He is alot more polished than you give the kids credit for. The fact is if any QB has pressure in his face consistently has to throw off his back foot it will be problematic.
Prime example Dak Prescott.
Ketch's 10 Thoughts From The Weekend (Early impact on the way)
- Thread starter Ketchum
- Start date
Prime example Dak Prescott.
He wants it like Trump wanted to be president again. Almost enough to NOT get out of his own way... almost. 😂
They are doing some things right, but that only goes so far if they don’t win. They spent $270 MM on the stadium.
Good stuff Ketch.With supervised Texas football team workouts scheduled to begin this week, the arrival of a dozen (and potentially counting) new early enrollees will change the way we view what happens in spring football dramatically from where things would have been if those same players were simply arriving this summer.
Let's take a look at the impact each is expected to make from day one in the Texas program and the upside that exists with each with the extra off-season to work with, as opposed to the rest of their incoming new arrivals.
Quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Maalik Murphy
As much as I might be the president of the Hudson Card Fan Club, the fact that only his presence on the depth chart is in front of either Ewers and Murphy absolutely, 100-percent assures us all that the conversation centering around Ewers and Murphy teeters on spinning out of control before either of them does anything.
My guess is that Card will run with the first-team offense for much of the spring, but at some point, Ewers will start taking some of those reps away and the out of control speculation/expectations will be off.
Also, what happens if Murphy comes in and looks better than Ewers?
These two combine to provide the most fascinating storyline in the entire 2022 off-season. Buckle up.
Running back Jaydon Blue
There's not a lot that Blue will likely be able to do about having Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson and Keilan Robinson standing in his way for playing time.
What Blue can focus on right away this spring is trying to position himself for playing time with sophomore running back Jonathan Brooks, who made a good first-year impression with this coaching staff. After sitting out last season, Blue likely will be frustrated if he's fifth on the depth chart going into September.
His first task for changing that is surpassing Brooks, a potential task that should not be taken for granted because Brooks might be one of the 10 best players in the program.
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Offensive guard Cole Hutson
As the only offensive lineman in the class to arrive in time for the spring, Hutson has a chance to be the early bird getting the worm when it comes to carving out a spot on the two-deep going into the season-opener. Hell, the only thing from keeping Hutson from possibly being the No. 3 guard on the team is a successful recovery from a serious motorcycle accident by Isaiah Hookfin. At worst, he feels like the No. 4 guard on the team going into this off-season, which means he's going to get a ton of reps. It is not an insignificant edge to have over your other freshman o-line brothers.
Defensive Aaron Bryant
Under the best of circumstances, Bryant projects as a player that likely needs a year in the program and in the weight room before being ready to have a significant role within the defensive line. With the depth that returns, this spring shouldn't be much more than a stress-free acclimation period for Bryant. The best place for him to make a big impression is in the off-season program.
Edge Justice Finkley
Go make an impression, young man. With only Ovie Oghoufo in front of him on the depth chart with any kind of experience, Finkley arrives as a key player in the Sarkisian group of "his guys." It's not outside the realm of possibilities that he's running with the second-team defense by the end of the first week of spring workouts.
Defensive back Terrance Brooks
Whether it's at nickel-back or safety, Brooks profiles as a true freshman that could emerge as a starter before his freshman season is complete. Being in Austin for the spring will allow for that type of forecasting to be anything other than hyperbole. There's a very good chance he'll be regarded as a top-five player in the Texas secondary by the end of spring football.
Cornerback Ryan Watts
Look for Watts to start the spring as a second-team cornerback behind D'Shawn Jamison and Jahdae Barron, but the Ohio State transfer didn't come to Austin to ride the bench, so expect the competition at cornerback between the three to be intense. The smart money is on Watts eventually being a first-team player.
Defensive backs Xavion Brice, Larry Turner-Gooden and Jaylon Guilbeau
All figure to start the spring as a third-team players and it remains to be seen how much higher they'll be able to climb, with four returning players in front of them, along with Ohio State transfer Ryan Watts. Year one might very well be a full learning year for all three.
Safety Bryan Allen
Allen likely arrives as a second-team safety when the spring begins, which means that he'll see a ton of early practice reps and it might not take long before he's competing for something more important than just being on the two-peep.
No. 2 - About the Portal Dudes ...
