past that he’d heard some negative talk regarding Texas, putting questions in his mind about how he’d fit into the UT program. Sounds like someone may be going out of their way to do some negative recruiting. This week, he mentioned he’s again seen some negative talk, but this time it actually came in the way of a free online blog.
“I'm hearing people saying on the internet that they won't know how to use me,” Williams said. “They're looking at (Jonathan) Gray, comparing me, saying I wouldn't play there, that I'm too small. I don't know if that's true because I haven’t talked to the coaches. I definitely need to get with them.”
Williams is obviously an impressionable young man, but the good news is Texas should have little problem alleviating his concerns if the Horns decide to make the 5-8, 175-pounder a top target. He’ll need some reassurance that he’ll fit into UT’s scheme, but he’s a young man that grew up watching and rooting for the Longhorns, and there’s plenty of time for Texas to jump back up his list.
“I'm definitely going to reach out to (Texas). I like Texas. But when I see stuff like that, that kind of makes me wonder,” Williams said. “Texas likes big backs, big backs with power. I'm more of a lightning, I like to use my speed a lot. I wouldn't consider myself a power running back. I can run with power, but I like to use my speed.” (Suchomel)
******
Last weekend, we passed along some notes on top 2012 OL Aviante Collins. This week, we were able to catch up with the 6-6, 309-pound Collins for a little more detail.
He hasn’t tested yet this off-season, but before the season started Collins sported a 365-pound bench press and a 430-pound squat. And get this, he throws the shot and runs the 100 (yes, 100) in track. He clocks in the 12.2 range and he’s hoping to get down in the 11s this year.
Collins’ father ran track at TCU. Right now, the big OL lists TCU and Texas as his top two, but he said his ties to the Horned Frog program have TCU out in front. In fact, if TCU were to offer, Collins said there’s a good chance he’d go ahead and end the recruiting process.
We’ll have a full report on Collins over the weekend. (Suchomel)
******
Had a chance to talk to UT commitment Josh Cochran this week to pick his brain on a variety of topics.
One of the first pledges of the 2011 class, Cochran turned in a stellar senior season this fall, and his preparation for each opponent helped pave the way for his success.
“It seems like after playing my sophomore and junior years and starting, this year I knew exactly what to do. When you know what you're doing every play, you can play with confidence, go full-out every play,” Cochran said. “I’ve been studying film every year more and more. I learned how to break down opponents better, break down film. The film work really does help you out.”
Speaking of film work, I got to talking to Cochran about some of the offensive line schemes he’s seen during his numerous trips to the Forty Acres. If the average fan was to ask a UT offensive linemen or a coach to break down the schemes, you’d probably be shocked at how detailed and intricate some of the line calls are, both before and after the snap. Cochran talked about sitting in on some of the OL film sessions.
“When I went there last spring, I watched them practice. That morning, I got up at 6 (a.m.) and watched film with the o-line. It was a lot of fun. You have to learn the terminology because it's totally different, but it was definitely crazy,” Cochran said. “I've been fortunate enough that my line coach my sophomore and junior years was a college coach. He spent extra time going through it with me, taught me reading defenses. I think that will really help me in college. But it was crazy sitting in there with them. The terminology, the amount of information they have to know is crazy. Their pass protection is incredible. It'll definitely take a lot of time, but I'm willing to put in as much time as I need to.” (Suchomel)
***************************
Four things to leave you with…
1. Had a number of conversations this week with former players from the Mack era and they are pissed at the players more than the coaches by a mile. One former player that was among Mack’s first line of recruits mentioned that when he had arrived in Austin the program had a reputation for being soft and he took pride in the fact that his teams helped change that culture. “I wish I could go in a room with them and shut the door,” one former prominent Texas player said. “I’d tell them they we worked too hard to change things here for them to play like that.” Another Texas-Ex told me, “I’ve seen things this season from them that have made me want to come out of the stands.”
2. For anyone who’s worried about Malcolm Brown’s commitment, take solace over this quote from a source with knowledge of his recruitment: “He understands that he can be part of the answer. He didn’t wait all this time to give a commitment, only to change his mind at the first sign of adversity. That’s not who Malcolm is.”
3. All this talk of quarterbacks transferring is premature to say the least. The impression I have from those familiar with both of the scholarship backups is that this season has opened up a door for them and not closed it. Nobody is running from the competition at this point when they are convinced that the starting job for the Longhorns is attainable.
