Big Visit Weekend
It is going to be a big weekend on the 40 Acres with a lot of talent expected to be on campus. When I say talent, I mean big time talents. Just to break it down for you here are a few stats of the guys coming in this weekend ? there’s one five-star, three members of the Rivals100, six members of the Rivals250, and 11 state championship rings ? and that is just between the seven commitments.
Then there is Brandon Alexander. The big defensive end has blown up recruiting radars. He is taking his third official visit and it could be his final visit. TCU and Texas A&M have already received visits and Arkansas could receive a visit next weekend so we’ll see just how things go.
Now let’s get a little more in-depth with each of these guys. We’ll start off with Alexander and then move through the commitments expected to be in Austin this weekend.
Brandon Alexander, DE, Brenham
6-6, 230, 4.7
3-star, No. 23 strongside DE, No. 44 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 3 DE in Texas
Offers: Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana-Lafayette, Oklahoma St., TCU, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, basically everyone
Visits: Texas A&M (Dec. 10), TCU (Jan. 14), Texas (Jan. 21), possibly Arkansas (Jan. 28)
The story: Alexander moved in from Louisiana this year and was an unknown before this fall. He blew everyone away with his play on the field this fall. He’s long and athletic and he plays with a great intensity. Texas A&M got in on him early and offered after seeing him in action the first time. Offers rolled in here and there but after the season things really took off with offers rolling in from coast-to-coast.
The official: Alexander is pretty quiet and keeps a lot of the recruiting stuff close to his vest. The Texas coaches have been to Brenham to talk to him and his family, but this will be his first time to really get a good look at the Texas campus and get to know the coaches. It looks like this one is down to Texas A&M, TCU, Texas, and Arkansas and the thought is the Texas schools have the upper hand right now. This could also be his final visit, and with so many commitments also joining him on campus and the air of excitement surrounding the program I think Texas has a great chance of making a strong impression.
Malcolm Brown, RB, Cibolo Steele ? Texas commitment
6-0, 220, 4.5
5-star, No. 10 Rivals100, No. 1 RB, No. 1 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 1 RB in Texas
Offers: You name it, he had it
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The story: Brown received an offer on the first Texas junior day of 2010. He took his time with the recruiting process and carefully evaluated his options before choosing Texas over Alabama in August. There have been rumors here and there but Brown has never wavered since announcing his decision.
The official: The big back could step on the field and see playing time right off the bat. Texas needs him and he has a chance to really make an impact in 2010. This is a chance for Brown and his family to get more familiar with the new guys on the coaching staff. He is solid with his commitment and is not looking around and barring disaster it’s looking like nothing is going to change that.
Taylor Doyle, OL, Lake Travis ? Texas commitment
6-5, 270
3-star, No. 39 OT, No. 73 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 7 OT in Texas
Offers: Texas, Arizona, Auburn, Baylor, Houston, Texas Tech, Tulsa
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The Story: Doyle is the hometown boy who seems to get overlooked, but was one guy Texas made sure had an offer right off the bat. He visited the Friday before the first junior day, picked up an offer and has not looked back since. He claimed another ring and has one for every year of varsity ball he played.
The Official: This is just another chance to get to know the new coaches on the staff. Since coach Searles was just hired I’m sure the two can’t wait to sit down and visit and since he is the only lineman coming in this weekend I’m sure they will have plenty of time to connect.
Steve Edmond, LB, Daingerfield ? Texas commitment
6-3, 225
4-star, No. 31 Rivals100, No. 4 outside LB, No. 4 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 1 LB in Texas
Offers: You name them, he had them
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The story: Going into 2010 Edmond was a key target and received a Texas offer at the first junior day. He did not commit though and attended the Oklahoma junior day before deciding he was ready to commit to Texas. When Will Muschamp and area recruiter Mac McWhorter left the program it hurt and Edmond considered taking visits, but has since solidified his commitment to Texas.
The official: Edmond was looking forward to meeting with new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and he will have a great opportunity while in town for his official visit.
Jaxon Shipley, WR, Brownwood ? Texas commitment
6-0, 170, 4.5
4-star, No. 62 Rivals100, No. 9 WR, No. 11 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 2 WR in Texas
Offers: Texas
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The story: It has been awhile but Jaxon Shipley was the first prospect officially offered by Texas in the 2011 recruiting class and quickly became the first commitment. He has remained solid in his commitment to Texas from Day 1. He was planning to graduate early and enroll at Texas, but has since decided to take the spring to work out with and learn from his brother Jordan Shipley.