Here are my two questions about Alabama transfer/new Texas tight end/outside receiver Jahleel Billingsley ...
a. If he lines up on the outside opposite Xavier Worthy as an outside receiver, does he represent an upgrade from Marcus Washington, who finished the season in that role?
Yeah, I would say so.
b. Is he the best option the Longhorns could find in the here and now, or in the future, heading into the heart of the off-season?
Honestly, I don't know. Maybe. Maybe the Texas coaches will keep looking for help and Billingsley merely represents the first step in trying to address the needs on the outside opposite Worthy.
In my mind, the addition of Billingsley makes the Longhorns a better team ... I'm just not sure how much better. If he caught 17 passes for 256 and three touchdowns as a junior at Alabama, would 34 catches for 512 yards and six touchdowns represent optimal success for the spot opposite Worthy? Maybe not when you consider that those numbers match what Washington and Joshua Moore essentially combined for in terms of production in that spot a season ago, but if he can hit that kind of production, he'll be worth the take in the Portal.
With Drew Sanders choosing to stay in the SEC and Mario Williams heading out West to play for his old coach, there wasn't much left to talk about in the Portal outside of Alabama linebacker Jaylen Moody, who popped into Austin on Saturday for a visit and might be joining Billingsley as a Longhorn-to-be in the very near future.
Upon first glance, you might want to compare Moody to Ben Davis, mainly because he only made 11 tackles in 2021 and most of his playing time occurred on special teams.
Yet, when I communicated with Alabama sources this weekend, they were much higher on Moody compared to Billingsley.
"He didn’t play because guys were better ahead of him, but not by much," one source said. "He’s good. You want Drew Sanders and Moody."
If I ask the same questions of Moody that I ask of Billingsley, the answers look very similar.
Yes, I believe he's an upgrade to the roster (mainly because what exists on the roster is so poor) and potentially a heavy contributor at inside linebacker, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think he paled by comparison to some of the other linebacker options that the Longhorns have explored.
No. 3 - Scattershooting about the Scholarship Board ...
* Steve Sarkisian mentioned on signing day that the Longhorns might take as many as 36 incoming players in this class and the distribution of offers to different positions without a ton of hesitancy suggests that it's a number we should all take seriously.
* If the Longhorns take as many as 36 incoming players, Texas will need three of the following players who signed in December to agree to a gray- or blue-shirt in order for the numbers to work: offensive lineman Malik Agbo, offensive lineman Kelvin Banks, linebacker Derrick Brown, defensive end Ethan Burke, linebacker Trevell Johnson, defensive back Austin Jordan, defensive tackle Kristopher Ross, wide receiver Savion Red, offensive lineman Connor Robertson, deep-snapper Lance St. Louis, defensive end Zac Swanson, wide receiver Brenen Thompson, kicker Will Stone, defensive end J'Mond Tapp, offensive lineman Neto Umeozulu and offensive lineman Cameron Williams.
Of the following 16, the likes of Agbo, Banks, Brown, Burke, Robertson, Ross, Swanson, Thompson, Tapp, Umeolulu and Williams feel like absolute arrivals in the summer, which would leave a group of five (Johnson, Jordan, Red, St. Louis and Stone) that the coaches would have to choose from for every spot that goes above the magic 33 number.
* As I've mentioned before, the Longhorns will need five more player departures before the numbers deadline in August, unless the NCAA provides a waiver for all returning super seniors, which is entirely possible (but not yet approved). That number would become six if Cameron Dicker returns. If the NCAA allows waivers against the 85-man number for all super seniors, the program would need only two pieces of attrition. Either way, Texas shouldn't have a problem hitting the 85-man number.
* I have no idea why we haven't heard anything from Dicker with regards to a final decision.
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No. 4 - About J'Tavian Sanders ...
It feels like the upcoming spring is pretty critical for sophomore tight end J'Tavian Sanders.
Contrary to a lot of the conversation, I don't think Billingsley stands as real competition for Sanders. Part of Billingsley's value is that he can give you snaps as a pass-catching tight end or as an outside receiver.
Two things have to happen and they don't have anything to do with the arrival of Billingsley.
a. Jeff Banks has to start getting the most out of his most talented pupil.
b. Sanders has got to start getting a lot more out of himself.
If those two things happen, it'll all come together for the Longhorns in a big way. If they don't, I think we know where Sanders could be headed and it probably won't be the defensive side of the ball.
No. 5 - Keep your friends close and your enemies closer ...
