It’s never too early to start talking QB recruiting, and it looks like a couple players have jumped to the front of the list for the Longhorns in 2012. One player that is right there at the top of the pecking order is Scottsdale (Az) Chapparal’s Connor Brewer
We talked to Brewer about two months ago, and he indicated that he and his family had been in touch with the UT staff. That interested has continued, and Brewer has set up a visit to check out the Horns in October.
“I’ve been in contact with coach (Greg) Davis a little bit,” Brewer said. “My dad has been calling him also. We set up a visit for the weekend when they play Baylor so I’ll be there for that game.”
Brewer’s sister, Ashley, is a freshman at Texas. Obviously, Brewer is looking forward to spending time with his sister, but he’s also excited to get a close look at the UT football program.
“I just want to go see the atmosphere. I’ve seen locally how Arizona and Arizona State are,” Brewer said. “When you talk out of state, it’s a whole new experience for you. I want to go check out to see what a Texas game is like, what the environment is like. I’ve heard how awesome it is, how awesome the stadium is, but I want to see it for myself.”
Brewer has offers from Arizona, Arizona State and Nebraska, and he’s picking up attention from school all over the country. He’s also scheduled to visit the Auburn-Alabama game (in November), and Brewer said he’s still keeping all options on the table. He’s also considering visiting USC at some point this fall.
As for Texas … “They're obviously a school with great tradition. They’re always in national championship contention every year. It says a lot about their program,” Brewer said. “They never have an off year. They expect to win and they do. Their coaches do a great job. They’re up there at the very top of my list and I would love to maybe be a Texas Longhorn some day.”
******
A couple comments on interest that didn’t make it into the story we ran this week on Josh Cochran …
Cochran’s been solidly committed to Texas for more than seven months and most schools have completely given up on their efforts to get the blue-chip lineman to reconsider. Of course, there is still one school that continue to waste it’s time with consistent attempts at contact (you all can figure out who it is … it’s the same school that does it with every UT commitment).
Cochran stays in touch with the UT coaches now that the September contact period has begun, and the 6-6, 278-pounder said he has no interest in the sales pitches that other colleges are trying to present.
“It's been really cool. I don't know what date was, but coach (Mac) McWhorter calls me once a week now,” McWhorter said. “I really enjoy that instead of having to catch up with each other with emails. I just love coach McWhorter. He’s a huge part of the reason I'm coming to Texas. It’s awesome to get to talk to him every week.”
Cochran will be in Austin this week to see UT take on UCLA. He plays close attention to the Longhorns every single week, and he said as a player, he thinks the Texas offense should continue to progress each week.
“A lot of the plays I've seen, It’s one little mess up here or there and it hurts everyone. That's the thing with a group like the o-line. You have to be on the same page every play,” Cochran said. “A lot of people don't understand how hard it is to change an offense, go from spread to trying to pound ball down people's throats. It’s a lot different with the technique. They’re doing a great job of getting them more physical, getting the mindset to change. Give them a couple more weeks and things will be fine.”
******
Switching gears to hoops, and update on Lake Land College C Moussa Gueye, who will be in Austin this weekend for his official visit.
Of note, Gueye was scheduled to take a visit to Indiana last weekend, but that trip was canceled due to “institutional issues.”
“It was an institutional issue with regards to one of his academic courses. They’re not accepting one of his required courses to graduate Lake Land, they’re not accepting that right now,” Lake Land coach Cedric Brown said. “It’s more of an institutional thing.”
Gueye, who will have two years of eligibility remaining when he enrolls at the four-year institution of his choice, has UT on his radar thanks to the tireless efforts of the UT staff.
“I think it's the recruiting job that Russell Springmann has done,” coach Brown said. “Coach Barnes, he's been great with us, with my staff, with myself. He’s been 100 percent professional. With someone of coach Barnes' caliber and the way his time is lobbied for all over the country, he's always taken time to get on the phone with me if I call him with a question or speaking to my staff. But coach Springmann has really done a remarkable job of recruiting (Gueye).”
Barnes visited Gueye at Lake Land (Mattoon, Ill) recently, stressing UT’s strengths as a program.
“Barnes came in to watch him and talk to him the other day, sat down and let him know what Texas brings academically,” coach Brown said. “His reign at Texas has spoken for itself with the number of players that have graduated, the number of players that have moved on to the next level.”
Gueye has no official timetable, and he’s expected to make a decision (Texas, Alabama, USC, Valparaiso) sometime this fall. He does have one official visit remaining, should he decide to take it.
*******************************
Thursday Malcolm Brown[/URL] was officially announced as a U.S. Army All-American, and even after he put on the jersey and the hat while standing at the podium, he thanked everyone who helped him reach this point.
He simply could not believe the moment was at hand.
“It still doesn’t seem real right now,” Brown said. “It’s a blessing and I’m just taking it all in. Once the game comes I’ll be ready and we’ll go out and play.”
Malcolm will be joined by teammate and Oklahoma commit Marquis Anderson[/URL] and head coach Mike Jinks on the West squad, making the game and the achievement that much sweeter.
“It’s going to be real exciting to have to other people I know right there while I play this game. Me, Marquis, and Coach Jinks are going to have a real good time and just make the most of this because this is a real big thing for us.”
He does not exaggerate when he talks about how big this event was. I have been to many of these announcements and they had this coordinated to perfection. In the Steele auditorium the band pumped everyone up. Cheerleaders and dance squad members went through routines along the side of the stage. The mascot was decked out in full camouflage. It was a pep rally atmosphere. Not to mention it was a tough ticket to grab for students at Steele with only a few select classes able to attend.
Combine all of that with the fact it is homecoming week and it has been a crazy week already, and with all of the excitement, on the eve of the big announcement sleep was something that was in short supply.
“Shoot I didn’t (sleep),” Brown said with a laugh. “It was crazy. It was on my mind all night long. Now that it’s here it’s great. I’m happy about everything. It feels like nothing can go wrong right now. It’s wonderful.
Brown is focused on the season and right now that means Austin High, but soon enough he will be playing the game he has been watching growing up in San Antonio. He will be finishing his career by playing one last game for his coach and with a long time friend and teammate. Then Marquis and he will go their separate ways to rival programs where they will likely line up against one another at one point or another.
“It’s going to be real nice with him going to Oklahoma and me going to Texas, and seeing him on the other side of the football one day is going to be real cool,” Brown said. (Howell)
**********************************************
Saturday the Texas Longhorns will host four unofficial visitors from Denton Ryan for the UCLA game. Each of them will be experiencing their first Texas game at DKR, and they are each looking forward to it.
Ryan defensive end Mario Edwards[/URL] and linebackers Jordan Richmond[/URL] and Alex De La Torre[/URL] have already seen an influx of attention, and defensive end Dominique Banks[/URL] turned heads this spring and summer with his size and athleticism.
Texas has already left a strong impression on Edwards, Richmond, and De La Torre, but Saturday they will get a chance to see firsthand what Texas has to offer.
“I’m supposed to be going to the Texas game and I’m pretty excited about that,” Edwards said.
What is he most excited about seeing?
Really just being in the atmosphere of Muschamp and seeing the defense live and in person,” he said. “The type of defense I like.”
“This Saturday we’re going to go to the Texas/UCLA game in Austin. It’s my first Texas home game. I’m very excited. I hear it’s crazy.” De La Torre said.
Richmond may also attend the SMU/TCU game Friday night at SMU as well. (Howell)
***********************************
Waco (Texas) Midway safety Shakiel Randolph[/URL] says he does not have any visits planned right now but did say he is hearing from the Longhorns.
South Houston cornerback and Texas commit Leroy Scott[/URL] has not been able to make it up to Texas this season, and cannot wait to get up to Austin again. 2012 safety Kenneth Marshall[/URL] grew up a fan of Oklahoma but says “Yeah, I can’t depend too much on it. I have to keep my options open.” He says he has heard from Oklahoma, Texas A&M, LSU, Tulsa, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Arizona, and Texas Tech, and is keeping his options open. (Howell)
*************************************
I’m totally lame this week and don’t have anything for the War Room… HOWVER… I’m talking to both a couple of scouting buddies, as well as a few coaching connections across the state this weekend and will either include the report in the 10 Thoughts From the Weekend or I’ll just create a Part II of the War Room. (Ketch)
********************
As reported after his original visit to Texas for the Wyoming game, 2012 combo guard Rasheed Sulaimon was contemplating a return visit to Austin this weekend. However, it doesn't sound like the nation's No. 21 prospect for the 2012 class will be making it in to Austin.
"I've been talking to my parents about it, but I don't think I'm going to be able to make it in," said the Strake Jesuit guard. "I was really trying to go to UT this weekend, but it didn't work out."
Still, that doesn't mean Sulaimon hasn't been in contact with the UT staff.
"Yeah, I've been e-mailing coach Russell Springmann a lot," said Sulaimon when asked if he still talks to the UT coaches on a frequent basis.
My take - It sounded like Sulaimon really wanted to make it in this weekend. I got the vibe that he was serious about visiting Austin, but his parents wanted him to take a weekend off from the process with some scheduled visits on the horizon. The fact that Springmann is all over this recruitment is good news for Texas. The 6-foot-2 scoring machine doesn't have any leaders yet, but every time he talks about Texas I get the feeling he's got the Horns in the top group. Plus, he's already built close relationships with Sheldon McCllelan and Cameron Ridley. In terms of what Texas likes to do on offense, and has done in the past, Sulaimon is a good fit in Austin, and Springmann has done a great job of making him realize that.
******************
Tidbits
Hearing that Antonian power forward Jonathan Holmes had a great visit to Purdue, and that the Boilermakers have pulled even with the Longhorns for his services. This isn't great news for UT because it sounded like Holmes was on the verge of making a commitment to Texas a few weeks ago. Still, you have to likes UT's chances with the location factor and because the Horns were in the lead for quite some time. Holmes is scheduled to make an official visit to the 40 Acres this weekend, and it will be a great opportunity for UT to really get a stranglehold on the recruitment. Despite the news after the Purdue visit, this is another trip down the highway for Holmes to Austin. I'll be surprised if Holmes doesn't leave Austin with the Longhorns in the lead.
Keep an eye on Mikael Hopkins of DeMatha HS in Maryland. His recruitment could begin to really heat up, and Hopkins is scheduled for an official visit to Texas in late October. Hopkins is a 6-foot-8, 210 pound power forward that is rated as the No. 79 player in the country for the 2011 class. (McComas)
This post was edited on 9/24 10:25 AM by Ketchum
We talked to Brewer about two months ago, and he indicated that he and his family had been in touch with the UT staff. That interested has continued, and Brewer has set up a visit to check out the Horns in October.
“I’ve been in contact with coach (Greg) Davis a little bit,” Brewer said. “My dad has been calling him also. We set up a visit for the weekend when they play Baylor so I’ll be there for that game.”
Brewer’s sister, Ashley, is a freshman at Texas. Obviously, Brewer is looking forward to spending time with his sister, but he’s also excited to get a close look at the UT football program.
“I just want to go see the atmosphere. I’ve seen locally how Arizona and Arizona State are,” Brewer said. “When you talk out of state, it’s a whole new experience for you. I want to go check out to see what a Texas game is like, what the environment is like. I’ve heard how awesome it is, how awesome the stadium is, but I want to see it for myself.”
Brewer has offers from Arizona, Arizona State and Nebraska, and he’s picking up attention from school all over the country. He’s also scheduled to visit the Auburn-Alabama game (in November), and Brewer said he’s still keeping all options on the table. He’s also considering visiting USC at some point this fall.
As for Texas … “They're obviously a school with great tradition. They’re always in national championship contention every year. It says a lot about their program,” Brewer said. “They never have an off year. They expect to win and they do. Their coaches do a great job. They’re up there at the very top of my list and I would love to maybe be a Texas Longhorn some day.”
******
A couple comments on interest that didn’t make it into the story we ran this week on Josh Cochran …
Cochran’s been solidly committed to Texas for more than seven months and most schools have completely given up on their efforts to get the blue-chip lineman to reconsider. Of course, there is still one school that continue to waste it’s time with consistent attempts at contact (you all can figure out who it is … it’s the same school that does it with every UT commitment).
Cochran stays in touch with the UT coaches now that the September contact period has begun, and the 6-6, 278-pounder said he has no interest in the sales pitches that other colleges are trying to present.
“It's been really cool. I don't know what date was, but coach (Mac) McWhorter calls me once a week now,” McWhorter said. “I really enjoy that instead of having to catch up with each other with emails. I just love coach McWhorter. He’s a huge part of the reason I'm coming to Texas. It’s awesome to get to talk to him every week.”
Cochran will be in Austin this week to see UT take on UCLA. He plays close attention to the Longhorns every single week, and he said as a player, he thinks the Texas offense should continue to progress each week.
“A lot of the plays I've seen, It’s one little mess up here or there and it hurts everyone. That's the thing with a group like the o-line. You have to be on the same page every play,” Cochran said. “A lot of people don't understand how hard it is to change an offense, go from spread to trying to pound ball down people's throats. It’s a lot different with the technique. They’re doing a great job of getting them more physical, getting the mindset to change. Give them a couple more weeks and things will be fine.”
******
Switching gears to hoops, and update on Lake Land College C Moussa Gueye, who will be in Austin this weekend for his official visit.
Of note, Gueye was scheduled to take a visit to Indiana last weekend, but that trip was canceled due to “institutional issues.”
“It was an institutional issue with regards to one of his academic courses. They’re not accepting one of his required courses to graduate Lake Land, they’re not accepting that right now,” Lake Land coach Cedric Brown said. “It’s more of an institutional thing.”
Gueye, who will have two years of eligibility remaining when he enrolls at the four-year institution of his choice, has UT on his radar thanks to the tireless efforts of the UT staff.
“I think it's the recruiting job that Russell Springmann has done,” coach Brown said. “Coach Barnes, he's been great with us, with my staff, with myself. He’s been 100 percent professional. With someone of coach Barnes' caliber and the way his time is lobbied for all over the country, he's always taken time to get on the phone with me if I call him with a question or speaking to my staff. But coach Springmann has really done a remarkable job of recruiting (Gueye).”
Barnes visited Gueye at Lake Land (Mattoon, Ill) recently, stressing UT’s strengths as a program.
“Barnes came in to watch him and talk to him the other day, sat down and let him know what Texas brings academically,” coach Brown said. “His reign at Texas has spoken for itself with the number of players that have graduated, the number of players that have moved on to the next level.”
Gueye has no official timetable, and he’s expected to make a decision (Texas, Alabama, USC, Valparaiso) sometime this fall. He does have one official visit remaining, should he decide to take it.
*******************************
Thursday Malcolm Brown[/URL] was officially announced as a U.S. Army All-American, and even after he put on the jersey and the hat while standing at the podium, he thanked everyone who helped him reach this point.
He simply could not believe the moment was at hand.
“It still doesn’t seem real right now,” Brown said. “It’s a blessing and I’m just taking it all in. Once the game comes I’ll be ready and we’ll go out and play.”
Malcolm will be joined by teammate and Oklahoma commit Marquis Anderson[/URL] and head coach Mike Jinks on the West squad, making the game and the achievement that much sweeter.
“It’s going to be real exciting to have to other people I know right there while I play this game. Me, Marquis, and Coach Jinks are going to have a real good time and just make the most of this because this is a real big thing for us.”
He does not exaggerate when he talks about how big this event was. I have been to many of these announcements and they had this coordinated to perfection. In the Steele auditorium the band pumped everyone up. Cheerleaders and dance squad members went through routines along the side of the stage. The mascot was decked out in full camouflage. It was a pep rally atmosphere. Not to mention it was a tough ticket to grab for students at Steele with only a few select classes able to attend.
Combine all of that with the fact it is homecoming week and it has been a crazy week already, and with all of the excitement, on the eve of the big announcement sleep was something that was in short supply.
“Shoot I didn’t (sleep),” Brown said with a laugh. “It was crazy. It was on my mind all night long. Now that it’s here it’s great. I’m happy about everything. It feels like nothing can go wrong right now. It’s wonderful.
Brown is focused on the season and right now that means Austin High, but soon enough he will be playing the game he has been watching growing up in San Antonio. He will be finishing his career by playing one last game for his coach and with a long time friend and teammate. Then Marquis and he will go their separate ways to rival programs where they will likely line up against one another at one point or another.
“It’s going to be real nice with him going to Oklahoma and me going to Texas, and seeing him on the other side of the football one day is going to be real cool,” Brown said. (Howell)
**********************************************
Saturday the Texas Longhorns will host four unofficial visitors from Denton Ryan for the UCLA game. Each of them will be experiencing their first Texas game at DKR, and they are each looking forward to it.