The official: Shipley is very familiar with Austin and head coach Mack Brown. He had a great relationship with former UT receiver coach Bobby Kennedy and this weekend will give him a chance to get to know new receiver coach Darrell Wyatt.
Kendall Thompson, LB, Carthage ? Texas commitment
6-3, 230, 4.65
4-star, No. 134 Rivals250, No. 7 inside LB, No. 22 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 3 LB in Texas
Offers: Texas, Arkansas, Houston, Missouri, Tulsa
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The story: Early on the thought was he would either go to LSU or Texas and when he came up for the second Texas junior day he was offered and quickly accepted. He did have some uneasy feelings after the Muschamp’s departure, but he was quickly brought back into the fold and has remained a strong commitment to the Texas class.
The official: Again this is a chance for Thompson to really get to know new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.
Mykkele Thompson, ATH, San Antonio Stevens ? Texas commitment
6-1, 168, 4.5
4-star, No. 216 Rivals250, No. 12 ATH, No. 35 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 2 ATH in Texas
Offers: Texas
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The story: Thompson did not have a lot of offers coming in, but he was receiving some strong interest from Oklahoma and TCU before he decided to attend the Texas junior day. He knew he wanted to be a Longhorn and when given the chance he took it. He was getting looks at both receiver and as a defensive back and it looks like he will be a defensive back at Texas.
The official: With Akina taking the Arizona job, Thompson is really looking forward to meeting Jerry Gray. Akina was his area recruiter as well as who was to be his position coach once at Texas. He did not waver and has been excited to get to know coach Gray.
Josh Turner, CB, Oklahoma City Millwood ? Texas commitment
6-0, 175, 4.45
4-star, No. 161 Rivals250, No. 14 CB, No. 1 Postseason Oklahoma Top 25, No. 1 CB in Oklahoma
Offers: Texas, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Auburn, Kansas, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tulsa, UCLA, Washington, Wisconsin
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The story: Texas does not recruit a lot out of state but former DB coach Duane Akina liked what he saw with Turner and made him one of his most coveted prospects. Texas was always among his leaders and in the end he chose Texas over Nebraska. When Akina left it did shake Turner up a bit, but he is coming in on his official and has re-affirmed his commitment to Texas.
The official: Next to Alexander, Turner is the one this visit is most vital for. The Akina news was a shock to the system and caused him to pause. This is a chance for him to meet with the Texas coaches and really get to feel out new defensive back coach Jerry Gray. (Howell)
Upcoming Junior Days
The Texas Junior Day is coming up and everyone is looking forward to see just how everything goes with a new staff. Here’s what we have at the moment.
Confirmed (Feb. 13)
Curtis Riser, OL, DeSoto
Peter Jinkens, LB, Dallas Skyline
Thomas Johnson, WR, Dallas Skyline
Kennedy Estelle, OL, Pearland Dawson
Trey Williams, RB, Spring DeKaney
Malcom Brown, DT, Brenham
Paul Boyette, Jr., DT, Humble
Timothy Cole, LB, Brenham (Jan. 21 ? more on this later)
Connor Brewer, QB, Scottsdale (AZ) Chapparal (Jan. 28 more on this later)
Confirmed Junior Day invites
Edward Pope, S, Carthage
Greg Brantley, OL, Carthage
Also Expected
Johnathan Gray, RB, Aledo
Mario Edwards, DE, Denton Ryan
Javonte Magee, DE, San Antonio Sam Houston
Cayleb Jones, WR, Austin High
Alex De La Torre, LB, Denton Ryan
Others who could receive an invitation to a Junior Day
Camrhon Hughes, OL, Harker Heights
Trey Keenan, OL, Argyle
John Michael McGee, OL, Texarkana Texas High
Trevor Knight, QB, San Antonio Reagan
Will Hines, S, Waco
Michael Starts, OL, Waco La Vega
Damien Neroes, LB/DE, Garland
Eric Davis, DE, Tyler John Tyler
LaDarrell McNeil, S, Dallas A. Maceo Smith
Bryson Echols, CB, DeSoto
Alexander Lyons, LB, DeSoto
Troy Green, ATH, Brenham
Corey Thompson, ATH, Fort Bend Elkins
Boone Feldt, OL, Pilot Point
Devonte Fields, DE, Arlington Martin
No Westerman, where to now?
As expected Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton offensive tackle Christian Westerman decided to de-commit from Texas and take his talents to Auburn. It was a bit of a shock he did not take his visit to Texas before making his decision, but it was his decision and I guess he knew what he wanted to do.
Now where does Texas go from here? Texas could offer the ship to someone else, or decide to hold onto the scholarship for 2012. The thing I do not think they will do is take someone just to take them. A few names have been thrown out there, but that is about it at this point.
Texas Tech offensive tackle commitment Le’Raven Clark and Texas A&M offensive tackle commitment Shayvion Hatten are two names that have been floated out there. As of this morning there has not been any conversation between Texas and either prospect, but there is a reason both of these guys are on the radar.
Before Texas filled their numbers at offensive line, Clark was in-line for a junior day invitation and almost made it to campus. He was a major sleeper at the time, and just beginning to pick up steam. Once he did pick it up scholarships began to flow into Rockdale at a rapid pace. It did not pan out and there has not been much conversation between Texas and Clark, but the bridge may not have been burned.
Clark has taken official visits to Missouri and TCU and there have been rumors he has been flirting with Baylor. He is visiting Texas Tech this weekend and says he is committed to the Red Raiders.
However, it is safe to say he is open to the possibility of checking out other schools based on the fact he has taken other visits.
Hatten is another prospect who was on the Texas radar early on. He took unofficial visits to Texas before making his decision and is good friends and teammates with Texas commitment Steve Edmond. He changed his commitment from TCU to Texas A&M during the process and appears to be solid in his commitment to the Aggies at this time. He would like a chance to play defensive line, but many project him to be an OT when it’s all said and done. The ties to the program make him an intriguing potential target if Texas decides to move in that direction.
There have been names thrown out there all year long by fans wondering why Texas did not pull the trigger. Of course, Brandon Williams is out of play now that he is in Norman and Trey Metoyer is not an option either. I would not be surprised if they made another run at Klein Collins defensive back Charles Jackson. He is currently committed to Nebraska, and Texas has glanced in his direction in the past but never committed. He grew up a Longhorn fan and if Texas went after him they may still have a chance. (Howell)
Latest out of Brenham
Alright, now on to Brenham, Texas the home of Blue Bell Ice Cream and big-time prospects. First, we’ll start with Alexander.
The big defensive end will be in Austin this weekend. He will have a chance to view the campus. He will have a chance to really get down to the nitty gritty of the University of Texas.
He has been pretty tight-lipped, but the word is the first two visits went well and impressed him. He has not tipped his hand one way or the other but the thought is in-state is where he will be. He is really looking forward to the visit to Texas this weekend.
There is some thought he could visit Arkansas next weekend. We’ll see how everything shakes out, but it looks like the picture is becoming clearer.
Alexander will not be the only visitor from Brenham this weekend either. 2012 linebacker Timothy Cole is planning to visit Austin this weekend with his parents to get a look around.
I’ve been told not to expect him to make his decision before getting a chance to attend several junior days, but it certainly says something about the interest he has in Texas by coming up like this.
Also, Brenham defensive tackle Malcom Brown will not be attending the Texas A&M junior day this weekend as he will be taking his SAT/ACT this weekend. (Howell)
A few crumpets to end things
I spoke with an NFL scout on Thursday about several of the recent Texas additions to the coaching staff, as the scout I spoke with works the Southeast portion of the country as part of his scouting assignments, which gave him some fascinating background knowledge on a couple of new Texas staff members.
On Stacy Searels: “That was an excellent addition for them. He has a way of doing things that has worked for him and I think he’ll be good for Texas. He’s a very good teacher of football and his players really seem to connect with what he preaches. In a lot of ways I think he’s a lot like Mac McWhorter ? he’s a good, solid football coach. They’ve had some bad luck with injuries and he’s had to play some players that probably weren’t ready for the level of competition they were forced to play against, but his guys are always competitive and if you give him the players, he’ll spit out a good offensive line, no question. He was one of those guys early on at LSU that really got the ball rolling with their player development. When you think of the national championship teams at LSU, those were his offensive lines, both of them. He helped turn that thing around down there and I know that he’s a guy that Nick Saban has a lot of respect for. Really, he’s a guy that everyone respects. I’m not sure he was in a good situation at Georgia and that happens to guys sometimes. Same situation with McWhorter.”