While there's obviously been constant focus on the work that the Texas coaches are doing in the Portal in the name of retooling the roster, there's a sense that the Portal might be even more important to Oklahoma after the stress made to its roster in the aftermath of Lincoln Riley's upgrade to Los Angeles.
With the Sooners sitting at 17 signees/commitments, it's possible that the OU will take 10+ players through the Portal. How Brent Venables and Co. do in the Portal could define exactly the type of season they should expect in 2022.
Here's a thumbnail sketch on the six wins in the Portal that the Sooners have landed thus far.
QB Dillon Gabriel (UCF) - The biggest impact of any player from the Portal will almost certainly be Gabriel, who has been a very good college quarterback at Central Florida and spent a year under new OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. The biggest concern with Gabriel, who still has multiple seasons of eligibility remaining, is that he's nothing more than a very good college player most of the schedule, who will struggle against the best teams on it. That's the book on Gabriel entering this season.
TE Daniel Parker Jr. (Missouri) - Will possibly be the person that replaces Austin Stogner, but he's not nearly as good as the player who just transferred to South Carolina. Parker, who caught 12 passes for 93 yards and three touchdowns, will likely be a better blocker for the Sooners than a threat in the passing game.
OG McKade Mettauer (Cal) - Very quietly, Mettauer might be the best transfer in the class for the Sooners after starting 28 games for the Bears in his career. Don't be surprised if he ends up being an All-Big 12 type player for the Sooners.
DL Jonah Laulu (Hawaii) - A solid player who recorded 33 tackles and four sacks in his best season with Hawaii in 2021.
DL Jeffery Johnson (Tulane) - Look for Johnson to start at nose-tackle for the Sooners, something he's done for the last few seasons for the Green Wave, as he recorded 136 tackles, 14 for loss, 8 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries in his career.
LB TD Roof (App State) - The son of new OU defensive coordinator Ted Roof, the senior racked up 41 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions during the 2021 season. Expect him to compete for a starting job in 2022.
No. 6 - Life in the Big 12 ain't no joke ...
This was a weekend that witnessed Baylor lose at home to Oklahoma State, while Kansas State kicked Texas Tech upside the head by double-digits. That came on the heels of Tech beating Baylor in Waco, Kansas nearly losing at home to Iowa State and the same Oklahoma State team that won in Waco, losing by double digits in Morgantown.
Welcome to men's Big 12 basketball. Winning on the road is difficult each time you try and on any given night, hosting at home isn't much easier.
Part of the reality of Saturday's loss for the Longhorns in Ames is that this particular game always loomed as one of the top five toughest games on the entire Big 12 schedule. With all due respect to Las Vegas, I'm not sure I understood the point spread, which favored Texas.
Of course, Texas didn't win this weekend, but as I've already established, there's no shame in losing on the road in the Big 12.
The biggest problem I had with the performance was that the Longhorns never really played at a level that would inspire confidence in a possible win. Oh, Texas hung in for dear life and found itself in a game with four minutes to go, but there was never a moment in the game when the Longhorns actually looked like the type of team capable of winning in the hottest kitchens in the conference.
Texas just felt discombobulated on the offensive side of the ball for much of the game, which is one of the reasons why the Longhorns couldn't go on the type of run that would seriously challenge the Cyclones. The good news is that the Longhorns still have two months to work out the kinks. The bad news is that so many of the same kinks seem to exist in every other game.
Just remember that nothing that happens in the next two months matters more than what happens when the NCAA Tournament starts. Win the next dozen or so, but lose in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and all that will matter is the loss in the Tournament. Consequently, games like the one on Saturday don't matter as long as they eventually lead to something of significance in March.
There's plenty of time for the needed progress to occur, but that progress hasn't really started to materialize ... yet.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) The desire from Hudson Card to graduate from the McCombs Business School likely means that any transfer that would occur would happen after this season.
(Sell) Latavious Brini is a hell of a young player, having starting 11 games and finishing second on the national championship team in passes defended, but SEC players that enter the Portal typically sign for other SEC teams if they have those options. The Longhorns have a definite interest, but so will almost every school all over the nation.
(Buy) It's really close, though. It's no sure things that Ewers will be much better than Thompson in his first season of college ball.
(Buy) He's certainly the Vegas favorite.
(Sell) The NCAA is way too concerned about the Portal being something that teams take advantage of by trap-dooring mass amounts of players to simply give teams that much leverage and control of player movement.
