I don't have a dominant section of the column this week.
Let's just start off with an Xaxier Worthy update that should make everyone smile ...
Signs are pointing to his return. I don't know if we'll even get an announcement from him, as he might just show up for classes and ignore the need to tell the world anything, but the signs point in the direction of a return.
That's very good news.
No. 2 - What kind of transfer is Catalon?
In discussing transfers with @Anwar Richardson on our Monday Overreactions Show, we talked about transfers through the Portal being placed into three categories ... impact transfers, two-deep transfers and lottery pick transfers.
Someone like Agiye Hall was a lottery pick. Ryan Watts was an impact guy because he started every game, which is what he was recruited to do. Meanwhile, Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey was a depth guy and turned out to be a solid one-year rental.
I think if we're talking about Catalon, he has to be placed in the "impact" category.
He's being brought in to be a plus-level starter and if he's not remotely close to that, it would register as a disappointment, similar to a universe that might exist where Watts was a bit of a role player in the secondary in the 2022 season.
Here are the scenarios that exist with him in my mind.
a. Instantly becomes the best and most proven player in the Texas secondary and plays a full season where he emerges as one of the best defensive backs in the Big 12 or maybe even better.
b. Instantly becomes the best and most proven player in the Texas secondary and misses chunks of the season because of injury issues.
c. Isn't quite the same player in 2023 as he was in 2020 and ends up being a solid veteran presence for the Longhorns.
d. Gets hurt and barely plays at all.
Honestly, if "a" is a possibility at all, you take the risk. Impact guys are just hard to get your hands on, especially when you consider that anything other than a super blue-chip prospect has a 75+% failure rate at best.
Staying healthy is the critical piece of the puzzle and the word I got from a source was that he was arriving with a clean bill of health. Anything less than him being a starter will be a disappointment, but anything on the level of him just being pretty good likely still represents a win.
No. 3 -About the Portal ...
As I've been saying since early December, things are expected to heat up in the next week on the Portal front.
Expect a couple of visitors this weekend and if everything goes as hoped, maybe that number grows to 3-4.
Wide receiver will be one area of focus, without question.
No. 4 - Whittington's Return ...
Texas is a better football team for having Jordan Whittington back for another season, so no matter where we go with the Whittington's 2023 season discussion, let's make sure we stay there.
He's a very good player (not great), who is as good of a human being as you could pretty much hope for. He's always seemed 21 or 22 going on 31 or 32.
It's very probable that he'll be the slot receiver for the program unless he's injured or someone takes his job.
I do wonder if the Longhorns are looking for an upgrade at the position when you consider that netted 652 yards and one touchdown in 2022. Obviously, his numbers would likely have soared with good quarterback play, but the bottom line is the bottom line.
With Texas looking to add a couple of players at the wide receiver position through the Portal, I think even more is going to be expected of his position. This is an offense that requires big plays from the wide receiver position. It needs to have more field-stretchers. It needs more production, come hell or high water.
Whittington will need to give more of that in order for us to assume that his percentage of snaps within the offense doesn't drop. Everyone in the passing game needs to be better. Including Whittington.
No. 5 - Welcome back, Christian Jones ...
Low-key .... I love this for the 2023 Longhorns.
Jones was actually pretty damn good this year. I thought he was the team's second-best lineman. If you looked at the analysis from @Alex Dunlap, you'll see that he was second on the team in snaps per disruption.
Suddenly, this is a team that returns all five starters who happened to play 700+ snaps together in 2022. That's not insignificant.
Yes, the interior play needs to get better, but the Longhorns now have definite depth at tackle that didn't previously exist without him and it kind of gives the offense a few insurance policies.
Whatever one thinks about Jones, he's made 35 career starts in the last three years and that number will get very close to 50 if he stays healthy.
No. 6 - About Rodney Terry ...
This is going to sound harsh, but I just need to get my opinion on the record.
If you're Texas, you have to aim bigger. You have to secure bigger.
You can't go from having what was pretty much the dream coach to his assistant. You didn't open up a new arena and spend all that buyout money just to end up with someone that wouldn't otherwise have the job without very special considerations.
Chris Del Conte needs to go out and get a rock star. Someone that moves the needle in every phase. Someone that can truly be the Mick Jagger of the band instead of just someone that plays in Mick Jagger's band.
Ok, I've said the quiet part out loud. Let's move on.
No. 7 - Oh, and this happened...
No. 8 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) 5-6 feels right on the border of where things will finish, but I'm not sure if there's going to be another high school player.
(Sell) I'm going to stick with Georgia for now.
(Sell) It might take a little more time. It just depends on the candidate and how quickly they can get away from their current jobs and have it be on the best terms possible. The fact that we're beyond the first signing period certainly helps, but I think Sark gets through this Portal week and then makes a hire.
(Sell) I don't know that we can yet take it to the bank that the defense will be better. It's possible, but there's a lot of turnover on that side of the ball.
(Buy) Anthony Hill and Malik Muhammad.
(Buy) Define realistic to me. My guess is that he's got a lot of options to sort through and he might prefer to stay in an area of the country that he's had the most success with. Yet, if he wants to earn a premium and work at a place with a big platform, I'd say it's realistic.
(Buy) I think there's a long list of possibilities. Malik Muhammad. Ethan Burke. J'Mond Tapp. Colton Vasek. Derek Williams. The defense has a lot of talented young, unproven players.
(Buy) Pretty much. I'm not sure how much of the roster will remain. That's part of the deal these days when making changes in the basketball program.
(Sell) I would contend Ja'Tavion had a lot of 2022 off-season buzz. Give me Arch, Johntay Cook, Anthony Hill and Malik Muhammad as the buzz makers this off-season.
a. Maybe.
b. Maybe.
c. Sell They need two.
d. Buy.
(Sell) It's possible, but I don't know that it's most likely. Maybe.
(Buy) I'm not sure that it's even close.
(Buy) Yes.
(Sell) I'm going to take the under... barely.
(Sell) I'm buying everything but the spring game record crowd.
No. 9 - Scattershooting on anything and everything ...
... I have zero confidence in Dallas going to Tampa next Monday night. Being reminded earlier in the day that Dallas doesn't have a road playoff win in 30 years also hurt my heart.
... Even if they win in Tampa, what would it actually mean outside of that stat I just mention being updated? We know how this thing is going to end.
... I can't believe the Texans stole the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft out of the jaws of victory, but it happened.
... I'm rooting for the Bills to get a championship if Dallas can't pull off a miracle.
... What's going to happen with Lamar Jackson in the off-season? Texans fans, would you give up the No. 2 and two other first-round picks to get him?
... I love Joe Burrow's moxie.
... D'Onte Foreman finished the season with 914 yards rushing for the Panthers.
... Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Quandre Diggs.
... Lol @ Packers. You got Dan Campbell'd.
... Thanks, J.J. Watt. You were a hell of a lot of fun to watch.
... Just when Kevin Durant seemed to be making an MVP push ... he got hurt. Ugh. Getting old sucks.
... Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State are all undefeated at 3-0 in Big 12 play in men's hoops. All three are ranked in the top 15 in the country. Wildly, Baylor is 0-3.
... The Texas women are at home to No. 23 Kansas and No. 15 Iowa State this week. One way or another, we're going to learn a lot about this unranked team this week.
... As a Liverpool fan, I feel like I am watching the 1996 Cowboys this season. None of my UK Liverpool fans really understand that comment.
No. 10 - The List: ZZ Top ...
The oldest archives list that I can find on the 10TFTW archives board is this ZZ Top list from 12/8/13. That is literally just a few days before the Red Banquet.
Let's visit that list.
"After showering myself with the songs of Rihanna last week, the musical soul needed a little something different this week and three boys from Texas had exactly what I was looking for.
A few thoughts before I get down to the list…
a. It was fascinating to listen to the group find its way through the early 70s into the early 80s. In a way, they are a completely different band than the one they started out as.
b. I went into Eliminator thinking it was the group's best album and after listening to all of them this week, nothing changed my mind. In fact, the greatness of the album was reinforced in a big, big way. I'm not sure there was even a debate and the depth of really good to great songs on the album is represented on the list.
c. I suppose I never really paid attention, but I was shocked at how tough of a time the band had after Eliminator in terms of putting together good to great albums. I was expecting a little more oomph during the last 30 years, but the catalog isn't as loaded as you might think.
d. I would love to hear the group dedicate themselves to making a truly kickass blues record. No gimmicks. No synthesizers. Just three bad-ass blues musicians doing their thing.
Ok, let's get on with the list.
Last five songs out: Pincushion and Got Me Under Pressure
10. I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide
One of two songs from the 1979 album Deguello that make the list
9. Jesus Just Left Chicago
Released in 1973 on the Tres Hombres album, this is the group's first great song in my mind.
8. I Need You Tonight
I think this is probably the most underrated song of theirs that I really like.
7. Gimmie All Your Lovin
Another song from the 1983 album Eliminator, which easily ranks as the greatest album the group ever produced.
6. Cheap Sunglasses
The best song off of the Deguello album and
5. Blue Jean Blues
I love it when this group just sticks to its early roots and plays bad-ass blues music. This is one of the group's very best.
4. Tush
Its place in the Dazed and Confused soundtrack assured that this track would be in the top five. One of the truly elite songs the group produced in the 70s.
3. Legs
I pretty much knew that I was a heterosexual male at the age of seven when the video to this song came out.
2. Sharp Dressed Man
One the sickest rock songs of the 1980s. Easily my favorite song off of Eliminator. How many guys have dressed to this song before going out on the town over the years?
1. LaGrange
Hard-charging guitar-magic. This is the song that we'll play the aliens in 100 years when they come in from outer space and want to hear some ZZ Top.
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