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===========================================================================
The 2024 NFL Draft certainly showed one thing …
Eleven Longhorns hearing their names called over the weekend was the proof of concept that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’s project is working (as was making the College Football Playoffs … and those two things are connected).
But in case anyone is under the disillusion that the 2024 draft will be a one-hit wonder, let me assure you, it will not.
The 2025 NFL Draft is shaping up to be just as exciting for the Texas Longhorns … and it will show just how tough this upcoming season will be.
A quick look at all of the way too early NFL mock drafts that come out as soon as the 2024 draft is over shows pundits and prognosticators are very keen on both the Texas Longhorns, and the teams that Texas will face this year.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and offensive tackle Kelvin Banks are both near unanimous picks to be first-round selections next April when the NFL takes its draft party road show to Green Bay, Wisconsin. Isaiah Bond is another Longhorn who has seen his name pop up on these mock drafts.
Let’s be clear about something right now, mock drafts are far from accurate the day of the draft, much less one year out. The NFL scouts may have peeked at these guys a little, but they haven’t really begun to do their deep dives on these guys just yet. And I assure you the cross-checkers, GM, and coaches won’t start to dig into them until after the season is over.
All of that means that it is impossible to take these way too early mock drafts with any degree of seriousness. However, it is a good indicator of where players stand after a couple of years of play.
So what do these mock drafts mean for Texas?
This offense is going to be sick. (Do the kids still say sick? Because if so, that’s dope.)
Quinn Ewers, being protected by Kelvin Banks, slinging the ball to Isaiah Bond? It’s enough to make any Longhorn fan giddy.
But the 2024 draft should tell you something else about Sark and his Longhorn teams … it’s not just the guys in the first round that count.
Byron Murphy and Xavier Worthy made the headlines, but guys like Keilan Robinson and Ryan Watts also heard their names called.
So Ewers, Banks and Bond will almost assuredly go high in next year’s draft but Texas will likely have a high number of players get drafted next year.
POTENTIAL 2025 LONGHORN DRAFT CANDIDATES:
Jaydon Blue – RB
Silas Bolden – WR
Matthew Golden - WR
Gunnar Helm – TE
Amari Niblack - TE
Cam Williams – OT
DJ Campbell – G
Jake Majors – C
Barryn Sorrell – EDGE
Ethan Burke – EDGE
Trey Moore - EDGE
Vernon Broughton – DT
Alfred Collins – DT
Jahdae Barron – DB
Andrew Mukuba – S
That is 15 players who could hear their names called next spring. The odds are, not all of those guys will enter the draft, much less actually get drafted. But all of those guys have attributes and/or production that will pique the interest of the NFL.
That's a LOT of depth and production coming back for Texas this season.
The thing that will help each of these players is if Texas has another playoff run in it this season like it had last season. The talent is certainly there for a playoff run, but the schedule is going to be pretty tough.
Texas will be going up against some definite first-round talent in 2024. The list of players on UT’s schedule represented in the 2025 mock drafts is long and impressive.
Texas 2024 schedule: Players in 2025 NFL Mock Drafts:
Takeaways from the opponent mock draft:
Unsurprisingly, Michigan and Georgia are the teams most loaded with talent and should be the toughest wins on the schedule.
OU and A&M, Texas’ TRUE rivals, are the only other teams with more than one player in one of these mock drafts. Deion Burks really intrigues me. I haven’t watched OU’s spring game, but the reports coming out of Norman about the Purdue transfer make it sound like he is legit. Similarly, Nic Scourton (another Purdue transfer) has made a name for himself in College Station. How did Purdue’s two best players end up at UT’s two biggest rivals? It goes without saying that those will be tough games for more reasons than JUST the intense rivalries.
The offensive line will have its hands full this season. Six of the 15 players on the mock draft play along the defensive line and another two are linebackers who the line will have to deal with nearly every down. That lineup will provide PLENTY of opportunities for Kelvin Banks, DJ Campbell, Cam Williams and Jake Majors to put together incredible tape for the scouts to review.