(Buy) I don' think it has anything to do with Billingsley, I think there's a better chance of Sanders hitting the portal than moving to defense. He wants to play offense. Period.
(Buy) Andrej Karic and Hayden Conner are the two I'd keep an eye on.
(Sell) I'm not sure I believe he plays four games, but he might emerge as the clear QB2 by this time next year, regardless.
(Sell) Come on...
(Sell) How will we possibly know how and where he deserves credit over the other coaches?
(Buy) I think he hits those numbers, the question for me is whether he can hit 3,500 yards and 30+ touchdowns.
(Sell) No, I don't believe Texas looks like the best Big 12 team on paper.
No. 8 - Scattershooting on the sports weekend ...
... Speaking for me...
View attachment 2054
... What the hell am I even supposed to say about Dallas' loss to San Francisco? The penalties? The poor execution? The last minute run with zero time left on the clock? It was just so typical of the last 20 years. I have no faith.
... I really thought the Eagles might give the Bucs a game on Sunday. Oops. That Brady guy is good.
... Literally no one in America outside of New England felt any remorse for the Patriots taking that ass-kicking in Buffalo on Saturday night. That team had that coming.
... Who retires first - Saban or Belichick? I kind of think Belichick.
... Justin Tucker now has more career All-Pro honors (7) than Morten Anderson (6) and Jan Stenerud (6), while having more than twice as many as Adam Vinatieri (3).
... Get well soon, KD.
... The Lakers are 21-22 through 43 games ... yikes.
... Man City just won't stop winning. It's driving me crazy.
... I can't say I'm a fan of what Austin FC is doing to improve its team going into next season.
No. 9 - Top 10 Pearl Jam ...
You asked for it, you get it.
Pearl Jam.
Five Underrated: Go, Not For You , Life Wasted, All or None and Got Some
Last five songs out: Immortality , Given to Fly, Rearviewmirror, Off He Goes and Indifference
10. Inside Job
The final song off what some call the Avocado album, it's just a beautiful rock song full of different components.
9. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
One of the group's tried and true favorites about a small town girl who comes across a long-ago lover.
8. Once
A bad-ass rocking joint off the group's debut album Ten.
7. State of Love and Trust
One of the group's early beastly songs, it's full of white-hot fire.
6. Nothing As It Seems
A brooding, mysterious favorite from the Binaural album that feels makes me feel like I'm lost at sea chasing a faraway foghorn. Some might call it a great love-making song.
5. Even Flow
One of four songs on the group's debut album that crack the top five, this is another hard-charging classic that really helped make the group what it eventually became. Folks might not know the words to this song, but they know the song because it's iconic like that.
4. Yellow Ledbetter
Pound for pound, this is as good as any song they ever created. The final couple of minutes are lose-your-mind-in-the-music stuff.
3. Alive
The top of the list is dominated by songs from Ten and I'm not sure how you get around it. This is one of the songs that simply has to be in the top three.
2. Jeremy
This was the song that made Pearl Jam a world-wide band.
1. Black
The best song off one of the great albums of all-time and certainly the best from the group.
No. 10 - And Finally...
I'm not ready to put out a 2021-22 movie rankings yet, but I loved CODA on Apple+. Consider it highly recommended.
Pearl Jam is a tough one and certainly gets my interest. Great choice for #1. Would move YL to #2. Not sure how Just Breathe (top 3 for me) did not make your list. Also odd to not see Dance of the Clairvoyants on there.
Coda is a great movie. Maybe your next artistic should be Joni Mitchell.
\m/
I don't know a lot of Joni Mitchell. That would be quite the deep dive.
The commitment to building a team that compete for a championship feels lacking.
I hated making Ring a DP. He's a rock solid MLS player, but he's not the kind of player that should take up a DP space on a really good MLS team.
Picking up Max Urruti as a striker option speaks to what this team is trying to do IMO, which isn't flattering. Five years ago, Urruti was a real player. Now he's the leftover guy from the worst team in the league, who scocred one goal for the Dynamo in his last 19 games.
There's no ambition from my vantage point, just doing enough to fill the stadium with people who really don't know things like Urruti hasn't scored double digit goals in almost 5 years and on his 3rd team in the last 16 months.
And then there's the CB position....
Do you feel Precourt is one of these owners just satisfied with fans filling the stadium and not necessarily spending to have a contending roster?
