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Before jumping into some recruiting information, let's touch on a couple team notes of interest, mostly surrounding the quarterback position.
As everyone read this week, UT junior signal caller Garrett Gilbert underwent right surgery on Tuesday morning and is out for the year. That in itself is pretty much old news at this point, but a little background on some grapevine talk we heard on Sunday night might paint a bit of a picture for Gilbert's future plans.
A source close to the situation relayed information on Sunday night that he had heard from a coach at Lake Travis that Gilbert had (or was going to have) shoulder surgery and that Gilbert had decided to transfer. Regrettably, we took the information with a grain of salt since the surgery talk seemed a bit far-fetched. But it did seem odd that it was extremely specific. We did check on it and were told Gilbert participated in practices the week leading up to the UCLA game, so we mistakenly chalked the news up to bad information, with the idea that we would follow up again on Tuesday afternoon just to be safe. Turns out, we missed our window by a few hours.
On Tuesday morning, it's announced that Gilbert had surgery that day. Well, that validates the first part of the information that was passed along to us on Sunday. Common sense would indicate that we now better take the "decision to transfer" talk very seriously.
Obviously, Gilbert has not commented on any potential transfer plans. Neither has anyone close to him or anyone at UT, so this is right now a game of speculation. That being said, the timing of the surgery, which would allow Gilbert to apply for a medical redshirt after having played in only six quarters of football in 2011, would seem to indicate that a transfer is a definite possibility (if a medical year was granted, Gilbert could use a redshirt year to sit out 2012 at another program before having two years of eligibility remaining). Throw in the fact that Texas shown the entry-level signs of interest in 2012 in-state QB prospect Del Barnes (more on that in a bit) and the talk from the assistant coach that was spot on with the surgery information and there's an awful lot of smoke surrounding a Gilbert transfer. (Suchomel)
******
So, with the news of Garrett Gilbert's season-ending surgery, the obvious question is how the QB depth chart will look moving forward. We've got the answer, as of this week.
Case McCoy and David Ash are obviously the top two guys on the depth chart. The third-team QB? None other than Miles Onyegbule.
The true-freshman WR did play QB as a senior for Arlington High and played it well. (See for yourself in his senior scouting videos.)
This week, Onyegbule has still worked out at wide receiver, but he's also getting some reps as the third-team QB.
We're told that other rumored possibilities (John Paul Floyd, John Harris, Jaxon Shipley, Mykkele Thompson) have not worked at the position this week. As of right now, Onyegbule is your guy. (Suchomel)
******
Switching gears to recruiting, in the past couple War Rooms, we've had big news on UT visit plans of 5-star prospects John Theus. In case you missed it earlier in the week, it looks like another 5-star prospect will make his way to Austin at some point this fall.
Mario Edwards, Sr., the father of Denton Ryan DE Mario Edwards, told us this week that the family is "definitely" planning to take in a Longhorn home game at some point this year.
Edwards, who is committed to Florida State, will also be at the Texas-OU game as a guest of the Longhorns.
Any time you can get a player of Edwards' caliber on campus, that's worth a mention, but the thought among just about everybody who has covered Edwards' recruitment is that it's highly unlikely he'll peel away from Florida State. If he does, Texas would probably draw consideration but multiple visits to OU also point to the Sooners as being a team to watch, should Edwards have second thoughts (Edwards visited OU in July and will be there again this weekend for the Sooners' game against Mizzou).
******
Sorry for the delay in getting this out, but an update on Brownwood CB Kevin Vaccaro, who has been in contact with the UT coaches of late.
Vaccaro, of course, is in line for one of the Horns' final scholarship offers in the defensive backfield. He's been to both UT home games and Vaccaro said this week that a grayshirt at UT is a possibility.
"He (Akina) offered me a grayshirt. I still have a chance of getting a full ride. It depends on the other offers they have out," Vaccaro said. .
Vaccaro has received some mail from the UT coaches, including Manny Diaz, and Akina called him before the team's season-opener. He's playing safety for Brownwood this year, allowing him to cover more ground and get more involved in both the run and pass defense.
TCU and SMU have begun to show a lot of interest and Vaccaro is planning to get his senior film in the hands of college coaches in the next few weeks, which should help draw interest from other programs. One of the stars of UT's summer camps, the obvious question ... would Vaccaro take a grayshirt at Texas over an offer from another school?
"I would consider it. But I really do want a regular scholarship. Hopefully that will come around but we'll see," Vaccaro said. "I really don't know. TCU, I wouldn't mind going there. But I would have to check everything out. I've stayed up there with Casey Pachal before and liked it. But I haven't been to a game or anything, haven't seen the stadium. They've offered tickets but I haven't been able to go.
"But I don't know about going to a different university. I've been going up to Texas for the past three or four years. I know all the coaches, I know everything about all the facilities since Kenny's been there. It would be kind of hard to go somewhere else because Texas is kind of like home." (Suchomel)
******
Made a couple calls to check on East Mississippi Community College defensive end Denico Autry, one of the nation's top JUCO talents (No. 3 overall on the Rivals.com JUCO Top 50).
EMCC associate head coach/defensive coordinator William Jones talked to UT assistant Bo Davis last week, and he said Davis continues to show an interest in Autry. We'll see where this one goes, but Jones said Autry does have a genuine interest in Texas.
"Miami, Florida, UCC ... they've all called of late. I think Texas is right in the mix if they want to be.," Jones said. "Denico told me again that he'd like to visit Texas."
Of note, EMCC does have two other standout defensive linemen in Damien Jacobs (Florida State commit out of high school who is taking an official visit to Texas A&M this week) and Brandon Moore (former player at Alabama before transferring to EMCC).
"Bo and I talked last week. They were trying to get through the UCLA game. I talked to Denico and he told me he'd like to visit Texas," coach Jones said. "All three of our guys really like Texas but I don't if Texas will have room for any or all of them.
"Bo was talking to me about getting through the UCLA game. I think they'd like to get (Denico) in for an official visit for a home game."
Autry, if he takes care of his class work, is hoping to graduate in December and enroll at a four-year program in January. If Texas does have a sincere interest and wants to get in the mix for Autry (offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and USC), it sounds like the Horns have ally in coach Jones.
"I'm happy to help Bo. He's always helped me. He's a heck of a coach and a great person," coach Jones said. "I know Stacy (Searel), I know Manny (Diaz), coach (Ken) Rucker is an old friend of mine. If I can help them get a player of ours, I'm glad to do it. (Suchomel)
******
We've been mentioning for a couple weeks that Texas could be looking to take another QB in the 2012 class. With Gilbert's possible departure, the idea of a second QB (along with Connor Brewer) seems more plausible.
Earlier this week, Texas did request film on Henderson signal caller Del Barnes, a player who has now landed on a handful of in-state schools.
SMU and Texas Tech have both shown an interest in Barnes and Texas called this week asking for senior film.
"The Texas coaches have been in touch with my coach, but I haven't talked to them personally," Barnes said. "SFA and SMU have shown a little interest. Texas Tech came and scouted a game a couple weeks ago."
Barnes said he's grown up a Texas fan, but he's taking any and all schools into consideration at this point. He does not have an offer at this time, but he's looking for a school that will allow him to excel both academically and athletically.
The 6-0, 170-pounder said regardless of who offers, he'll talk to his coaches and his family and thoroughly weigh his options before making a decision.
Barnes' coaches gave him positive review in a recent interview with Rivals.com ...
"Whoever gets this guy isn't going to believe the kind of young man they are getting," said Henderson assistant Jeremy Burleson.
Added Henderson QB coach Ricky Joe Meeks ...
"He is going to thicken up. He definitely has the mindset and tools to play big-time college ball ... If he could get to 190-200 pounds and keep his feet, he is legit." (Suchomel)
******
Round Rock, Texas defensive tackle and three-star UTEP commitment [URL=http://rivals.yahoo.com/texas/football/recruiting/player-Glen-Antoine-124206]Glen Antoine, Jr. made a name for himself on the summer circuit, catching the eye of the Texas staff at a June mini-camp.
Texas let him know they wanted to get a look at the first few games of the season and would be staying in touch. Antoine said Texas did come to Round Rock’s game against Austin Bowie, but has not heard much from the Longhorns.
Antoine is putting together his video and beginning to send it out to colleges who have requested but he says he is focused on the season and feels good about his commitment to UTEP.
“Right now I’m in UTEP mindset,” Antoine said. “They try to call me every week. We keep in contact a lot. I’m going down there when they play Southern Miss and I might make another one.”
In addition to Texas and UTEP he named New Mexico and Indiana as schools showing interest. (Howell)
******
When Lago Vista, Texas defensive tackle Donald Hopkins committed to Missouri in mid-July, he chose the Tigers over offers from Arizona, Baylor, Arizona St., Alabama, Utah, and several others. Texas was also beginning to enter the picture.
Since then the 6-2, 270-pound defensive standout has focused his energy on the football season and has remained firm in his commitment to Missouri. However, there are still some programs continuing to show interest.
“Yeah, there’s a couple of schools in touch,” Hopkins said. “Utah is still in touch. Texas is still in touch. They’re talking to my coach about coming out here and stuff. Kansas is still keeping in touch.”
The Longhorns have yet to extend an offer and have not talked to Hopkins, but they do continue to check in on the Lago Vista talent.
“My coach has been talking to them and he just said they were talking about being out here possibly for the our first district game,” he said.
He has not really paid much attention to the interest. He maintains he is committed but did indicate a Texas offer could change things for him.
“It possibly can because it’s so close to home and with Mizzou possibly playing in the SEC,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins, who is currently ranked No. 44 in the Lone Star Recruiting’s 2012 Top 100, does not have any official or unofficial visits scheduled, and right now only plans to officially visit Missouri.
For now he is focused on Lago Vista’s season and is looking forward to getting more playing time with better competition coming up. He has played both defensive tackle and as a blocking back on offense in 2011. (Howell)
******
There has been a lot of talk about Texas checking in on a few 2012 quarterback targets. Recently the Longhorns’ quarterback depth has taken a hit with Connor Wood transferring to Colorado and Garrett Gilbert out for the year after shoulder surgery, so the question has popped up.
Texas has Matt Davis.
Knight is currently committed to Oklahoma and Davis to Texas A&M, but we thought we would check in to see if Texas has made any contact.
Davis said he has not heard anything from Texas. As for Knight, Reagan head coach David Wetzel said he has not heard anything from Texas in regards to Knight and that Knight was solid to OU as far as he knew. (Howell)
******
San Antonio Madison standout defensive lineman Vincent Taylor says he has been hearing from Texas and he plans to attend a Texas game this fall. He has named the Longhorns in his early top three along with with LSU and Texas A&M, and are a team he has a high interest in.
“I’ve heard a lot from them,” Taylor said. “They’re one of the top schools I’m looking forward to going to and having a lot of interest in. I’ve been getting a lot of mail and email from them. That is one school that is on my list right now.”
He hoped to attend the Texas/BYU game but was unable to since Madison played New Braunfels that same Saturday, but he plans to make it back to Austin soon.
This weekend he said he hopes to visit Texas A&M and he would like to also visit LSU at some point. TCU has also made a big push and he lists the Horned Frogs in his early top four.
He says he is now 6-3, 266 and is back working mainly at defensive tackle for the Mavericks. (Howell)
******
Random hoops recruiting tidbits
Connor Lammert will take an official to Texas Tech this weekend, and that should conclude his visit process. When I ask around about Lammert, who is a 6-10 power forward from San Antonio Churchill, I hear Vanderbilt mentioned a lot. The 'Dores might be the slight favorite right now, but Lammert isn't really tipping his hand much.
Kansas is going to have a ton of visitors on campust this weekend, and two of the visitors will be UT targets. 2012 small forward Andrew White will be taking an official visit, and 2013 five-star Julius Randle is scheduled to be in Kansas as well. Randle's recruitment feels like a KU/UT battle right now. As for White, the nation's No. 52 player in the Rivals150 has only scheduled officials to Texas and Louisville, in addition to Kansas. With the losses of Danuel House and Marcus Smart, White feels like a priority to the Horns.
Keep an eye on Greek small forward Ioannis Papapetrou. He'll be at Kansas this weekend as well, and it sounds like he will take an official to Texas at some point. The 6-6 forward is a member of the 2012 class and attends the Melbourne Air Academy in Florida.
Per DeMatha High School coach Mike Jones, Texas stopped by today to check in on 2013 big man BeeJay Anya as well as a few other players. (McComas)
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7 things to end with…
1. Had a chance to talk to some people around the program this week about a few player topics. As it relates to the quarterbacks, I spoke with a few sources with connections to the defensive side of the ball and I asked about that group’s mindset with the new developments on offense. As far as I can tell, there doesn’t seem to be any anxiety about the quarterback situation and a few people even conceded that there’s a better vibe about the position today than there was a few weeks ago. “Winning is winning,” one source said. “We’ve bought into the idea that it takes an entire village and the defensive guys will play their guts out for those two guys because they believe in them. This is a team that’s together and that hasn’t changed. This isn’t a diss at Garrett (Gilbert) because they played their guts out for him, too. It’s all for one type stuff. It’s very healthy”
2. I asked around about the practices this week and the play of Case McCoy and David Ash. I wish I had something earth-shattering to report, but the good news is that there isn’t really news. “Case looks like Case,” another source said. “He has total confidence in himself and that’s a big if you’re going to play here. (laughing) I don’t think anyone believes in Case more than Case believes in Case. He has to get that from his dad and brother because it seems so natural for him.”
3. As for Ash…. “I think everyone wants to see him play more,” the same source said. “The (defensive players) pay attention when he runs out on the field. He’s like our little Tebow. He’s getting better every week. I think everyone in the locker room can see that.”
4. I also asked about the vibe with sophomore wide receiver Darius White after the events of last week ended with his playing time decreasing. “Man, I think he’s ok,” a source with knowledge of his situation commented on Tuesday. “He’s frustrated for sure, but he has such high expectations for himself. He just needs to listen to the coaches and trust that the grind will be worth it. He has as much talent as anyone we have. It’ll happen for him before long. He just needs more time. He’s basically a true freshman all over again with the change in system and coaches.”
5. Talked to an in-state college coach from outside the Big 12 this week about a few of the Texas commitments that he’s in person this season. Let’s start with Johnathan Gray. “I’ve been recruiting in this state since 2003 and I think he’s the best I’ve seen and that includes Adrian Peterson. Don’t get me wrong, Peterson is on another level as a physical specimen, but he was all bull in a china closet and in a lot of ways he always will be. This kid Gray understands the game and his instincts as a runner are uncanny. He rarely makes a bad decision and when he gets a step on you, forget it. I love watching him play.”
6. On Camrhon Hughes: “He needs a lot of work. I hate watching linemen early in the season because young guys will often waste your time with how slow they can start and I think he kind of fell into that deal when I saw him. He’s very athletic and he’s dripping with raw ability, but he’s going to need the weight room and some time. He’s a resume kid for Stacy Searels. If he can get the most out of him, he’ll be on coach’s resume forever. ”
7. On Cayleb Jones: “If he suited up tomorrow for the Longhorns, he’d play in the first series of the game right now. Not next year, right now.” (Ketch)
This post was edited on 9/23 10:14 AM by Suchomel[/URL]
Before jumping into some recruiting information, let's touch on a couple team notes of interest, mostly surrounding the quarterback position.