4. I’m convinced that the Longhorns aren’t done in recruiting, but the cards haven’t been exposed as of yet. Mark my words - Mack understands the importance of nice recruiting headlines. (KETCH)
This post was edited on 11/19 12:16 PM by ChipBrown
Another report today speculated that Richt could end up at Colorado to get a better, longer-term deal than what he has at Georgia. But a source close to Richt and the Georgia program told OB tonight there's no chance Richt ends up at Colorado. There's a new athletic director at UGA, so there's always the chance the new AD will want to put a stamp on the program by hiring his own football coach. But right now, the indications we're getting are that Richt is back at UGA and Muschamp is back at Texas next season. (BROWN)
******
Talked to some of my sources in the NFL this week and the vibe they are getting is that Aaron Williams is leaning toward entering the NFL Draft after this season, whether there is a lockout or not. Aaron Williams' father, Anthony, told Orangebloods.com that Aaron is totally focused on the rest of the Texas season and then will request the NFL Draft evaluation for juniors and make a decision after that.
If Williams comes out after this season, the NFL will want to see if he can run a legit 4.4 in the 40. If he can, he's a top 15 pick, according to my sources. He's battling LSU's Patrick Peterson and Nebraska's Prince Amukamara to be the top DB taken in the 2011 draft.
We broke the news earlier today that junior LB Keenan Robinson will be back for his senior season in 2011. That's great news for Mack Brown, Will Muschamp and the Texas defense. The scouts have taken close notice of Robinson, and I'm told he's probably a second- or third-round pick if he were to come out, which is not bad.
Sam Acho is seen as a third-round pick, according to my sources. Curtis Brown is seen as a third- or fourth-round pick, according to my sources. Chykie Brown is seen as a fourth- or fifth-round pick. (BROWN)
*****
As first reported by Orangebloods.com, don't be surprised if we hear something from ESPN as early as next week about that network becoming the distributor of the Texas/Longhorn Network. I initially reported the deal will be $12 million annually to Texas for 10 years with $10 million up front. But I expect the numbers to be even greater than that. The deal is close to being done. The UT Network will launch in the fall of 2011. (BROWN)
***************
To follow up on the reporting from Chip earlier in the report, I wanted to pass on some information on the Georgia situation. Although I haven’t talked with any of my UGA sources in the last 72 hours or so, I have had quite a few conversations throughout the season with them about Richt’s job security and whatever buzz surrounding the possibility of Will Muschamp being in play.
Three quick thoughts:
1. Even in the worst of this season in Athens, my sources have never indicated that Richt is under any real pressure right now that would include any real urgency following this season. Yes, he’s feeling some heat, but he also has enough skins on the wall to warrant a little latitude and the UGA athletic department is giving him that this year. Like Mack, he might have to tweak some things in the off-season, but the feeling has always been that he’ll return.
2. There has been a lot of instability in the Georgia athletic department across the board and there’s a strong sentiment that Richt is the only real piece of stability that have in that department and that’s a big deal to a lot of people that matter. UGA needs some more time to stabilize and a change now would be counter-productive for the program in a lot of ways.
3. As hot as Muschamp’s stock is in a lot of circles, my sources do not feel like he would be a front of the line candidate because of his lack of head coaching experience. Again, with everything that has occurred in Athens in the last year-plus, there’s a huge sentiment that they need someone that can be their rock. Security and safe is in play in 2010. (KETCH)
*****************
It was another fairly quiet week on the football recruiting front, which seems to be the norm with the Texas team working hard to finish the season with a couple wins and all but full in the 2011 class.
We did catch up with standout 2012 RB [db]Trey Williams[/db] for an update, and the Spring Dekaney prospect listed a top three of Auburn, Texas A&M and LSU (he’ll be at A&M this weekend).
As for Texas, Williams said he has received some mail but hasn’t had a bunch of one-on-one contact in terms of email or hand-written letters. The Longhorns have danced in and out of his list of favorites and right now are behind the top grouping.
Of note, Williams has mentioned to us in the past that he’d heard some negative talk regarding Texas, putting questions in his mind about how he’d fit into the UT program. Sounds like someone may be going out of their way to do some negative recruiting. This week, he mentioned he’s again seen some negative talk, but this time it actually came in the way of a free online blog.