Also I don’t know much about Valencia but seems on paper to be a better fit than Pochettino.
Would you be alright with being FC Dallas (south) meaning that they develop and sell talent?
Ya, you and I are the same age, were at UT at the same time, etc. Joni Mitchell is a deep dive into 60's and 70's era. Just mentioning it since the main song in Coda, Both Sides Now, is a JM song. She is easily one of the top artist of her era, in the R&R Hall of Fame and one of her albums (Blue) is always on any list of top 30 or all time. Her live recordings tend to be better than her studio ones...imo.
If you know her story, the story behind the song, etc., it was such a great song placement for that movie.
Always enjoy your lists btw. \m/
That's a good question.
I've found Dallas to be a more interesting watch from afar. I've never been to a game or anything, but the actual football is more pleasing to take in.
Yeah, I'd prefer going with their approach than what I've seen from Austin so far.
The real answer is something in the middle of both.
Trevor Lawrence is the comparison. Total QBs with no overt weaknesses anywhere. BTW, when Ewers played Westlake in Championship game he was coming back from surgery on a sports hernia. Amazing toughness to even play.
People are going to be amazed by Ewers.
No doubt ewers has all the phys stuff in spades.
with him it’s more of overcoming “ I’m a doucher” and I can’t lead label
CODA was great! Thanks for the rec.With supervised Texas football team workouts scheduled to begin this week, the arrival of a dozen (and potentially counting) new early enrollees will change the way we view what happens in spring football dramatically from where things would have been if those same players were simply arriving this summer.
Let's take a look at the impact each is expected to make from day one in the Texas program and the upside that exists with each with the extra off-season to work with, as opposed to the rest of their incoming new arrivals.
Quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Maalik Murphy
As much as I might be the president of the Hudson Card Fan Club, the fact that only his presence on the depth chart is in front of either Ewers and Murphy absolutely, 100-percent assures us all that the conversation centering around Ewers and Murphy teeters on spinning out of control before either of them does anything.
My guess is that Card will run with the first-team offense for much of the spring, but at some point, Ewers will start taking some of those reps away and the out of control speculation/expectations will be off.
Also, what happens if Murphy comes in and looks better than Ewers?
These two combine to provide the most fascinating storyline in the entire 2022 off-season. Buckle up.
Running back Jaydon Blue
There's not a lot that Blue will likely be able to do about having Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson and Keilan Robinson standing in his way for playing time.
What Blue can focus on right away this spring is trying to position himself for playing time with sophomore running back Jonathan Brooks, who made a good first-year impression with this coaching staff. After sitting out last season, Blue likely will be frustrated if he's fifth on the depth chart going into September.
His first task for changing that is surpassing Brooks, a potential task that should not be taken for granted because Brooks might be one of the 10 best players in the program.
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Offensive guard Cole Hutson
As the only offensive lineman in the class to arrive in time for the spring, Hutson has a chance to be the early bird getting the worm when it comes to carving out a spot on the two-deep going into the season-opener. Hell, the only thing from keeping Hutson from possibly being the No. 3 guard on the team is a successful recovery from a serious motorcycle accident by Isaiah Hookfin. At worst, he feels like the No. 4 guard on the team going into this off-season, which means he's going to get a ton of reps. It is not an insignificant edge to have over your other freshman o-line brothers.
Defensive Aaron Bryant
Under the best of circumstances, Bryant projects as a player that likely needs a year in the program and in the weight room before being ready to have a significant role within the defensive line. With the depth that returns, this spring shouldn't be much more than a stress-free acclimation period for Bryant. The best place for him to make a big impression is in the off-season program.
Edge Justice Finkley
Go make an impression, young man. With only Ovie Oghoufo in front of him on the depth chart with any kind of experience, Finkley arrives as a key player in the Sarkisian group of "his guys." It's not outside the realm of possibilities that he's running with the second-team defense by the end of the first week of spring workouts.
Defensive back Terrance Brooks
Whether it's at nickel-back or safety, Brooks profiles as a true freshman that could emerge as a starter before his freshman season is complete. Being in Austin for the spring will allow for that type of forecasting to be anything other than hyperbole. There's a very good chance he'll be regarded as a top-five player in the Texas secondary by the end of spring football.