As everyone read this week, UT junior signal caller Garrett Gilbert underwent right surgery on Tuesday morning and is out for the year. That in itself is pretty much old news at this point, but a little background on some grapevine talk we heard on Sunday night might paint a bit of a picture for Gilbert's future plans.
A source close to the situation relayed information on Sunday night that he had heard from a coach at Lake Travis that Gilbert had (or was going to have) shoulder surgery and that Gilbert had decided to transfer. Regrettably, we took the information with a grain of salt since the surgery talk seemed a bit far-fetched. But it did seem odd that it was extremely specific. We did check on it and were told Gilbert participated in practices the week leading up to the UCLA game, so we mistakenly chalked the news up to bad information, with the idea that we would follow up again on Tuesday afternoon just to be safe. Turns out, we missed our window by a few hours.
On Tuesday morning, it's announced that Gilbert had surgery that day. Well, that validates the first part of the information that was passed along to us on Sunday. Common sense would indicate that we now better take the "decision to transfer" talk very seriously.
Obviously, Gilbert has not commented on any potential transfer plans. Neither has anyone close to him or anyone at UT, so this is right now a game of speculation. That being said, the timing of the surgery, which would allow Gilbert to apply for a medical redshirt after having played in only six quarters of football in 2011, would seem to indicate that a transfer is a definite possibility (if a medical year was granted, Gilbert could use a redshirt year to sit out 2012 at another program before having two years of eligibility remaining). Throw in the fact that Texas shown the entry-level signs of interest in 2012 in-state QB prospect Del Barnes (more on that in a bit) and the talk from the assistant coach that was spot on with the surgery information and there's an awful lot of smoke surrounding a Gilbert transfer. (Suchomel)
******
So, with the news of Garrett Gilbert's season-ending surgery, the obvious question is how the QB depth chart will look moving forward. We've got the answer, as of this week.
Case McCoy and David Ash are obviously the top two guys on the depth chart. The third-team QB? None other than Miles Onyegbule.
The true-freshman WR did play QB as a senior for Arlington High and played it well. (See for yourself in his senior scouting videos.)
This week, Onyegbule has still worked out at wide receiver, but he's also getting some reps as the third-team QB.
We're told that other rumored possibilities (John Paul Floyd, John Harris, Jaxon Shipley, Mykkele Thompson) have not worked at the position this week. As of right now, Onyegbule is your guy. (Suchomel)
******
Switching gears to recruiting, in the past couple War Rooms, we've had big news on UT visit plans of 5-star prospects John Theus. In case you missed it earlier in the week, it looks like another 5-star prospect will make his way to Austin at some point this fall.
Mario Edwards, Sr., the father of Denton Ryan DE Mario Edwards, told us this week that the family is "definitely" planning to take in a Longhorn home game at some point this year.
Edwards, who is committed to Florida State, will also be at the Texas-OU game as a guest of the Longhorns.
Any time you can get a player of Edwards' caliber on campus, that's worth a mention, but the thought among just about everybody who has covered Edwards' recruitment is that it's highly unlikely he'll peel away from Florida State. If he does, Texas would probably draw consideration but multiple visits to OU also point to the Sooners as being a team to watch, should Edwards have second thoughts (Edwards visited OU in July and will be there again this weekend for the Sooners' game against Mizzou).
******
Sorry for the delay in getting this out, but an update on Brownwood CB Kevin Vaccaro, who has been in contact with the UT coaches of late.
Vaccaro, of course, is in line for one of the Horns' final scholarship offers in the defensive backfield. He's been to both UT home games and Vaccaro said this week that a grayshirt at UT is a possibility.
"He (Akina) offered me a grayshirt. I still have a chance of getting a full ride. It depends on the other offers they have out," Vaccaro said. .