Florida's fall off is so very familiar to Texas fans who suffered under Charlie Strong and Tom Herman. The Gators will struggle and I don't foresee Billy Napier lasting after this season.
Texas in the SEC is going to be incredibly fun!
FROM PIGSKIN TO HORSEHIDE:
What to make of the 2024 Texas Longhorn baseball team? Frankly, I’m not really sure.
I thought, coming into the season, that Lebarron Johnson Jr. would be an ace and a star. That hasn’t turned out to be true.
I thought, coming into the season, that this team would definitely be a regional team and then we’d go from there. That appears to be true.
But this team hasn’t made it easy on itself and while it is in a good position now to make the regionals, it isn’t guaranteed. The Longhorns need to win. But they’ve been in that position for a while now … needing to win to make the postseason.
“We’ve been so good with adversity and our backs against the wall,” said Texas head coach David Pierce following his team’s 16-9 win over Sam Houston on Tuesday night. “That said, our backs are against the wall every day right now because of where we are and what we’re trying to accomplish. Our goals are still in front of us.”
The low point of the season came after UT Rio Grande Valley came to Austin for a Tuesday night game and left with its first win against the Papa club since 1971. The Longhorns pitching was particularly bad that night giving up 11 walks and hitting 9 batters.
"I think we have a huge gap in our mentality," Pierce said after the UTRGV game. "We have some guys in our clubhouse that are tough as nails and then we have some guys that are just trying to fit in and trying to figure out in the middle of competition if they're good enough and they're just not very confident.
"We're not even talking about Power Five (competition), we're talking about college baseball, of not being able to throw strikes. At the end of the day, it's on me. We've got to figure this out because it's going to be a long rest of the season if we don't."
Pierce thought about it, regrouped and then laid into his players in a fiery team meeting.
“More than anything it was about accountability,” the head coach said Tuesday night. “When I look at an incoming kid or a team, my goal is to see the growth. I’m all about growth and development and that means from going from a young man to turning yourself into a man and if you’re going to do that, you also have to be very accountable and be a guy that people can rely on. I think more than anything, that was the message. I just want them to continue to grow every day.”
The Horns have responded since that meeting going 8-2, including series wins over TCU and OU.
Those wins have enabled the team to still be able to achieve its goal of winning the Big 12 title, one last time. The Horns now stand just two games down in the Big 12 standings with nine games remaining.
“I think it was just time to have a little ‘come to Jesus’ meeting as a team,” said Catcher Kimble Schuessler this week. “We kind of figured some things out, cleared the air and I think we’re showing that we’re kind of turning the corner so I’m excited for the future.”
The future starts this weekend when Texas hosts Oklahoma State for a three-game series beginning this Friday.
I hesitated to include the word “Friday” in that previous sentence. The day that ends the average work week has become almost a curse for these Horns.
Texas has done a remarkably good job in the Big 12 winning six of the seven series in conference play. Rather confusingly, the lone series loss in Big 12 play was to the cellar dweller BYU Cougars. Now, I’m not going to accuse Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian of tipping off his alma mater to potential weaknesses in Texas’ play … but questions need to be asked.
But when Pierce says their backs have been against the wall every day, he means it. Texas has dropped the Friday night game in five of those series wins, forcing them to need to win out on Saturday and Sunday.
The Oklahoma State series will have a big impact on the Big 12 title race and if Texas wants to be the regular season champs, they probably need a sweep. That means they need to figure out their Friday night jinx, pronto.
Maybe @joeywa will bring some good MoJo with him to the Disch this weekend?
TWEETS OF INTEREST:
According to the latest projections, Texas isn’t even close to hosting a regional this year. Frankly, being a top-16 seed and hosting a regional each year should be a given for UT. That the Horns are on the outside looking in is further proof that it’s not just the Texas team that has had its back against the wall this year, it is coach Pierce himself. He needs a very, very strong finish.
###################################
In case anyone raised an eyebrow at the thought of Jadon Blue being drafted next year … I would first ask, have you been watching? And then I would show you this tweet.