Cornerback Ryan Watts
Look for Watts to start the spring as a second-team cornerback behind D'Shawn Jamison and Jahdae Barron, but the Ohio State transfer didn't come to Austin to ride the bench, so expect the competition at cornerback between the three to be intense. The smart money is on Watts eventually being a first-team player.
Defensive backs Xavion Brice, Larry Turner-Gooden and Jaylon Guilbeau
All figure to start the spring as a third-team players and it remains to be seen how much higher they'll be able to climb, with four returning players in front of them, along with Ohio State transfer Ryan Watts. Year one might very well be a full learning year for all three.
Safety Bryan Allen
Allen likely arrives as a second-team safety when the spring begins, which means that he'll see a ton of early practice reps and it might not take long before he's competing for something more important than just being on the two-peep.
No. 2 - About the Portal Dudes ...
Here are my two questions about Alabama transfer/new Texas tight end/outside receiver Jahleel Billingsley ...
a. If he lines up on the outside opposite Xavier Worthy as an outside receiver, does he represent an upgrade from Marcus Washington, who finished the season in that role?
Yeah, I would say so.
b. Is he the best option the Longhorns could find in the here and now, or in the future, heading into the heart of the off-season?
Honestly, I don't know. Maybe. Maybe the Texas coaches will keep looking for help and Billingsley merely represents the first step in trying to address the needs on the outside opposite Worthy.
In my mind, the addition of Billingsley makes the Longhorns a better team ... I'm just not sure how much better. If he caught 17 passes for 256 and three touchdowns as a junior at Alabama, would 34 catches for 512 yards and six touchdowns represent optimal success for the spot opposite Worthy? Maybe not when you consider that those numbers match what Washington and Joshua Moore essentially combined for in terms of production in that spot a season ago, but if he can hit that kind of production, he'll be worth the take in the Portal.
With Drew Sanders choosing to stay in the SEC and Mario Williams heading out West to play for his old coach, there wasn't much left to talk about in the Portal outside of Alabama linebacker Jaylen Moody, who popped into Austin on Saturday for a visit and might be joining Billingsley as a Longhorn-to-be in the very near future.
Upon first glance, you might want to compare Moody to Ben Davis, mainly because he only made 11 tackles in 2021 and most of his playing time occurred on special teams.
Yet, when I communicated with Alabama sources this weekend, they were much higher on Moody compared to Billingsley.
"He didn’t play because guys were better ahead of him, but not by much," one source said. "He’s good. You want Drew Sanders and Moody."
If I ask the same questions of Moody that I ask of Billingsley, the answers look very similar.
Yes, I believe he's an upgrade to the roster (mainly because what exists on the roster is so poor) and potentially a heavy contributor at inside linebacker, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think he paled by comparison to some of the other linebacker options that the Longhorns have explored.
No. 3 - Scattershooting about the Scholarship Board ...
* Steve Sarkisian mentioned on signing day that the Longhorns might take as many as 36 incoming players in this class and the distribution of offers to different positions without a ton of hesitancy suggests that it's a number we should all take seriously.
* If the Longhorns take as many as 36 incoming players, Texas will need three of the following players who signed in December to agree to a gray- or blue-shirt in order for the numbers to work: offensive lineman Malik Agbo, offensive lineman Kelvin Banks, linebacker Derrick Brown, defensive end Ethan Burke, linebacker Trevell Johnson, defensive back Austin Jordan, defensive tackle Kristopher Ross, wide receiver Savion Red, offensive lineman Connor Robertson, deep-snapper Lance St. Louis, defensive end Zac Swanson, wide receiver Brenen Thompson, kicker Will Stone, defensive end J'Mond Tapp, offensive lineman Neto Umeozulu and offensive lineman Cameron Williams.
Of the following 16, the likes of Agbo, Banks, Brown, Burke, Robertson, Ross, Swanson, Thompson, Tapp, Umeolulu and Williams feel like absolute arrivals in the summer, which would leave a group of five (Johnson, Jordan, Red, St. Louis and Stone) that the coaches would have to choose from for every spot that goes above the magic 33 number.
* As I've mentioned before, the Longhorns will need five more player departures before the numbers deadline in August, unless the NCAA provides a waiver for all returning super seniors, which is entirely possible (but not yet approved). That number would become six if Cameron Dicker returns. If the NCAA allows waivers against the 85-man number for all super seniors, the program would need only two pieces of attrition. Either way, Texas shouldn't have a problem hitting the 85-man number.
* I have no idea why we haven't heard anything from Dicker with regards to a final decision.