Vaccaro has received some mail from the UT coaches, including Manny Diaz, and Akina called him before the team's season-opener. He's playing safety for Brownwood this year, allowing him to cover more ground and get more involved in both the run and pass defense.
TCU and SMU have begun to show a lot of interest and Vaccaro is planning to get his senior film in the hands of college coaches in the next few weeks, which should help draw interest from other programs. One of the stars of UT's summer camps, the obvious question ... would Vaccaro take a grayshirt at Texas over an offer from another school?
"I would consider it. But I really do want a regular scholarship. Hopefully that will come around but we'll see," Vaccaro said. "I really don't know. TCU, I wouldn't mind going there. But I would have to check everything out. I've stayed up there with Casey Pachal before and liked it. But I haven't been to a game or anything, haven't seen the stadium. They've offered tickets but I haven't been able to go.
"But I don't know about going to a different university. I've been going up to Texas for the past three or four years. I know all the coaches, I know everything about all the facilities since Kenny's been there. It would be kind of hard to go somewhere else because Texas is kind of like home." (Suchomel)
******
Made a couple calls to check on East Mississippi Community College defensive end Denico Autry, one of the nation's top JUCO talents (No. 3 overall on the Rivals.com JUCO Top 50).
EMCC associate head coach/defensive coordinator William Jones talked to UT assistant Bo Davis last week, and he said Davis continues to show an interest in Autry. We'll see where this one goes, but Jones said Autry does have a genuine interest in Texas.
"Miami, Florida, UCC ... they've all called of late. I think Texas is right in the mix if they want to be.," Jones said. "Denico told me again that he'd like to visit Texas."
Of note, EMCC does have two other standout defensive linemen in Damien Jacobs (Florida State commit out of high school who is taking an official visit to Texas A&M this week) and Brandon Moore (former player at Alabama before transferring to EMCC).
"Bo and I talked last week. They were trying to get through the UCLA game. I talked to Denico and he told me he'd like to visit Texas," coach Jones said. "All three of our guys really like Texas but I don't if Texas will have room for any or all of them.
"Bo was talking to me about getting through the UCLA game. I think they'd like to get (Denico) in for an official visit for a home game."
Autry, if he takes care of his class work, is hoping to graduate in December and enroll at a four-year program in January. If Texas does have a sincere interest and wants to get in the mix for Autry (offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and USC), it sounds like the Horns have ally in coach Jones.
"I'm happy to help Bo. He's always helped me. He's a heck of a coach and a great person," coach Jones said. "I know Stacy (Searel), I know Manny (Diaz), coach (Ken) Rucker is an old friend of mine. If I can help them get a player of ours, I'm glad to do it. (Suchomel)
******
We've been mentioning for a couple weeks that Texas could be looking to take another QB in the 2012 class. With Gilbert's possible departure, the idea of a second QB (along with Connor Brewer) seems more plausible.
Earlier this week, Texas did request film on Henderson signal caller Del Barnes, a player who has now landed on a handful of in-state schools.
SMU and Texas Tech have both shown an interest in Barnes and Texas called this week asking for senior film.
"The Texas coaches have been in touch with my coach, but I haven't talked to them personally," Barnes said. "SFA and SMU have shown a little interest. Texas Tech came and scouted a game a couple weeks ago."
Barnes said he's grown up a Texas fan, but he's taking any and all schools into consideration at this point. He does not have an offer at this time, but he's looking for a school that will allow him to excel both academically and athletically.
The 6-0, 170-pounder said regardless of who offers, he'll talk to his coaches and his family and thoroughly weigh his options before making a decision.
Barnes' coaches gave him positive review in a recent interview with Rivals.com ...
"Whoever gets this guy isn't going to believe the kind of young man they are getting," said Henderson assistant Jeremy Burleson.
Added Henderson QB coach Ricky Joe Meeks ...
"He is going to thicken up. He definitely has the mindset and tools to play big-time college ball ... If he could get to 190-200 pounds and keep his feet, he is legit." (Suchomel)
******
Round Rock, Texas defensive tackle and three-star UTEP commitment [URL=http://rivals.yahoo.com/texas/football/recruiting/player-Glen-Antoine-124206]Glen Antoine, Jr. made a name for himself on the summer circuit, catching the eye of the Texas staff at a June mini-camp.
Texas let him know they wanted to get a look at the first few games of the season and would be staying in touch. Antoine said Texas did come to Round Rock’s game against Austin Bowie, but has not heard much from the Longhorns.
Antoine is putting together his video and beginning to send it out to colleges who have requested but he says he is focused on the season and feels good about his commitment to UTEP.
“Right now I’m in UTEP mindset,” Antoine said. “They try to call me every week. We keep in contact a lot. I’m going down there when they play Southern Miss and I might make another one.”
In addition to Texas and UTEP he named New Mexico and Indiana as schools showing interest. (Howell)
******
When Lago Vista, Texas defensive tackle Donald Hopkins committed to Missouri in mid-July, he chose the Tigers over offers from Arizona, Baylor, Arizona St., Alabama, Utah, and several others. Texas was also beginning to enter the picture.
Since then the 6-2, 270-pound defensive standout has focused his energy on the football season and has remained firm in his commitment to Missouri. However, there are still some programs continuing to show interest.
“Yeah, there’s a couple of schools in touch,” Hopkins said. “Utah is still in touch. Texas is still in touch. They’re talking to my coach about coming out here and stuff. Kansas is still keeping in touch.”
The Longhorns have yet to extend an offer and have not talked to Hopkins, but they do continue to check in on the Lago Vista talent.
“My coach has been talking to them and he just said they were talking about being out here possibly for the our first district game,” he said.
He has not really paid much attention to the interest. He maintains he is committed but did indicate a Texas offer could change things for him.
“It possibly can because it’s so close to home and with Mizzou possibly playing in the SEC,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins, who is currently ranked No. 44 in the Lone Star Recruiting’s 2012 Top 100, does not have any official or unofficial visits scheduled, and right now only plans to officially visit Missouri.
For now he is focused on Lago Vista’s season and is looking forward to getting more playing time with better competition coming up. He has played both defensive tackle and as a blocking back on offense in 2011. (Howell)
******
There has been a lot of talk about Texas checking in on a few 2012 quarterback targets. Recently the Longhorns’ quarterback depth has taken a hit with Connor Wood transferring to Colorado and Garrett Gilbert out for the year after shoulder surgery, so the question has popped up.
Texas has Matt Davis.
Knight is currently committed to Oklahoma and Davis to Texas A&M, but we thought we would check in to see if Texas has made any contact.
Davis said he has not heard anything from Texas. As for Knight, Reagan head coach David Wetzel said he has not heard anything from Texas in regards to Knight and that Knight was solid to OU as far as he knew. (Howell)
******
San Antonio Madison standout defensive lineman Vincent Taylor says he has been hearing from Texas and he plans to attend a Texas game this fall. He has named the Longhorns in his early top three along with with LSU and Texas A&M, and are a team he has a high interest in.
“I’ve heard a lot from them,” Taylor said. “They’re one of the top schools I’m looking forward to going to and having a lot of interest in. I’ve been getting a lot of mail and email from them. That is one school that is on my list right now.”
He hoped to attend the Texas/BYU game but was unable to since Madison played New Braunfels that same Saturday, but he plans to make it back to Austin soon.
This weekend he said he hopes to visit Texas A&M and he would like to also visit LSU at some point. TCU has also made a big push and he lists the Horned Frogs in his early top four.
He says he is now 6-3, 266 and is back working mainly at defensive tackle for the Mavericks. (Howell)
******
Random hoops recruiting tidbits
Connor Lammert will take an official to Texas Tech this weekend, and that should conclude his visit process. When I ask around about Lammert, who is a 6-10 power forward from San Antonio Churchill, I hear Vanderbilt mentioned a lot. The 'Dores might be the slight favorite right now, but Lammert isn't really tipping his hand much.
Kansas is going to have a ton of visitors on campust this weekend, and two of the visitors will be UT targets. 2012 small forward Andrew White will be taking an official visit, and 2013 five-star Julius Randle is scheduled to be in Kansas as well. Randle's recruitment feels like a KU/UT battle right now. As for White, the nation's No. 52 player in the Rivals150 has only scheduled officials to Texas and Louisville, in addition to Kansas. With the losses of Danuel House and Marcus Smart, White feels like a priority to the Horns.
Keep an eye on Greek small forward Ioannis Papapetrou. He'll be at Kansas this weekend as well, and it sounds like he will take an official to Texas at some point. The 6-6 forward is a member of the 2012 class and attends the Melbourne Air Academy in Florida.
Per DeMatha High School coach Mike Jones, Texas stopped by today to check in on 2013 big man BeeJay Anya as well as a few other players. (McComas)
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7 things to end with…
1. Had a chance to talk to some people around the program this week about a few player topics. As it relates to the quarterbacks, I spoke with a few sources with connections to the defensive side of the ball and I asked about that group’s mindset with the new developments on offense. As far as I can tell, there doesn’t seem to be any anxiety about the quarterback situation and a few people even conceded that there’s a better vibe about the position today than there was a few weeks ago. “Winning is winning,” one source said. “We’ve bought into the idea that it takes an entire village and the defensive guys will play their guts out for those two guys because they believe in them. This is a team that’s together and that hasn’t changed. This isn’t a diss at Garrett (Gilbert) because they played their guts out for him, too. It’s all for one type stuff. It’s very healthy”
2. I asked around about the practices this week and the play of Case McCoy and David Ash. I wish I had something earth-shattering to report, but the good news is that there isn’t really news. “Case looks like Case,” another source said. “He has total confidence in himself and that’s a big if you’re going to play here. (laughing) I don’t think anyone believes in Case more than Case believes in Case. He has to get that from his dad and brother because it seems so natural for him.”
3. As for Ash…. “I think everyone wants to see him play more,” the same source said. “The (defensive players) pay attention when he runs out on the field. He’s like our little Tebow. He’s getting better every week. I think everyone in the locker room can see that.”
4. I also asked about the vibe with sophomore wide receiver Darius White after the events of last week ended with his playing time decreasing. “Man, I think he’s ok,” a source with knowledge of his situation commented on Tuesday. “He’s frustrated for sure, but he has such high expectations for himself. He just needs to listen to the coaches and trust that the grind will be worth it. He has as much talent as anyone we have. It’ll happen for him before long. He just needs more time. He’s basically a true freshman all over again with the change in system and coaches.”
5. Talked to an in-state college coach from outside the Big 12 this week about a few of the Texas commitments that he’s in person this season. Let’s start with Johnathan Gray. “I’ve been recruiting in this state since 2003 and I think he’s the best I’ve seen and that includes Adrian Peterson. Don’t get me wrong, Peterson is on another level as a physical specimen, but he was all bull in a china closet and in a lot of ways he always will be. This kid Gray understands the game and his instincts as a runner are uncanny. He rarely makes a bad decision and when he gets a step on you, forget it. I love watching him play.”
6. On Camrhon Hughes: “He needs a lot of work. I hate watching linemen early in the season because young guys will often waste your time with how slow they can start and I think he kind of fell into that deal when I saw him. He’s very athletic and he’s dripping with raw ability, but he’s going to need the weight room and some time. He’s a resume kid for Stacy Searels. If he can get the most out of him, he’ll be on coach’s resume forever. ”
7. On Cayleb Jones: “If he suited up tomorrow for the Longhorns, he’d play in the first series of the game right now. Not next year, right now.” (Ketch)
This post was edited on 9/23 10:14 AM by Suchomel[/URL]