Ryan defensive end Mario Edwards[/URL] and linebackers Jordan Richmond[/URL] and Alex De La Torre[/URL] have already seen an influx of attention, and defensive end Dominique Banks[/URL] turned heads this spring and summer with his size and athleticism.
Texas has already left a strong impression on Edwards, Richmond, and De La Torre, but Saturday they will get a chance to see firsthand what Texas has to offer.
“I’m supposed to be going to the Texas game and I’m pretty excited about that,” Edwards said.
What is he most excited about seeing?
Really just being in the atmosphere of Muschamp and seeing the defense live and in person,” he said. “The type of defense I like.”
“This Saturday we’re going to go to the Texas/UCLA game in Austin. It’s my first Texas home game. I’m very excited. I hear it’s crazy.” De La Torre said.
Richmond may also attend the SMU/TCU game Friday night at SMU as well. (Howell)
***********************************
Waco (Texas) Midway safety Shakiel Randolph[/URL] says he does not have any visits planned right now but did say he is hearing from the Longhorns.
South Houston cornerback and Texas commit Leroy Scott[/URL] has not been able to make it up to Texas this season, and cannot wait to get up to Austin again. 2012 safety Kenneth Marshall[/URL] grew up a fan of Oklahoma but says “Yeah, I can’t depend too much on it. I have to keep my options open.” He says he has heard from Oklahoma, Texas A&M, LSU, Tulsa, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Arizona, and Texas Tech, and is keeping his options open. (Howell)
*************************************
I’m totally lame this week and don’t have anything for the War Room… HOWVER… I’m talking to both a couple of scouting buddies, as well as a few coaching connections across the state this weekend and will either include the report in the 10 Thoughts From the Weekend or I’ll just create a Part II of the War Room. (Ketch)
********************
As reported after his original visit to Texas for the Wyoming game, 2012 combo guard Rasheed Sulaimon was contemplating a return visit to Austin this weekend. However, it doesn't sound like the nation's No. 21 prospect for the 2012 class will be making it in to Austin.
"I've been talking to my parents about it, but I don't think I'm going to be able to make it in," said the Strake Jesuit guard. "I was really trying to go to UT this weekend, but it didn't work out."
Still, that doesn't mean Sulaimon hasn't been in contact with the UT staff.
"Yeah, I've been e-mailing coach Russell Springmann a lot," said Sulaimon when asked if he still talks to the UT coaches on a frequent basis.
My take - It sounded like Sulaimon really wanted to make it in this weekend. I got the vibe that he was serious about visiting Austin, but his parents wanted him to take a weekend off from the process with some scheduled visits on the horizon. The fact that Springmann is all over this recruitment is good news for Texas. The 6-foot-2 scoring machine doesn't have any leaders yet, but every time he talks about Texas I get the feeling he's got the Horns in the top group. Plus, he's already built close relationships with Sheldon McCllelan and Cameron Ridley. In terms of what Texas likes to do on offense, and has done in the past, Sulaimon is a good fit in Austin, and Springmann has done a great job of making him realize that.
******************
Tidbits
Hearing that Antonian power forward Jonathan Holmes had a great visit to Purdue, and that the Boilermakers have pulled even with the Longhorns for his services. This isn't great news for UT because it sounded like Holmes was on the verge of making a commitment to Texas a few weeks ago. Still, you have to likes UT's chances with the location factor and because the Horns were in the lead for quite some time. Holmes is scheduled to make an official visit to the 40 Acres this weekend, and it will be a great opportunity for UT to really get a stranglehold on the recruitment. Despite the news after the Purdue visit, this is another trip down the highway for Holmes to Austin. I'll be surprised if Holmes doesn't leave Austin with the Longhorns in the lead.
Keep an eye on Mikael Hopkins of DeMatha HS in Maryland. His recruitment could begin to really heat up, and Hopkins is scheduled for an official visit to Texas in late October. Hopkins is a 6-foot-8, 210 pound power forward that is rated as the No. 79 player in the country for the 2011 class. (McComas)
This post was edited on 9/24 10:25 AM by Ketchum