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No. 4 - About J'Tavian Sanders ...
It feels like the upcoming spring is pretty critical for sophomore tight end J'Tavian Sanders.
Contrary to a lot of the conversation, I don't think Billingsley stands as real competition for Sanders. Part of Billingsley's value is that he can give you snaps as a pass-catching tight end or as an outside receiver.
Two things have to happen and they don't have anything to do with the arrival of Billingsley.
a. Jeff Banks has to start getting the most out of his most talented pupil.
b. Sanders has got to start getting a lot more out of himself.
If those two things happen, it'll all come together for the Longhorns in a big way. If they don't, I think we know where Sanders could be headed and it probably won't be the defensive side of the ball.
No. 5 - Keep your friends close and your enemies closer ...
While there's obviously been constant focus on the work that the Texas coaches are doing in the Portal in the name of retooling the roster, there's a sense that the Portal might be even more important to Oklahoma after the stress made to its roster in the aftermath of Lincoln Riley's upgrade to Los Angeles.
With the Sooners sitting at 17 signees/commitments, it's possible that the OU will take 10+ players through the Portal. How Brent Venables and Co. do in the Portal could define exactly the type of season they should expect in 2022.
Here's a thumbnail sketch on the six wins in the Portal that the Sooners have landed thus far.
QB Dillon Gabriel (UCF) - The biggest impact of any player from the Portal will almost certainly be Gabriel, who has been a very good college quarterback at Central Florida and spent a year under new OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. The biggest concern with Gabriel, who still has multiple seasons of eligibility remaining, is that he's nothing more than a very good college player most of the schedule, who will struggle against the best teams on it. That's the book on Gabriel entering this season.
TE Daniel Parker Jr. (Missouri) - Will possibly be the person that replaces Austin Stogner, but he's not nearly as good as the player who just transferred to South Carolina. Parker, who caught 12 passes for 93 yards and three touchdowns, will likely be a better blocker for the Sooners than a threat in the passing game.
OG McKade Mettauer (Cal) - Very quietly, Mettauer might be the best transfer in the class for the Sooners after starting 28 games for the Bears in his career. Don't be surprised if he ends up being an All-Big 12 type player for the Sooners.
DL Jonah Laulu (Hawaii) - A solid player who recorded 33 tackles and four sacks in his best season with Hawaii in 2021.
DL Jeffery Johnson (Tulane) - Look for Johnson to start at nose-tackle for the Sooners, something he's done for the last few seasons for the Green Wave, as he recorded 136 tackles, 14 for loss, 8 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries in his career.
LB TD Roof (App State) - The son of new OU defensive coordinator Ted Roof, the senior racked up 41 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions during the 2021 season. Expect him to compete for a starting job in 2022.
No. 6 - Life in the Big 12 ain't no joke ...
This was a weekend that witnessed Baylor lose at home to Oklahoma State, while Kansas State kicked Texas Tech upside the head by double-digits. That came on the heels of Tech beating Baylor in Waco, Kansas nearly losing at home to Iowa State and the same Oklahoma State team that won in Waco, losing by double digits in Morgantown.
Welcome to men's Big 12 basketball. Winning on the road is difficult each time you try and on any given night, hosting at home isn't much easier.
Part of the reality of Saturday's loss for the Longhorns in Ames is that this particular game always loomed as one of the top five toughest games on the entire Big 12 schedule. With all due respect to Las Vegas, I'm not sure I understood the point spread, which favored Texas.
Of course, Texas didn't win this weekend, but as I've already established, there's no shame in losing on the road in the Big 12.
The biggest problem I had with the performance was that the Longhorns never really played at a level that would inspire confidence in a possible win. Oh, Texas hung in for dear life and found itself in a game with four minutes to go, but there was never a moment in the game when the Longhorns actually looked like the type of team capable of winning in the hottest kitchens in the conference.
Texas just felt discombobulated on the offensive side of the ball for much of the game, which is one of the reasons why the Longhorns couldn't go on the type of run that would seriously challenge the Cyclones. The good news is that the Longhorns still have two months to work out the kinks. The bad news is that so many of the same kinks seem to exist in every other game.
Just remember that nothing that happens in the next two months matters more than what happens when the NCAA Tournament starts. Win the next dozen or so, but lose in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and all that will matter is the loss in the Tournament. Consequently, games like the one on Saturday don't matter as long as they eventually lead to something of significance in March.