And this …
###################################
This is a pretty good article from ESPN’s Heather Dinich. There’s not really anything in here that you haven’t already heard but it’s still a good read.
###################################
The Statesman’s Danny Davis has done a terrific job of tracking the women’s basketball portal. Does this feel like a lot of movement for a team fresh off an Elite Eight run?
###################################
The Longhorn men’s tennis team begins its postseason run Friday. They have NCAA championship ability.
###################################
The Longhorn women’s tennis team isn’t exactly chopped liver itself.
###################################
Texas has moved up the Director’s Cup standings and is projected to win it again this year (as of now). But it all comes down to the baseball team!
###################################
Major changes appear to be headed to college football. Where have I heard that before?
###################################
Looks like bowl season could get a little more interesting … and profitable for the players.
###################################
Need to make some fast money?
###################################
Speaker of poker … this is a good argument for making it completely legal so you can better regulate the game.
###################################
This is easily the best thing I’ve seen this week.
YOU!
Now is your chance to sponsor the column. Our previous sponsor paid for more than three months of sponsorship fees in the first two weeks of signing up. That can be you! Contact Orangebloods' new sales lead, @CodyClearmanOB ( codyclearman@orangebloods.com ) if you want that kind of successful promotion for your business. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity!
===========================================================================
The 2024 NFL Draft certainly showed one thing …
Eleven Longhorns hearing their names called over the weekend was the proof of concept that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’s project is working (as was making the College Football Playoffs … and those two things are connected).
But in case anyone is under the disillusion that the 2024 draft will be a one-hit wonder, let me assure you, it will not.
The 2025 NFL Draft is shaping up to be just as exciting for the Texas Longhorns … and it will show just how tough this upcoming season will be.
A quick look at all of the way too early NFL mock drafts that come out as soon as the 2024 draft is over shows pundits and prognosticators are very keen on both the Texas Longhorns, and the teams that Texas will face this year.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and offensive tackle Kelvin Banks are both near unanimous picks to be first-round selections next April when the NFL takes its draft party road show to Green Bay, Wisconsin. Isaiah Bond is another Longhorn who has seen his name pop up on these mock drafts.
| MOCK DRAFT | QUINN EWERS (1ST ROUND PICK & TEAM) | KELVIN BANKS (1ST ROUND PICK & TEAM) | ISAIAH BOND (1ST ROUND PICK & TEAM) |
| The Athletic | 14 - Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 - New York Giants | 24 - Dallas Cowboys |
| ESPN | 12 - Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 - Denver Broncos | 27 - Buffalo Bills |
| USA Today | 6 - Las Vegas Raiders | 9 - Carolina Panthers | 31 - New York Jets |
| PFF | 25 - Dallas Cowboys | 6 - Washington Commanders | |
| Fox Sports | 6 - New York Giants | 7 - Arizona Cardinals | |
| Bleacher Report | 15 - Jacksonville Jaguars | ||
| USA Today | 6 - Las Vegas Raiders | 9 - Carolina Panthers | |
| CBS Sports | 12 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 21 - New York Jets | |
| Athlon Sports | 11 - Seattle Seahawks | 5 - Tennessee Titans |
Let’s be clear about something right now, mock drafts are far from accurate the day of the draft, much less one year out. The NFL scouts may have peeked at these guys a little, but they haven’t really begun to do their deep dives on these guys just yet. And I assure you the cross-checkers, GM, and coaches won’t start to dig into them until after the season is over.
All of that means that it is impossible to take these way too early mock drafts with any degree of seriousness. However, it is a good indicator of where players stand after a couple of years of play.
So what do these mock drafts mean for Texas?
This offense is going to be sick. (Do the kids still say sick? Because if so, that’s dope.)
Quinn Ewers, being protected by Kelvin Banks, slinging the ball to Isaiah Bond? It’s enough to make any Longhorn fan giddy.
But the 2024 draft should tell you something else about Sark and his Longhorn teams … it’s not just the guys in the first round that count.
Byron Murphy and Xavier Worthy made the headlines, but guys like Keilan Robinson and Ryan Watts also heard their names called.