On Bo Davis: “I’ve only met him once, but I like him. He’s a Nick Saban guy to the bone and has been just about everywhere with him. Those Texas players will notice that there’s a different way of doing things immediately because he’s a demanding coach, who comes from a way of doing things that works. He’s an engaging guy away from football, but he comes from a place where the time on the field is to be treated in a very serious manner. You have to understand that at Alabama, the players aren’t the same guys that Texas gets, you know what I mean? Some of those kids that they get don’t know their ass from their elbow when they show up and are starting from scratch. First things first, you better be a tough son of a gun. Those Alabama kids aren’t going to win spelling bees, but you wouldn’t want to mess with their ass in a scrap. And those kids know football because they teach it well. I guess Mack likes Saban guys because he’s collected a couple and I think that will be good for him. The last Saban guy he had wasn’t so bad, either.”
One of the things I’ve learned over the last few weeks is that a number of the new Texas assistant coaches really did give up sweet gigs at other locations for the chance to work with in Austin. Everyone knows that guys like Bryan Harsin and Manny Diaz had good things going for them prior to arriving on the 40 Acres, but there doesn’t appear to be an assistant coach that has arrived that was in an unhappy spot prior to his arrival. Some of them had to make some big sacrifices. Take a look at new wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt. For the chance to come to join the Longhorn program and get closer to his family in his native state, he left a really good gig in Lawrence. In talking to our KU sources this week, Wyatt was seen as an invaluable member of Turner Gill’s vision for the program and the Jayhawks staff is an extremely close unit. In fact, according to our sources Wyatt left his coordinator position at Southern Miss because his best friend in the coaching business (Chuck Long) was joining Gill’s staff and the chance to join forces together as co-OC’s was a once-in-a-lifetime situation. It says a lot about the value of a staff position in the Longhorn program that so many were able to leave very comfortable situations for the opportunity to help Mack Brown turn this thing around. As one KU source said this week, “Hell, its Texas. Who wouldn’t want to go home and coach there? How was he going to say no?
(Note for the record, when my KU source made the last remark, I did think of my “It’s Austin” line. Damn, damn, damn!)
It is going to be a big weekend on the 40 Acres with a lot of talent expected to be on campus. When I say talent, I mean big time talents. Just to break it down for you here are a few stats of the guys coming in this weekend ? there’s one five-star, three members of the Rivals100, six members of the Rivals250, and 11 state championship rings ? and that is just between the seven commitments.
Then there is Brandon Alexander. The big defensive end has blown up recruiting radars. He is taking his third official visit and it could be his final visit. TCU and Texas A&M have already received visits and Arkansas could receive a visit next weekend so we’ll see just how things go.
Now let’s get a little more in-depth with each of these guys. We’ll start off with Alexander and then move through the commitments expected to be in Austin this weekend.
Brandon Alexander, DE, Brenham
6-6, 230, 4.7
3-star, No. 23 strongside DE, No. 44 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 3 DE in Texas
Offers: Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana-Lafayette, Oklahoma St., TCU, Texas A&M, Texas, Texas Tech, basically everyone
Visits: Texas A&M (Dec. 10), TCU (Jan. 14), Texas (Jan. 21), possibly Arkansas (Jan. 28)
The story: Alexander moved in from Louisiana this year and was an unknown before this fall. He blew everyone away with his play on the field this fall. He’s long and athletic and he plays with a great intensity. Texas A&M got in on him early and offered after seeing him in action the first time. Offers rolled in here and there but after the season things really took off with offers rolling in from coast-to-coast.
The official: Alexander is pretty quiet and keeps a lot of the recruiting stuff close to his vest. The Texas coaches have been to Brenham to talk to him and his family, but this will be his first time to really get a good look at the Texas campus and get to know the coaches. It looks like this one is down to Texas A&M, TCU, Texas, and Arkansas and the thought is the Texas schools have the upper hand right now. This could also be his final visit, and with so many commitments also joining him on campus and the air of excitement surrounding the program I think Texas has a great chance of making a strong impression.
Malcolm Brown, RB, Cibolo Steele ? Texas commitment
6-0, 220, 4.5
5-star, No. 10 Rivals100, No. 1 RB, No. 1 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 1 RB in Texas
Offers: You name it, he had it
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The story: Brown received an offer on the first Texas junior day of 2010. He took his time with the recruiting process and carefully evaluated his options before choosing Texas over Alabama in August. There have been rumors here and there but Brown has never wavered since announcing his decision.