There's plenty of time for the needed progress to occur, but that progress hasn't really started to materialize ... yet.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) The desire from Hudson Card to graduate from the McCombs Business School likely means that any transfer that would occur would happen after this season.
(Sell) Latavious Brini is a hell of a young player, having starting 11 games and finishing second on the national championship team in passes defended, but SEC players that enter the Portal typically sign for other SEC teams if they have those options. The Longhorns have a definite interest, but so will almost every school all over the nation.
(Buy) It's really close, though. It's no sure things that Ewers will be much better than Thompson in his first season of college ball.
(Buy) He's certainly the Vegas favorite.
(Sell) The NCAA is way too concerned about the Portal being something that teams take advantage of by trap-dooring mass amounts of players to simply give teams that much leverage and control of player movement.
(Buy) I don' think it has anything to do with Billingsley, I think there's a better chance of Sanders hitting the portal than moving to defense. He wants to play offense. Period.
(Buy) Andrej Karic and Hayden Conner are the two I'd keep an eye on.
(Sell) I'm not sure I believe he plays four games, but he might emerge as the clear QB2 by this time next year, regardless.
(Sell) Come on...
(Sell) How will we possibly know how and where he deserves credit over the other coaches?
(Buy) I think he hits those numbers, the question for me is whether he can hit 3,500 yards and 30+ touchdowns.
(Sell) No, I don't believe Texas looks like the best Big 12 team on paper.
No. 8 - Scattershooting on the sports weekend ...
... Speaking for me...
View attachment 2054
... What the hell am I even supposed to say about Dallas' loss to San Francisco? The penalties? The poor execution? The last minute run with zero time left on the clock? It was just so typical of the last 20 years. I have no faith.
... I really thought the Eagles might give the Bucs a game on Sunday. Oops. That Brady guy is good.
... Literally no one in America outside of New England felt any remorse for the Patriots taking that ass-kicking in Buffalo on Saturday night. That team had that coming.
... Who retires first - Saban or Belichick? I kind of think Belichick.
... Justin Tucker now has more career All-Pro honors (7) than Morten Anderson (6) and Jan Stenerud (6), while having more than twice as many as Adam Vinatieri (3).
... Get well soon, KD.
... The Lakers are 21-22 through 43 games ... yikes.
... Man City just won't stop winning. It's driving me crazy.
... I can't say I'm a fan of what Austin FC is doing to improve its team going into next season.
No. 9 - Top 10 Pearl Jam ...
You asked for it, you get it.
Pearl Jam.
Five Underrated: Go, Not For You , Life Wasted, All or None and Got Some
Last five songs out: Immortality , Given to Fly, Rearviewmirror, Off He Goes and Indifference
10. Inside Job
The final song off what some call the Avocado album, it's just a beautiful rock song full of different components.
9. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
One of the group's tried and true favorites about a small town girl who comes across a long-ago lover.
8. Once
A bad-ass rocking joint off the group's debut album Ten.
7. State of Love and Trust
One of the group's early beastly songs, it's full of white-hot fire.
6. Nothing As It Seems
A brooding, mysterious favorite from the Binaural album that feels makes me feel like I'm lost at sea chasing a faraway foghorn. Some might call it a great love-making song.
5. Even Flow
One of four songs on the group's debut album that crack the top five, this is another hard-charging classic that really helped make the group what it eventually became. Folks might not know the words to this song, but they know the song because it's iconic like that.
4. Yellow Ledbetter
Pound for pound, this is as good as any song they ever created. The final couple of minutes are lose-your-mind-in-the-music stuff.
3. Alive
The top of the list is dominated by songs from Ten and I'm not sure how you get around it. This is one of the songs that simply has to be in the top three.
2. Jeremy
This was the song that made Pearl Jam a world-wide band.
1. Black
The best song off one of the great albums of all-time and certainly the best from the group.
No. 10 - And Finally...
I'm not ready to put out a 2021-22 movie rankings yet, but I loved CODA on Apple+. Consider it highly recommended.
Thanks J Tull. This kid is special. He will make people say "Wow". I'm not sure what Ketch sees that gives him pause. Talked to Q's QB coach that coaches a lot of NFL talent and he said Q is going to the best he's ever coached. The ease of what Q is able to do things is extraordinary.
Never heard this label a single time. IMO he challenge is living up to the hype..