So Ewers, Banks and Bond will almost assuredly go high in next year’s draft but Texas will likely have a high number of players get drafted next year.
POTENTIAL 2025 LONGHORN DRAFT CANDIDATES:
Jaydon Blue – RB
Silas Bolden – WR
Matthew Golden - WR
Gunnar Helm – TE
Amari Niblack - TE
Cam Williams – OT
DJ Campbell – G
Jake Majors – C
Barryn Sorrell – EDGE
Ethan Burke – EDGE
Trey Moore - EDGE
Vernon Broughton – DT
Alfred Collins – DT
Jahdae Barron – DB
Andrew Mukuba – S
That is 15 players who could hear their names called next spring. The odds are, not all of those guys will enter the draft, much less actually get drafted. But all of those guys have attributes and/or production that will pique the interest of the NFL.
That's a LOT of depth and production coming back for Texas this season.
The thing that will help each of these players is if Texas has another playoff run in it this season like it had last season. The talent is certainly there for a playoff run, but the schedule is going to be pretty tough.
Texas will be going up against some definite first-round talent in 2024. The list of players on UT’s schedule represented in the 2025 mock drafts is long and impressive.
Texas 2024 schedule: Players in 2025 NFL Mock Drafts:
| 2024 SCHEDULE | PLAYERS IN 2025 MOCK DRAFTS | ||||
| Colorado State | None | ||||
| Michigan | Will Johnson (CB) | Mason Graham (DT) | Kenneth Grant (DT) | Colston Loveland (TE) | |
| UTSA | None | ||||
| ULM | None | ||||
| Mississippi State | None | ||||
| Oklahoma | Deion Burks (WR) | Danny Stutsman (LB) | |||
| Georgia | Carson Beck (QB) | Smael Mondon Jr. (LB) | Mykel Williams (DT) | Malaki Starks (S) | Earnest Greene III (OT) |
| Vanderbilt | None | ||||
| Florida | None | ||||
| Arkansas | Landon Jackson (EDGE) | ||||
| Kentucky | Deone Walker (DT) | ||||
| Texas A&M | Nic Scourton (EDGE) | Shemar Turner (DT) |
Takeaways from the opponent mock draft:
Unsurprisingly, Michigan and Georgia are the teams most loaded with talent and should be the toughest wins on the schedule.
OU and A&M, Texas’ TRUE rivals, are the only other teams with more than one player in one of these mock drafts. Deion Burks really intrigues me. I haven’t watched OU’s spring game, but the reports coming out of Norman about the Purdue transfer make it sound like he is legit. Similarly, Nic Scourton (another Purdue transfer) has made a name for himself in College Station. How did Purdue’s two best players end up at UT’s two biggest rivals? It goes without saying that those will be tough games for more reasons than JUST the intense rivalries.
The offensive line will have its hands full this season. Six of the 15 players on the mock draft play along the defensive line and another two are linebackers who the line will have to deal with nearly every down. That lineup will provide PLENTY of opportunities for Kelvin Banks, DJ Campbell, Cam Williams and Jake Majors to put together incredible tape for the scouts to review.
Florida's fall off is so very familiar to Texas fans who suffered under Charlie Strong and Tom Herman. The Gators will struggle and I don't foresee Billy Napier lasting after this season.
Texas in the SEC is going to be incredibly fun!
FROM PIGSKIN TO HORSEHIDE:
What to make of the 2024 Texas Longhorn baseball team? Frankly, I’m not really sure.
I thought, coming into the season, that Lebarron Johnson Jr. would be an ace and a star. That hasn’t turned out to be true.
I thought, coming into the season, that this team would definitely be a regional team and then we’d go from there. That appears to be true.
But this team hasn’t made it easy on itself and while it is in a good position now to make the regionals, it isn’t guaranteed. The Longhorns need to win. But they’ve been in that position for a while now … needing to win to make the postseason.
“We’ve been so good with adversity and our backs against the wall,” said Texas head coach David Pierce following his team’s 16-9 win over Sam Houston on Tuesday night. “That said, our backs are against the wall every day right now because of where we are and what we’re trying to accomplish. Our goals are still in front of us.”