The official: The big back could step on the field and see playing time right off the bat. Texas needs him and he has a chance to really make an impact in 2010. This is a chance for Brown and his family to get more familiar with the new guys on the coaching staff. He is solid with his commitment and is not looking around and barring disaster it’s looking like nothing is going to change that.
Taylor Doyle, OL, Lake Travis ? Texas commitment
6-5, 270
3-star, No. 39 OT, No. 73 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 7 OT in Texas
Offers: Texas, Arizona, Auburn, Baylor, Houston, Texas Tech, Tulsa
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The Story: Doyle is the hometown boy who seems to get overlooked, but was one guy Texas made sure had an offer right off the bat. He visited the Friday before the first junior day, picked up an offer and has not looked back since. He claimed another ring and has one for every year of varsity ball he played.
The Official: This is just another chance to get to know the new coaches on the staff. Since coach Searles was just hired I’m sure the two can’t wait to sit down and visit and since he is the only lineman coming in this weekend I’m sure they will have plenty of time to connect.
Steve Edmond, LB, Daingerfield ? Texas commitment
6-3, 225
4-star, No. 31 Rivals100, No. 4 outside LB, No. 4 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 1 LB in Texas
Offers: You name them, he had them
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The story: Going into 2010 Edmond was a key target and received a Texas offer at the first junior day. He did not commit though and attended the Oklahoma junior day before deciding he was ready to commit to Texas. When Will Muschamp and area recruiter Mac McWhorter left the program it hurt and Edmond considered taking visits, but has since solidified his commitment to Texas.
The official: Edmond was looking forward to meeting with new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and he will have a great opportunity while in town for his official visit.
Jaxon Shipley, WR, Brownwood ? Texas commitment
6-0, 170, 4.5
4-star, No. 62 Rivals100, No. 9 WR, No. 11 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 2 WR in Texas
Offers: Texas
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The story: It has been awhile but Jaxon Shipley was the first prospect officially offered by Texas in the 2011 recruiting class and quickly became the first commitment. He has remained solid in his commitment to Texas from Day 1. He was planning to graduate early and enroll at Texas, but has since decided to take the spring to work out with and learn from his brother Jordan Shipley.
The official: Shipley is very familiar with Austin and head coach Mack Brown. He had a great relationship with former UT receiver coach Bobby Kennedy and this weekend will give him a chance to get to know new receiver coach Darrell Wyatt.
Kendall Thompson, LB, Carthage ? Texas commitment
6-3, 230, 4.65
4-star, No. 134 Rivals250, No. 7 inside LB, No. 22 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 3 LB in Texas
Offers: Texas, Arkansas, Houston, Missouri, Tulsa
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The story: Early on the thought was he would either go to LSU or Texas and when he came up for the second Texas junior day he was offered and quickly accepted. He did have some uneasy feelings after the Muschamp’s departure, but he was quickly brought back into the fold and has remained a strong commitment to the Texas class.
The official: Again this is a chance for Thompson to really get to know new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.
Mykkele Thompson, ATH, San Antonio Stevens ? Texas commitment
6-1, 168, 4.5
4-star, No. 216 Rivals250, No. 12 ATH, No. 35 Postseason Texas Top 100, No. 2 ATH in Texas
Offers: Texas
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The story: Thompson did not have a lot of offers coming in, but he was receiving some strong interest from Oklahoma and TCU before he decided to attend the Texas junior day. He knew he wanted to be a Longhorn and when given the chance he took it. He was getting looks at both receiver and as a defensive back and it looks like he will be a defensive back at Texas.
The official: With Akina taking the Arizona job, Thompson is really looking forward to meeting Jerry Gray. Akina was his area recruiter as well as who was to be his position coach once at Texas. He did not waver and has been excited to get to know coach Gray.
Josh Turner, CB, Oklahoma City Millwood ? Texas commitment
6-0, 175, 4.45
4-star, No. 161 Rivals250, No. 14 CB, No. 1 Postseason Oklahoma Top 25, No. 1 CB in Oklahoma
Offers: Texas, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Auburn, Kansas, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tulsa, UCLA, Washington, Wisconsin
Visits: Texas (Jan. 21)
The story: Texas does not recruit a lot out of state but former DB coach Duane Akina liked what he saw with Turner and made him one of his most coveted prospects. Texas was always among his leaders and in the end he chose Texas over Nebraska. When Akina left it did shake Turner up a bit, but he is coming in on his official and has re-affirmed his commitment to Texas.
The official: Next to Alexander, Turner is the one this visit is most vital for. The Akina news was a shock to the system and caused him to pause. This is a chance for him to meet with the Texas coaches and really get to feel out new defensive back coach Jerry Gray. (Howell)
Upcoming Junior Days
The Texas Junior Day is coming up and everyone is looking forward to see just how everything goes with a new staff. Here’s what we have at the moment.
Confirmed (Feb. 13)
Curtis Riser, OL, DeSoto
Peter Jinkens, LB, Dallas Skyline
Thomas Johnson, WR, Dallas Skyline
Kennedy Estelle, OL, Pearland Dawson
Trey Williams, RB, Spring DeKaney
Malcom Brown, DT, Brenham
Paul Boyette, Jr., DT, Humble
Timothy Cole, LB, Brenham (Jan. 21 ? more on this later)
Connor Brewer, QB, Scottsdale (AZ) Chapparal (Jan. 28 more on this later)
Confirmed Junior Day invites
Edward Pope, S, Carthage
Greg Brantley, OL, Carthage
Also Expected
Johnathan Gray, RB, Aledo
Mario Edwards, DE, Denton Ryan
Javonte Magee, DE, San Antonio Sam Houston
Cayleb Jones, WR, Austin High
Alex De La Torre, LB, Denton Ryan
Others who could receive an invitation to a Junior Day
Camrhon Hughes, OL, Harker Heights
Trey Keenan, OL, Argyle
John Michael McGee, OL, Texarkana Texas High
Trevor Knight, QB, San Antonio Reagan
Will Hines, S, Waco
Michael Starts, OL, Waco La Vega
Damien Neroes, LB/DE, Garland
Eric Davis, DE, Tyler John Tyler
LaDarrell McNeil, S, Dallas A. Maceo Smith
Bryson Echols, CB, DeSoto
Alexander Lyons, LB, DeSoto
Troy Green, ATH, Brenham
Corey Thompson, ATH, Fort Bend Elkins
Boone Feldt, OL, Pilot Point
Devonte Fields, DE, Arlington Martin
No Westerman, where to now?
As expected Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton offensive tackle Christian Westerman decided to de-commit from Texas and take his talents to Auburn. It was a bit of a shock he did not take his visit to Texas before making his decision, but it was his decision and I guess he knew what he wanted to do.
Now where does Texas go from here? Texas could offer the ship to someone else, or decide to hold onto the scholarship for 2012. The thing I do not think they will do is take someone just to take them. A few names have been thrown out there, but that is about it at this point.
Texas Tech offensive tackle commitment Le’Raven Clark and Texas A&M offensive tackle commitment Shayvion Hatten are two names that have been floated out there. As of this morning there has not been any conversation between Texas and either prospect, but there is a reason both of these guys are on the radar.
Before Texas filled their numbers at offensive line, Clark was in-line for a junior day invitation and almost made it to campus. He was a major sleeper at the time, and just beginning to pick up steam. Once he did pick it up scholarships began to flow into Rockdale at a rapid pace. It did not pan out and there has not been much conversation between Texas and Clark, but the bridge may not have been burned.
Clark has taken official visits to Missouri and TCU and there have been rumors he has been flirting with Baylor. He is visiting Texas Tech this weekend and says he is committed to the Red Raiders.
However, it is safe to say he is open to the possibility of checking out other schools based on the fact he has taken other visits.
Hatten is another prospect who was on the Texas radar early on. He took unofficial visits to Texas before making his decision and is good friends and teammates with Texas commitment Steve Edmond. He changed his commitment from TCU to Texas A&M during the process and appears to be solid in his commitment to the Aggies at this time. He would like a chance to play defensive line, but many project him to be an OT when it’s all said and done. The ties to the program make him an intriguing potential target if Texas decides to move in that direction.
There have been names thrown out there all year long by fans wondering why Texas did not pull the trigger. Of course, Brandon Williams is out of play now that he is in Norman and Trey Metoyer is not an option either. I would not be surprised if they made another run at Klein Collins defensive back Charles Jackson. He is currently committed to Nebraska, and Texas has glanced in his direction in the past but never committed. He grew up a Longhorn fan and if Texas went after him they may still have a chance. (Howell)
Latest out of Brenham
Alright, now on to Brenham, Texas the home of Blue Bell Ice Cream and big-time prospects. First, we’ll start with Alexander.
The big defensive end will be in Austin this weekend. He will have a chance to view the campus. He will have a chance to really get down to the nitty gritty of the University of Texas.
He has been pretty tight-lipped, but the word is the first two visits went well and impressed him. He has not tipped his hand one way or the other but the thought is in-state is where he will be. He is really looking forward to the visit to Texas this weekend.
There is some thought he could visit Arkansas next weekend. We’ll see how everything shakes out, but it looks like the picture is becoming clearer.
Alexander will not be the only visitor from Brenham this weekend either. 2012 linebacker Timothy Cole is planning to visit Austin this weekend with his parents to get a look around.
I’ve been told not to expect him to make his decision before getting a chance to attend several junior days, but it certainly says something about the interest he has in Texas by coming up like this.
Also, Brenham defensive tackle Malcom Brown will not be attending the Texas A&M junior day this weekend as he will be taking his SAT/ACT this weekend. (Howell)
A few crumpets to end things
I spoke with an NFL scout on Thursday about several of the recent Texas additions to the coaching staff, as the scout I spoke with works the Southeast portion of the country as part of his scouting assignments, which gave him some fascinating background knowledge on a couple of new Texas staff members.
On Stacy Searels: “That was an excellent addition for them. He has a way of doing things that has worked for him and I think he’ll be good for Texas. He’s a very good teacher of football and his players really seem to connect with what he preaches. In a lot of ways I think he’s a lot like Mac McWhorter ? he’s a good, solid football coach. They’ve had some bad luck with injuries and he’s had to play some players that probably weren’t ready for the level of competition they were forced to play against, but his guys are always competitive and if you give him the players, he’ll spit out a good offensive line, no question. He was one of those guys early on at LSU that really got the ball rolling with their player development. When you think of the national championship teams at LSU, those were his offensive lines, both of them. He helped turn that thing around down there and I know that he’s a guy that Nick Saban has a lot of respect for. Really, he’s a guy that everyone respects. I’m not sure he was in a good situation at Georgia and that happens to guys sometimes. Same situation with McWhorter.”
On Bo Davis: “I’ve only met him once, but I like him. He’s a Nick Saban guy to the bone and has been just about everywhere with him. Those Texas players will notice that there’s a different way of doing things immediately because he’s a demanding coach, who comes from a way of doing things that works. He’s an engaging guy away from football, but he comes from a place where the time on the field is to be treated in a very serious manner. You have to understand that at Alabama, the players aren’t the same guys that Texas gets, you know what I mean? Some of those kids that they get don’t know their ass from their elbow when they show up and are starting from scratch. First things first, you better be a tough son of a gun. Those Alabama kids aren’t going to win spelling bees, but you wouldn’t want to mess with their ass in a scrap. And those kids know football because they teach it well. I guess Mack likes Saban guys because he’s collected a couple and I think that will be good for him. The last Saban guy he had wasn’t so bad, either.”
One of the things I’ve learned over the last few weeks is that a number of the new Texas assistant coaches really did give up sweet gigs at other locations for the chance to work with in Austin. Everyone knows that guys like Bryan Harsin and Manny Diaz had good things going for them prior to arriving on the 40 Acres, but there doesn’t appear to be an assistant coach that has arrived that was in an unhappy spot prior to his arrival. Some of them had to make some big sacrifices. Take a look at new wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt. For the chance to come to join the Longhorn program and get closer to his family in his native state, he left a really good gig in Lawrence. In talking to our KU sources this week, Wyatt was seen as an invaluable member of Turner Gill’s vision for the program and the Jayhawks staff is an extremely close unit. In fact, according to our sources Wyatt left his coordinator position at Southern Miss because his best friend in the coaching business (Chuck Long) was joining Gill’s staff and the chance to join forces together as co-OC’s was a once-in-a-lifetime situation. It says a lot about the value of a staff position in the Longhorn program that so many were able to leave very comfortable situations for the opportunity to help Mack Brown turn this thing around. As one KU source said this week, “Hell, its Texas. Who wouldn’t want to go home and coach there? How was he going to say no?
(Note for the record, when my KU source made the last remark, I did think of my “It’s Austin” line. Damn, damn, damn!)