“I'm hearing people saying on the internet that they won't know how to use me,” Williams said. “They're looking at (Jonathan) Gray, comparing me, saying I wouldn't play there, that I'm too small. I don't know if that's true because I haven’t talked to the coaches. I definitely need to get with them.”
Williams is obviously an impressionable young man, but the good news is Texas should have little problem alleviating his concerns if the Horns decide to make the 5-8, 175-pounder a top target. He’ll need some reassurance that he’ll fit into UT’s scheme, but he’s a young man that grew up watching and rooting for the Longhorns, and there’s plenty of time for Texas to jump back up his list.
“I'm definitely going to reach out to (Texas). I like Texas. But when I see stuff like that, that kind of makes me wonder,” Williams said. “Texas likes big backs, big backs with power. I'm more of a lightning, I like to use my speed a lot. I wouldn't consider myself a power running back. I can run with power, but I like to use my speed.” (Suchomel)
******
Last weekend, we passed along some notes on top 2012 OL Aviante Collins. This week, we were able to catch up with the 6-6, 309-pound Collins for a little more detail.
He hasn’t tested yet this off-season, but before the season started Collins sported a 365-pound bench press and a 430-pound squat. And get this, he throws the shot and runs the 100 (yes, 100) in track. He clocks in the 12.2 range and he’s hoping to get down in the 11s this year.
Collins’ father ran track at TCU. Right now, the big OL lists TCU and Texas as his top two, but he said his ties to the Horned Frog program have TCU out in front. In fact, if TCU were to offer, Collins said there’s a good chance he’d go ahead and end the recruiting process.
We’ll have a full report on Collins over the weekend. (Suchomel)
******
Had a chance to talk to UT commitment Josh Cochran this week to pick his brain on a variety of topics.
One of the first pledges of the 2011 class, Cochran turned in a stellar senior season this fall, and his preparation for each opponent helped pave the way for his success.
“It seems like after playing my sophomore and junior years and starting, this year I knew exactly what to do. When you know what you're doing every play, you can play with confidence, go full-out every play,” Cochran said. “I’ve been studying film every year more and more. I learned how to break down opponents better, break down film. The film work really does help you out.”
Speaking of film work, I got to talking to Cochran about some of the offensive line schemes he’s seen during his numerous trips to the Forty Acres. If the average fan was to ask a UT offensive linemen or a coach to break down the schemes, you’d probably be shocked at how detailed and intricate some of the line calls are, both before and after the snap. Cochran talked about sitting in on some of the OL film sessions.
“When I went there last spring, I watched them practice. That morning, I got up at 6 (a.m.) and watched film with the o-line. It was a lot of fun. You have to learn the terminology because it's totally different, but it was definitely crazy,” Cochran said. “I've been fortunate enough that my line coach my sophomore and junior years was a college coach. He spent extra time going through it with me, taught me reading defenses. I think that will really help me in college. But it was crazy sitting in there with them. The terminology, the amount of information they have to know is crazy. Their pass protection is incredible. It'll definitely take a lot of time, but I'm willing to put in as much time as I need to.” (Suchomel)
***************************
Four things to leave you with…
1. Had a number of conversations this week with former players from the Mack era and they are pissed at the players more than the coaches by a mile. One former player that was among Mack’s first line of recruits mentioned that when he had arrived in Austin the program had a reputation for being soft and he took pride in the fact that his teams helped change that culture. “I wish I could go in a room with them and shut the door,” one former prominent Texas player said. “I’d tell them they we worked too hard to change things here for them to play like that.” Another Texas-Ex told me, “I’ve seen things this season from them that have made me want to come out of the stands.”
2. For anyone who’s worried about Malcolm Brown’s commitment, take solace over this quote from a source with knowledge of his recruitment: “He understands that he can be part of the answer. He didn’t wait all this time to give a commitment, only to change his mind at the first sign of adversity. That’s not who Malcolm is.”
3. All this talk of quarterbacks transferring is premature to say the least. The impression I have from those familiar with both of the scholarship backups is that this season has opened up a door for them and not closed it. Nobody is running from the competition at this point when they are convinced that the starting job for the Longhorns is attainable.
4. I’m convinced that the Longhorns aren’t done in recruiting, but the cards haven’t been exposed as of yet. Mark my words - Mack understands the importance of nice recruiting headlines. (KETCH)
This post was edited on 11/19 12:16 PM by ChipBrown