The low point of the season came after UT Rio Grande Valley came to Austin for a Tuesday night game and left with its first win against the Papa club since 1971. The Longhorns pitching was particularly bad that night giving up 11 walks and hitting 9 batters.
"I think we have a huge gap in our mentality," Pierce said after the UTRGV game. "We have some guys in our clubhouse that are tough as nails and then we have some guys that are just trying to fit in and trying to figure out in the middle of competition if they're good enough and they're just not very confident.
"We're not even talking about Power Five (competition), we're talking about college baseball, of not being able to throw strikes. At the end of the day, it's on me. We've got to figure this out because it's going to be a long rest of the season if we don't."
Pierce thought about it, regrouped and then laid into his players in a fiery team meeting.
“More than anything it was about accountability,” the head coach said Tuesday night. “When I look at an incoming kid or a team, my goal is to see the growth. I’m all about growth and development and that means from going from a young man to turning yourself into a man and if you’re going to do that, you also have to be very accountable and be a guy that people can rely on. I think more than anything, that was the message. I just want them to continue to grow every day.”
The Horns have responded since that meeting going 8-2, including series wins over TCU and OU.
Those wins have enabled the team to still be able to achieve its goal of winning the Big 12 title, one last time. The Horns now stand just two games down in the Big 12 standings with nine games remaining.
“I think it was just time to have a little ‘come to Jesus’ meeting as a team,” said Catcher Kimble Schuessler this week. “We kind of figured some things out, cleared the air and I think we’re showing that we’re kind of turning the corner so I’m excited for the future.”
The future starts this weekend when Texas hosts Oklahoma State for a three-game series beginning this Friday.
I hesitated to include the word “Friday” in that previous sentence. The day that ends the average work week has become almost a curse for these Horns.
Texas has done a remarkably good job in the Big 12 winning six of the seven series in conference play. Rather confusingly, the lone series loss in Big 12 play was to the cellar dweller BYU Cougars. Now, I’m not going to accuse Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian of tipping off his alma mater to potential weaknesses in Texas’ play … but questions need to be asked.
But when Pierce says their backs have been against the wall every day, he means it. Texas has dropped the Friday night game in five of those series wins, forcing them to need to win out on Saturday and Sunday.
The Oklahoma State series will have a big impact on the Big 12 title race and if Texas wants to be the regular season champs, they probably need a sweep. That means they need to figure out their Friday night jinx, pronto.
Maybe @joeywa will bring some good MoJo with him to the Disch this weekend?
TWEETS OF INTEREST:
According to the latest projections, Texas isn’t even close to hosting a regional this year. Frankly, being a top-16 seed and hosting a regional each year should be a given for UT. That the Horns are on the outside looking in is further proof that it’s not just the Texas team that has had its back against the wall this year, it is coach Pierce himself. He needs a very, very strong finish.
###################################
In case anyone raised an eyebrow at the thought of Jadon Blue being drafted next year … I would first ask, have you been watching? And then I would show you this tweet.
And this …
###################################
This is a pretty good article from ESPN’s Heather Dinich. There’s not really anything in here that you haven’t already heard but it’s still a good read.
###################################
The Statesman’s Danny Davis has done a terrific job of tracking the women’s basketball portal. Does this feel like a lot of movement for a team fresh off an Elite Eight run?
###################################
The Longhorn men’s tennis team begins its postseason run Friday. They have NCAA championship ability.
###################################
The Longhorn women’s tennis team isn’t exactly chopped liver itself.
###################################
Texas has moved up the Director’s Cup standings and is projected to win it again this year (as of now). But it all comes down to the baseball team!
###################################
Major changes appear to be headed to college football. Where have I heard that before?
###################################
Looks like bowl season could get a little more interesting … and profitable for the players.
###################################
Need to make some fast money?
###################################
Speaker of poker … this is a good argument for making it completely legal so you can better regulate the game.
###################################
This is easily the best thing I’ve seen this week.
Last edited by a moderator:
