r- We asked one source about Desmond Harrison this week, and if he was even at practice, and all the source texted back was "same story." It's becoming increasingly clear that Harrison may not even suit up this season.
- We asked the same source about the offensive line, and if there was any shuffling after what seemed like a tough game all around versus Kansas State. The source said Thursday morning that the offensive line at practice this week was the same as it has been for the last two weeks: LT Marcus Hutchins, LG Sedrick Flowers, C Taylor Doyle, RG Kent Perkins and RT Camrhon Hughes. We asked if Darius James was working with the first group at all and the source said he would be subbed in with the first group at left tackle for Marcus Hutchins during some positional drills, but worked with the second group during team drills. It should be noted that Coach Wickline has been known to make personnel changes that even admittedly surprise Charlie Strong, so who starts versus Texas Tech is anyone's guess, but as for who was getting the reps in practice - no change from previous weeks as of Thursday morning.
- Multiple sources confirmed to the OB staff this week that Daje Johnson was back on the practice field and working with the team for the first time since sustaining his hamstring injury. His level of participation, of course, remains unknown as these are second-hand accounts, but it seems like no coincidence that multiple sources reached out to OB this week to say that "Daje was back."
- We asked one source about Naashon Hughes and Caleb Bluiett after noticing that Bluiett played a bunch of snaps versus Kansas State when Hughes seemed to get in the doghouse for giving up outside contain on a Jake Waters zone-read play. The source said that Hughes is "still first team." He did mention however, that Caleb Bluiett had a big practice one day this week where he took back a pick-six on Tyrone Swoopes when the team was working first-team offense vs. second-team defense in a scrimmage. The source said, "(S&C Coach Pat) Moorer ran all the way (down the field) and chest-bumped him."
- We texted one team source to ask if any players were returning from injury, or starting to get out of the pit. One source told us "29 (presumably DB Sheroid Evans) is back in pads." We asked if that meant he was good to go, and the source said, "not yet, but (you should) see his upper-body." Apparently Evans has put on some good bulk while in rehab under Moorer. (Orangebloods Staff)
******
This is definitely not the way Texas linebacker Jordan Hicks envisioned his career would unfold.
Hicks signed with the Longhorns after witnessing his future squad finish 13-1 and lose to Alabama in the national championship game. His signing class included Case McCoy, Jackson Jeffcoat, DeMarco Cobbs and John Harris. They were supposed to continue the winning tradition at Texas.
Instead, Hicks has endured more losses than he ever imagined.
The Longhorns were 5-7 in 2010, 8-5 in 2011, 9-4 in 2012, 8-5 in 2013 and are currently 3-5. Prior to 2010, Texas had not lost at least five games in a season since finishing 9-5 in 1999.
Hicks started his career on a 5-7 team and missed a bowl game. This year's squad could finish with the same record - or worse - and not appear in a bowl game. It is a scenario Hicks is not ready to embrace.
"In our eyes, it's definitely not the norm," Hicks said. "It's not the standard at all. At this point, we're completely focused on (Texas) Tech and trying to get this win and get that kick start to get us going so we can start rolling again and pick up momentum where we can finish these last games off. There's a lot of game left to be played. If we go out there and win out, it's a different vibe around here."
Quandre Diggs believes missing a bowl is not only bad for seniors, but their program.
"It wouldn't kill us. It would kill the program," Diggs said. "It's definitely not anything you should expect at the University of Texas for you not to make a bowl game. That's the bare minimum. There's no way you should settle for that." (Richardson)
******
If it appears quarterback Tyrone Swoopes has the same demeanor after a loss as he does after a win, you are correct.
I asked Swoopes about that this week, and the quarterback said it is actually by design.
"I just try not to get too caught up is the reasons why," Swoopes said. "I've got to stay up, stay the same, and not really change due to the circumstances … Just because coach Strong and coach Watson always tells me the team goes as I go. I feel like if I were to do one or the other, it wouldn't have positive effects on the team. I feel like I have to keep working and keep grinding, and if they see me doing that, everybody else will come along." (Richardson)
******
Texas defensive end Cedric Reed contemplated turning pro after last season.
He has spent most of this season thinking about how his draft stock is probably dropping after compiling only 1.5 sacks in 2014. In addition, Reed thinks about the potential money he is losing each week.
"I beat myself up over it every night," Reed said. "My numbers are not the same as last year. They definitely are not the numbers I expected. I beat myself up over it a lot, but at the end of the day, people on the outside looking in don't understand I'm to the field most of the plays, or we're running an odd defense, or I'm predominantly b-gap It's a lot of stuff. From the outside looking in, it's a little different.
"I'm a team player. I'm going to always be a team player. I do exactly what the coaches ask of me." (Richardson)
******
Some quick-hitter notes to start off the recruiting portion of the War Room ...
Juco OL Brandon Hodges, out of East Mississippi Community College, was originally planning to visit Texas next week for the West Virginia game. Hodges has pushed the visit back a bit and told us he will now visit Texas for their Thanksgiving game against TCU. The plan, according to Hodges, is to fly in Thanksgiving morning for his official visit. The 6-5, 290-pounder will visit South Florida this weekend.
Fellow JUCO OL Martinas Rankin tells us he still plans to visit Texas, but as of this week, he has not set up a date.
******
Houston Lamar CB Holton Hill has been one of UT's top 2015 targets pretty much since the coaching staff got to Austin.
We hadn't talked to Hill, out of Houston Lamar, in a while, but were able to connect with him this week. The 6-2, 175-pound Hill talks to UT DB coach Chris Vaughn and DC Vance Bedford frequently, saying they speak about once per week.
"We talk pretty often and they hit me up on Twitter," Hill said. "We just talk about how they don't really have a lot of depth and they need players."
Hill has one official set up at this time - Florida State on November 28. He's trying to sort through the other four, but said they will likely be to out-of-state programs.
"That's the process I'm going through now, with me narrowing down the schools. I actually want to take five officials out of the state of Texas, since I've already seen all the ones around here," Hill said. "I have Florida State on November 29. I have four more. I'll probably go to Georgia. Just speaking off the top of my head, maybe one with Georgia, maybe UCLA or USC - one in California. With the other two, there are like three schools lingering - LSU, Alabama and Oregon.
The good news for Texas is that Hill is hoping to be in Austin next weekend for the West Virginia game on an unofficial visit.
When it comes time to sort through his options, Hill said it will come down to whichever school provides him the best opportunity, both on the field and academics.
There was some talk this week that Baylor could be poised to make a move with the recent commitment of Hill's teammate, J.W. Ketchum. Hill downplayed the significance that Ketchum's decision will have on him.
"Nah, I've got to pick a school for myself. I can't just focus myself on someone else's decision. I have to make the right decision to me," Hill said, before noting that Ketchum is recruiting him on behalf of Baylor "just a little." (Suchomel)
******
The Longhorns offered Palmetto Bay (FL) Westminster Christian RB Jordan Cronkrite this week, and in talking to Cronkrite, it sounds like he does have a sincere interest in Texas.
"Coach Vaughn had come to the school last Monday or Tuesday," Croncite said detailing how the offer was extended. "They didn't know that I wasn't committed (to Miami) anymore. The running back coach watched my film, from there they watched it as a staff and they told me they liked it a lot. That's when they offered me on the phone (Tuesday) night."
The Texas coaches told Cronkrite they like him as a running back.
"They're looking for a playmaker who can catch the ball out of the backfield, make runs, make plays on the offensive side of the ball. That's what they said they likes the most about me."
Cronkrite will visit West Virginia this weekend. He's in the process of setting up official visits to Notre Dame and Louisville. Texas is one of a handful of schools under consideration for one of his last two visits.
"They want me to possibly come up around Thanksgiving, that weekend. We'll have to see, that's my birthday weekend," Cronkrite said. "If I can't make it that weekend, then I may try to find another weekend to come.
"Texas has been a good program since I first started watching football. It has great history, great tradition, as well as a great academic reputation."
Texas is also recruiting Cronkrite's teammate, Tim Irvin. Irvin will also visit WVU this weekend, but Cronkrite said the two haven't really talked about the possibility of playing together in college since before the 2014 season began.
"We would love to do that, but right now we're focused on our season and getting into the playoffs," Cronkrite said. (Suchomel)
******
Mesquite Poteet WR Malik Jefferson. McNeal talked to Charlie Strong earlier this week, and Strong let him know just how badly he's wanted.
"He told me in the first game, Notre Dame ... I'll be the first one to catch the ball," McNeal said. "It sounds great hearing it, but I just hope he's not saying it to just get me to come to Texas. But even if I don't get the ball in the first game, I'm still going to do what I have to do. It's great for him to have that in mind. They have playmakers, need to get them the ball, get upfield, score touchdowns. It's great. I love to hear it.
"When he told me about catching that ball, that was a jawbreaker. For me, as a freshman, you have to be ready, have to catch it with your hands, not your chest."
As we mentioned earlier in the week, McNeal shuffled his official visit schedule. He'll be at Texas A&M this weekend, Texas next weekend, UCLA on 11/21, Bama on 11/28 and Miami on 12/12.
*****
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M J.C. cornerback Justin Martin is a guy Texas continues to pursue aggressively.
The talented JUCO corner talks to Texas frequently (when I called him, he thought I was Chris Vaughn ... he had lost his phone/contacts and he sounded pretty excited to hear from Vaughn ... not so much when he found out it was me).
Martin has yet to set up any official visits, but he said he knows he'll take tripst o LSU, Georgia and Tennessee. Texas is under consideration for one of the final two, and Martin said there's a pretty good shot he winds up in Austin at some point.
"I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to go. But that's the plan, most likely," Martin said.
"I try to talk to them once a week. Coach Vaughn is straight forward. He tells me basically they're looking for someone who can come in and play. He's not promising I'm going to start. He tells me if I come in and work, I'll have a chance. That's the way I like it. Don't tell me things I want to hear just to stay it.
Martin said he's looking for a place he can go in and play early. I asked if he's studied the depth charts of the teams on his list, and he said he has. His thoughts on Texas ...
"I don't know a lot, but I know they've got a couple senior starters," Martin said.
******
We know that Texas has a ton of big men, and one of the best, most talented frontcourts in college basketball. Most teams in that situation would be more likely to want to slow the game down on offense and play half-court basketball. Not Texas.
Expect Texas to continue to run at every chance as fast as it can. I'm told the Texas coaching staff wants to push tempo as much as it can and that it views its group of bigs as a group that can really get up-and-down the floor. Cameron Ridley is in improved shape again. Myles Turner moves well, as does Prince Ibeh. Connor Lammert and Jonathan Holmes could both play the wing spot. Even when Texas decides to go with its big lineups, expect it to still run a ton.
Also, was told that there is a little bit of buzz developing around freshman Jordan Barnett right now. Rick Barnes singled him out at Texas' media day because he's a combination of size and athleticism Texas hasn't had in a while. Barnett, according to a source, is a little bit ahead of most freshmen when it comes to understanding what it takes to stay on the floor under Barnes. He's a smart player that puts a lot of effort into the defensive end and is an underrated shooter. It's going to take Barnett some time, but keep an eye on him moving forward as a bigger contributor than most expected. (McComas)
******
Had a chance to talk to a former college player located, and from, the Miami-area that played for one of the big three schools in Florida. He communicates with college coaches in the area and works with prospects in the area. I asked him what he thought about Texas and Charlie Strong offering a ton of South Florida prospects and if Texas had a chance with those players:
"I think coach Strong is doing the right thing by recruiting kids from the South Florida area," he said. "The kids that he and his staff are after are amazing talents and are better young men. Now the question is does he have a chance? Yes, he does have a chance. Most of them are not looking to go to Miami right now, for what reasoning, I don't know. But being recruited by Texas is something like Bobby Bowden sitting in your living room when you're coming from South Florida."
Obviously, that's just one opinion of a connected person in the area. But it gives you some perspective on how the Texas interest is viewed. Florida State's class is already tight on numbers. Florida is dealing with the Will Muschamp mess. Miami just isn't a big-time thing for kids in that area right now. Texas could make its mark in that area this year. (McComas)
This post was edited on 10/31 9:15 AM by Suchomel
- We asked the same source about the offensive line, and if there was any shuffling after what seemed like a tough game all around versus Kansas State. The source said Thursday morning that the offensive line at practice this week was the same as it has been for the last two weeks: LT Marcus Hutchins, LG Sedrick Flowers, C Taylor Doyle, RG Kent Perkins and RT Camrhon Hughes. We asked if Darius James was working with the first group at all and the source said he would be subbed in with the first group at left tackle for Marcus Hutchins during some positional drills, but worked with the second group during team drills. It should be noted that Coach Wickline has been known to make personnel changes that even admittedly surprise Charlie Strong, so who starts versus Texas Tech is anyone's guess, but as for who was getting the reps in practice - no change from previous weeks as of Thursday morning.
- Multiple sources confirmed to the OB staff this week that Daje Johnson was back on the practice field and working with the team for the first time since sustaining his hamstring injury. His level of participation, of course, remains unknown as these are second-hand accounts, but it seems like no coincidence that multiple sources reached out to OB this week to say that "Daje was back."
- We asked one source about Naashon Hughes and Caleb Bluiett after noticing that Bluiett played a bunch of snaps versus Kansas State when Hughes seemed to get in the doghouse for giving up outside contain on a Jake Waters zone-read play. The source said that Hughes is "still first team." He did mention however, that Caleb Bluiett had a big practice one day this week where he took back a pick-six on Tyrone Swoopes when the team was working first-team offense vs. second-team defense in a scrimmage. The source said, "(S&C Coach Pat) Moorer ran all the way (down the field) and chest-bumped him."
- We texted one team source to ask if any players were returning from injury, or starting to get out of the pit. One source told us "29 (presumably DB Sheroid Evans) is back in pads." We asked if that meant he was good to go, and the source said, "not yet, but (you should) see his upper-body." Apparently Evans has put on some good bulk while in rehab under Moorer. (Orangebloods Staff)
******
This is definitely not the way Texas linebacker Jordan Hicks envisioned his career would unfold.
Hicks signed with the Longhorns after witnessing his future squad finish 13-1 and lose to Alabama in the national championship game. His signing class included Case McCoy, Jackson Jeffcoat, DeMarco Cobbs and John Harris. They were supposed to continue the winning tradition at Texas.
Instead, Hicks has endured more losses than he ever imagined.
The Longhorns were 5-7 in 2010, 8-5 in 2011, 9-4 in 2012, 8-5 in 2013 and are currently 3-5. Prior to 2010, Texas had not lost at least five games in a season since finishing 9-5 in 1999.
Hicks started his career on a 5-7 team and missed a bowl game. This year's squad could finish with the same record - or worse - and not appear in a bowl game. It is a scenario Hicks is not ready to embrace.
"In our eyes, it's definitely not the norm," Hicks said. "It's not the standard at all. At this point, we're completely focused on (Texas) Tech and trying to get this win and get that kick start to get us going so we can start rolling again and pick up momentum where we can finish these last games off. There's a lot of game left to be played. If we go out there and win out, it's a different vibe around here."
Quandre Diggs believes missing a bowl is not only bad for seniors, but their program.
"It wouldn't kill us. It would kill the program," Diggs said. "It's definitely not anything you should expect at the University of Texas for you not to make a bowl game. That's the bare minimum. There's no way you should settle for that." (Richardson)
******
If it appears quarterback Tyrone Swoopes has the same demeanor after a loss as he does after a win, you are correct.
I asked Swoopes about that this week, and the quarterback said it is actually by design.
"I just try not to get too caught up is the reasons why," Swoopes said. "I've got to stay up, stay the same, and not really change due to the circumstances … Just because coach Strong and coach Watson always tells me the team goes as I go. I feel like if I were to do one or the other, it wouldn't have positive effects on the team. I feel like I have to keep working and keep grinding, and if they see me doing that, everybody else will come along." (Richardson)
******
Texas defensive end Cedric Reed contemplated turning pro after last season.
He has spent most of this season thinking about how his draft stock is probably dropping after compiling only 1.5 sacks in 2014. In addition, Reed thinks about the potential money he is losing each week.
"I beat myself up over it every night," Reed said. "My numbers are not the same as last year. They definitely are not the numbers I expected. I beat myself up over it a lot, but at the end of the day, people on the outside looking in don't understand I'm to the field most of the plays, or we're running an odd defense, or I'm predominantly b-gap It's a lot of stuff. From the outside looking in, it's a little different.
"I'm a team player. I'm going to always be a team player. I do exactly what the coaches ask of me." (Richardson)
******
Some quick-hitter notes to start off the recruiting portion of the War Room ...
Juco OL Brandon Hodges, out of East Mississippi Community College, was originally planning to visit Texas next week for the West Virginia game. Hodges has pushed the visit back a bit and told us he will now visit Texas for their Thanksgiving game against TCU. The plan, according to Hodges, is to fly in Thanksgiving morning for his official visit. The 6-5, 290-pounder will visit South Florida this weekend.
Fellow JUCO OL Martinas Rankin tells us he still plans to visit Texas, but as of this week, he has not set up a date.
******
Houston Lamar CB Holton Hill has been one of UT's top 2015 targets pretty much since the coaching staff got to Austin.
We hadn't talked to Hill, out of Houston Lamar, in a while, but were able to connect with him this week. The 6-2, 175-pound Hill talks to UT DB coach Chris Vaughn and DC Vance Bedford frequently, saying they speak about once per week.
"We talk pretty often and they hit me up on Twitter," Hill said. "We just talk about how they don't really have a lot of depth and they need players."
Hill has one official set up at this time - Florida State on November 28. He's trying to sort through the other four, but said they will likely be to out-of-state programs.
"That's the process I'm going through now, with me narrowing down the schools. I actually want to take five officials out of the state of Texas, since I've already seen all the ones around here," Hill said. "I have Florida State on November 29. I have four more. I'll probably go to Georgia. Just speaking off the top of my head, maybe one with Georgia, maybe UCLA or USC - one in California. With the other two, there are like three schools lingering - LSU, Alabama and Oregon.
The good news for Texas is that Hill is hoping to be in Austin next weekend for the West Virginia game on an unofficial visit.
When it comes time to sort through his options, Hill said it will come down to whichever school provides him the best opportunity, both on the field and academics.
There was some talk this week that Baylor could be poised to make a move with the recent commitment of Hill's teammate, J.W. Ketchum. Hill downplayed the significance that Ketchum's decision will have on him.
"Nah, I've got to pick a school for myself. I can't just focus myself on someone else's decision. I have to make the right decision to me," Hill said, before noting that Ketchum is recruiting him on behalf of Baylor "just a little." (Suchomel)
******
The Longhorns offered Palmetto Bay (FL) Westminster Christian RB Jordan Cronkrite this week, and in talking to Cronkrite, it sounds like he does have a sincere interest in Texas.
"Coach Vaughn had come to the school last Monday or Tuesday," Croncite said detailing how the offer was extended. "They didn't know that I wasn't committed (to Miami) anymore. The running back coach watched my film, from there they watched it as a staff and they told me they liked it a lot. That's when they offered me on the phone (Tuesday) night."
The Texas coaches told Cronkrite they like him as a running back.
"They're looking for a playmaker who can catch the ball out of the backfield, make runs, make plays on the offensive side of the ball. That's what they said they likes the most about me."
Cronkrite will visit West Virginia this weekend. He's in the process of setting up official visits to Notre Dame and Louisville. Texas is one of a handful of schools under consideration for one of his last two visits.
"They want me to possibly come up around Thanksgiving, that weekend. We'll have to see, that's my birthday weekend," Cronkrite said. "If I can't make it that weekend, then I may try to find another weekend to come.
"Texas has been a good program since I first started watching football. It has great history, great tradition, as well as a great academic reputation."
Texas is also recruiting Cronkrite's teammate, Tim Irvin. Irvin will also visit WVU this weekend, but Cronkrite said the two haven't really talked about the possibility of playing together in college since before the 2014 season began.
"We would love to do that, but right now we're focused on our season and getting into the playoffs," Cronkrite said. (Suchomel)
******
Mesquite Poteet WR Malik Jefferson. McNeal talked to Charlie Strong earlier this week, and Strong let him know just how badly he's wanted.
"He told me in the first game, Notre Dame ... I'll be the first one to catch the ball," McNeal said. "It sounds great hearing it, but I just hope he's not saying it to just get me to come to Texas. But even if I don't get the ball in the first game, I'm still going to do what I have to do. It's great for him to have that in mind. They have playmakers, need to get them the ball, get upfield, score touchdowns. It's great. I love to hear it.
"When he told me about catching that ball, that was a jawbreaker. For me, as a freshman, you have to be ready, have to catch it with your hands, not your chest."
As we mentioned earlier in the week, McNeal shuffled his official visit schedule. He'll be at Texas A&M this weekend, Texas next weekend, UCLA on 11/21, Bama on 11/28 and Miami on 12/12.
*****
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M J.C. cornerback Justin Martin is a guy Texas continues to pursue aggressively.
The talented JUCO corner talks to Texas frequently (when I called him, he thought I was Chris Vaughn ... he had lost his phone/contacts and he sounded pretty excited to hear from Vaughn ... not so much when he found out it was me).
Martin has yet to set up any official visits, but he said he knows he'll take tripst o LSU, Georgia and Tennessee. Texas is under consideration for one of the final two, and Martin said there's a pretty good shot he winds up in Austin at some point.
"I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to go. But that's the plan, most likely," Martin said.
"I try to talk to them once a week. Coach Vaughn is straight forward. He tells me basically they're looking for someone who can come in and play. He's not promising I'm going to start. He tells me if I come in and work, I'll have a chance. That's the way I like it. Don't tell me things I want to hear just to stay it.
Martin said he's looking for a place he can go in and play early. I asked if he's studied the depth charts of the teams on his list, and he said he has. His thoughts on Texas ...
"I don't know a lot, but I know they've got a couple senior starters," Martin said.
******
We know that Texas has a ton of big men, and one of the best, most talented frontcourts in college basketball. Most teams in that situation would be more likely to want to slow the game down on offense and play half-court basketball. Not Texas.
Expect Texas to continue to run at every chance as fast as it can. I'm told the Texas coaching staff wants to push tempo as much as it can and that it views its group of bigs as a group that can really get up-and-down the floor. Cameron Ridley is in improved shape again. Myles Turner moves well, as does Prince Ibeh. Connor Lammert and Jonathan Holmes could both play the wing spot. Even when Texas decides to go with its big lineups, expect it to still run a ton.
Also, was told that there is a little bit of buzz developing around freshman Jordan Barnett right now. Rick Barnes singled him out at Texas' media day because he's a combination of size and athleticism Texas hasn't had in a while. Barnett, according to a source, is a little bit ahead of most freshmen when it comes to understanding what it takes to stay on the floor under Barnes. He's a smart player that puts a lot of effort into the defensive end and is an underrated shooter. It's going to take Barnett some time, but keep an eye on him moving forward as a bigger contributor than most expected. (McComas)
******
Had a chance to talk to a former college player located, and from, the Miami-area that played for one of the big three schools in Florida. He communicates with college coaches in the area and works with prospects in the area. I asked him what he thought about Texas and Charlie Strong offering a ton of South Florida prospects and if Texas had a chance with those players:
"I think coach Strong is doing the right thing by recruiting kids from the South Florida area," he said. "The kids that he and his staff are after are amazing talents and are better young men. Now the question is does he have a chance? Yes, he does have a chance. Most of them are not looking to go to Miami right now, for what reasoning, I don't know. But being recruited by Texas is something like Bobby Bowden sitting in your living room when you're coming from South Florida."
Obviously, that's just one opinion of a connected person in the area. But it gives you some perspective on how the Texas interest is viewed. Florida State's class is already tight on numbers. Florida is dealing with the Will Muschamp mess. Miami just isn't a big-time thing for kids in that area right now. Texas could make its mark in that area this year. (McComas)
This post was edited on 10/31 9:15 AM by Suchomel
