Credit to @Juarez Your Problem.
Weirdly, with 13 days to go until the season-opener for your Texas Longhorns (knock on wood), I found myself on Sunday struggling for a column lede that really grabbed me and then I stumbled onto a post on the board somewhat randomly comparing the 2020 Texas football team with the 2012 Texas football team.
Outside of the quarterback position, which the 2020 Texas team wins by a country mile, there were a lot of close calls between position groups when you consider what we would have thought about that 2012 team coming into the season versus what we think of this current Texas football team.
Mind you, I'm not talking about the production of the 2012 team. Rather, I'm talking about the way we would have perceived the position going into both seasons.
For instance, the 2020 version of Sam Ehlinger is expected to be an all-America candidate after starting at Texas for three seasons, while the 2012 version of David Ash was about to have the best season of his career, but no one knew what the hell to think of him going into the season following an incredibly up and down freshman season in 2011.
Basically, I'm stealing @Juarez Your Problem's idea, putting it on steroids and turning it into a bit of a game in hopes that it tells me something about the 2020 team that I haven't considered up until now. Full transparency - I haven't done the work yet. Whatever happens is going to happen, but consider this project completely ad lib.
What I'm going to do is rank the following Texas teams in order (5 points for first place, 1 point for last) by position groups: 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2020.
My hope is that we might get a sense of just how talented and developed this current group of Longhorns is in all areas by holding it up against a backdrop of a variety of teams from this decade. If you're a Texas fan, the hope would have to be that the 2020 team finishes this process with the most points.
No. 2 - The Battle of Offenses ...
Quarterback
1. 2020 senior Sam Ehlinger/Casey Thompson/Hudson Card (5 points)
2. 2013 junior David Ash/senior Case McCoy (4 points)
3. 2010 sophomore Garrett Gilbert/freshman Case McCoy (3 points)
4. 2017 sophomore Shane Buechele/freshman Sam Ehlinger (2 points)
5. 2015 junior Tyrone Swoopes/freshman Jerrod Heard (1 point)
Quickie thoughts: The 2013 version of Ash was coming off a really good season, one that was arguably close to the one that Ehlinger had in 2019, but the expectations for Ash weren't nearly as high as they are for Ehlinger as he enters his senior season poised to compete for top 5 all-time quarterback status in school history. Yes, if we simply go by my own expectations for Gilbert going into the 2010 season, you could make a case that he'd be ranked No. 2.
Running Backs
1. 2013: junior Malcolm Brown/sophomore Jonathan Gray/junior Joe Bergeron (5 points)
2. 2020: junior Keaontay Ingram/sophomore Roschon Johnson/freshman Bijan Robinson (4 points)
3T. 2015: freshman Chris Warren/senior Jonathan Gray/sophomore D'Onta Foreman (2.5 points)
3T. 2017: junior Chris Warren/sophomore Kyle Porter/freshman Toneil Carter (2.5 points)
5. 2010: sophomore Tre Newton/junior Cody Johnson/junior Fozzy Whittaker (1 point)
Quickie thoughts: It's quite possible that we have the current 2020 running back group underrated because when you compare it against much of the last decade, it holds up really, really well.
Wide Receivers
1. 2020: junior Brennan Eagles/senior Tarik Black/sophomore Jake Smith/redshirt freshman Jordan Whittington (5 points)
2. 2013: senior Mike Davis/junior Jaxon Shipley/sophomore Kendall Sanders/sophomore Marcus Johnson (4 points)
3. 2017: sophomore Collin Johnson/redshirt freshman Reggie Hemphill/senior Armanti Foreman/sophomore Lil'Jordan Humphrey (3 points)
2. 2010: senior James Kirkendoll/freshman Mike Davis/sophomore Marquise Goodwin/senior John Chiles (2 points)
1. 2015: senior Marcus Johnson/senior Daje Johnson/freshman John Burt/sophomore Armanti Foreman (1 point)
Quickie thoughts: See running back position. Wow, some of these wide receiver units over the last decade were poor on paper coming into the year and not much better in actuality. Texas currently has a lot of 5-star and high-level 4-star ranked talent on its roster and at the top of its depth chart.
Tight Ends
1. 2020: senior Cade Brewer/sophomore Jared Wiley/sophomore Malcolm Epps (5 points)
2. 2013: junior Greg Daniels/junior Geoff Swaim (4 points)
3. 2015: junior Caleb Bluiett/sophomore Andrew Beck (3 points)
4. 2010: sophomore Barrett Matthews/senior Greg Smith (2 points)
5. 2017: junior Garrett Gray/freshman Cade Brewer (1 point)
Quickie thoughts: I actually feel guilty awarding any points at all to a few of those groups.
Offensive Line
1. 2020: junior Sam Cosmi/sophomore Junior Angilau/senior Derek Kersetter/senior Denzel Okafor/sophomore Christian Jones (5 points)
2. 2013: senior Donald Hawkins/senior Trey Hopkins/junior Dom Espinosa/senior Mason Walters/junior Josh Cochran (4 points)
3. 2010: senior Kyle Hix/senior Michael Huey/junior David Snow/redshirt freshman Mason Walters/senior Britt Mitchell (3 points)
2. 2017: junior Connor Williams/junior Patrick Vahe/sophomore Zach Shackelford/junior Jake McMillon/senior Tristan Nickelson
1. 2015: freshman Connor Williams/senior Sedrick Flowers/senior Taylor Doyle/freshman Patrick Vahe/Junior Kent Perkins
Quickie thoughts: The battle between the 2020/2013 offensive line groups is probably closer than anyone would want to admit. Cosmi/Kerstetter rank above Hawkins/Espinosa, but you can make a case that coming into the season that a trio of Hopkins/Walters/Cochran ranks solidly ahead of Angilau/Okafor/Jones.
Total Offensive Points
2020: 24 points
2013: 21 points
2017: 11.5 points
2010: 11 points
2015: 8.5 points
No. 3 - The Battles of the Defenses ...
Defensive tackles
1. 2013: sophomore Malcom Brown/senior Chris Whaley/junior Desmond Jackson (5 points)
2. 2010: junior Kheeston Randall/sophomore Alex Okafor/freshman Ashton Dorsey (4 points)
3. 2020: sophomore Keondre Coburn/senior Ta'Quan Graham/sophomore T'Vondre Sweat/freshman Alfred Collins (3 points)
4. 2017: senior Poona Ford/sophomore Chris Nerlson/sophomore Gerald Wilbon
5. 2015: senior Desmond Jackson/sophomore Poona Ford/junior Hassan Ridgeway (1 point)
Quickie thoughts: Other than the first and last groups, the middle of this list of groupings was hard for me to settle on in terms of an order. I probably switched it up five times.
Defensive ends
1. 2010: senior Sam Acho/senior Eddie Jones/freshman Jackson Jeffcoat (5 points)
2. 2013: senior Jackson Jeffcoat/junior Cedric Reed/sophomore Shiro Davis (4 points)
3. 2020: junior Joseph Ossai/sophomore Moro Ojomo/ senior Jacoby Jones/freshman Vernon Broughton (3 points)
4. 2017: junior Charles Omenihu/sophomore Malcolm Roach (2 points)
5. 2015: senior Shiro Davis/sophomore Naashon Hughes/junior Byrce Cottrell (1 point)
Quickie thoughts: Those defensive end units at the beginning of the decade all had more than one guy that could make a play and get the quarterback. The 2020 group hasn't proven that yet.
Linebackers
2010: junior Keenan Robinson/junior Emmanuel Acho/senior Dustin Earnest (5 points)
2013: junior Steve Edmond/junior Jordan Hicks/sophomore Dalton Santos (4 points)
2017: junior Malik Jefferson/senior Naashon Hughes/junior Anthony Wheeler (3 points)
2015: senior Peter Jenkins/freshman Malik Jefferson/junior Tim Cole (2 points)
2020: junior Juwan Mitchell/junior Demarvion Overshown/sophomore Dele Adeoye (1 point)
Quickie thoughts: The weakest part of the 2020 Texas team on paper falls to the bottom of the linebacker rankings.
Cornerbacks
2010: junior Aaron Williams/senior Chykie Brown/senior Curtis Brown (5 points)
2013: senior Carrington Byndom/junior Quandre Diggs/sophomore Duke Thomas (4 points)
2020: junior D'Shawn Jamison/junior Jalen Green/junior Josh Thompson/sophomore Chris Adimora (3 points)
2017: junior Holton Hill/junior Kris Boyd/junior P.J. Locke (2 points)
2015: senior Duke Thomas/freshman Holton Hill/sophomore Antwuan Davis (1 point)
Quickie thoughts: The No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the list are easy ones, but I struggled to rank the 2020 group vs. the 2017 group. Did I give the 2020 group too much credit?
Safeties
1. 2020: junior Caden Sterns/senior Chris Brown/junior BJ Foster (5 poiunts)
2. 2010: senior Blake Gideon/junior Christian Scott/sophomore Kenny Vaccaro (4 points)
3. 2017: junior Deshon Elliott/sophomore Brandon Jones/junior John Bonney (3 points)
4. 2013: senior Adrian Phillips/junior Mykkele Thompson/junior Josh Turner (2 points)
5. 2015: junior Dylan Haines/sophomore Jason Hall/redshirt freshman John Bonney (1 point)
Quickie thoughts: These groups all mostly outperformed expectations, at least I think that's the case with the 2017 and 2013 safety groups, considering Elliott far surpassed expectations, as did Phillips and Thompson.
Total Defensive Points
2010: 23 points
2013: 19 points
2020: 15 points
2017: 12 points
2015: 6 points
No. 4 - Adding the two sides of the ball together ...
2013: 40 points
2020: 39 points
2010: 34 points
2017: 23.5 points
2015: 14.5 points
I'm not sure what I was expecting going into the process, but that wasn't it, even if the 2013 team was 30 minutes away from possibly winning the Big 12 and featured nine guys in the starting defensive unit that had at the very least a cup of coffee playing football on Sundays.
No. 5 - Scattershooting on Longhorns football ...
... Why is Texas taking grad transfer depth at running back and wide receiver? The answer seems easy ... because it can. With the Longhorns under the 85-man limit and likely facing a situation in 2021 where there's no official scholarship count (110 the limit in 2021?) because of the circumstances facing everyone in a 2020 Covid world, there's virtually zero downside to taking a flyer on some unexpected depth at any position.
... Hudson Card taking 40 percent of the snaps with the second-team offense, despite not having a set of spring workouts to adjust to the pace of a new level speaks volumes about where he's eventually headed on the depth chart.
... Tom Herman and Mike Yurcich have an interesting situation in front of them regarding the 2021 quarterback battle. My guess is they'll slow-play the starting quarterback decision as long as possible in a quest to limit the chances of the losers of the battle transferring. As deep as the quarterback room is right now, it's the presence of Ehlinger at the moment that probably allows for it. Once he's gone, the urgency is going to accelerate, no matter what the coaches try to do to massage it.
... Third-year offensive lineman Reese Moore is entering his third season on the 40 Acres and doesn't really seem to be on the verge of cracking a dent on the two-deep in 2020. I'm not sure that's a surprise, given his position, profile and the jump he's making in competition, but if the light switch doesn't start to flip on in the 2021 off-season, it's going to start feeling like he might have been a lottery ticket that's not going to be cashed in.
... Tope Imade being seemingly a snap away from being the starting right guard illustrates the concerns that exist along the offensive line behind the starters. In fact, a case can be made that the Longhorns might be able to better adjust to a world where they would need to replace Sam Ehlinger for a month than they would a pair of offensive line injuries.
... DeMarvion Overshown might be the most important defensive player in the entire program outside of Joseph Ossai. If not Overshown, I just don't know where the playmaking at the linebacker position is going to come from. Juwan Mitchell has shown flashes, but I wouldn't bet $20 he'll play the entire season based on the events of the last 12 months, both on and off the field.
... Someone tell Vernon Broughton that Hudson Card and the rest of the quarterbacks are not to be destroyed like they are Brian Robison's Rhett Bomar pinata!
No. 6 - It's time ...
I don't know about the rest of you, but it brought a smile to my face this week to see Texas name Tom Penders in the upcoming Hall of Honor class.
As bad as the ending of his time in Austin was, Penders saved Texas basketball from the Stone Age in the 80s and turned the product into something that turned the 13-year-old version of me into a Texas fan living in Austin back in 1989 in a way the football program couldn't back then.
Two decades have passed since the Luke Axtell/alleged late night phone calls fiascos took place. Surely, that's enough time.
I'll be glad to see him back in Austin wearing burnt orange with a smile on his face.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) I expect the secondary ticket market to be quite pricey. The demand is going to be much greater than the supply.
(Buy) Luck will be the biggest determining factor for the entire success of the sport this year.
(Sell) 13 days is creeping up fast, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me.
(Buy) Either that or some grad transfers. Or some seniors using this newfound extra year of eligibility that is now available if they want it. Or all of the above.
(Sell) No.
(Sell) OU will be the toughest game on the schedule and until Texas beats TCU more consistently than once every half decade, I'd be careful about assuming anything in that match-up.
(Sell/Buy/Buy) I'm starting to think we should have all purchased Smith stock while it was at its low point in the last nine months.
(Buy) It'll be close/borderline, but it'll be a consensus.
(Sell) Not ahead of Casey Thompson IMO, not unless the Longhorns want a problem.
(Sell) It'll prove to be acceptable for decision-makers if it happens.
(Buy) Probably.
(Buy) Dogs don't send hateful DMs in the middle of the night.
No. 8 - Scattershooting on the world of sports ...
... I have my fantasy football draft coming up in two days and haven't given it more than 10 seconds of thought. I'm so screwed.
... Good to see former Longhorns defensive end Charles Omenihu doing the damn thing in Houston.
... Luka Doncic is gone from the NBA playoffs one week after he hit a shot that I devoted an entire section to. Life comes at you pretty fast ...
... The Celtics look pretty awesome right now, which has my Sixers-loving-heart aching quite a bit.
... I'd be real careful about hitting P.J. Tucker in the private parts. I mean ... you could just go play in traffic instead if it's the bruises you want, Dennis Schroeder.
... I read somewhere this weekend that Mike Trout has 50 home runs in his last 130 games. He good.
... The Dodgers are 26-10, have won eight of their last 10 and are +90 in 36 games.
... Leo Messi in the Premier League? Bring it on! Yolo!
... I watched more MLS when the sport was in a bubble.
No. 9 - The List: The best high school football players from Austin ...
Earlier this week, the Statesman came out with its list of the top 100 players from the Austin area. I absolutely loved the idea enough that I'm stealing it for this section much like I stole the lede of this week's column from an Orangebloods member.
Unlike the Statesman, which included schools like Thorndale and Burnet into the Austin-area because its coverage of high school sports extends that far, my idea of what counts as "Austin-area" is a little different to these AISD eyes.
Therefore, my map of what counted as "Austin-area" extends out of Austin like this:
* Up north as far as Round Rock (the entire RRISD gets in).
* Down south as far as Buda.
* East to Manor
* West/Northwest to Cedar Park, Westlake and Lake Travis
With that being said, here's a look at my Top 25
25. Running back Erik Hardeman (Pflugerville - Class of 2003)
As full of raw talent and ability as any running back the city has ever produced. He didn't quite have a monster career, but he was too talented to not make the top 25.
24. Athlete Waymon Clark (Regan - Class of 1968)
A member of two state title teams during the Reagan glory days, none other than @TornJock told me on Sunday that Clark was a guy that had to be on the list.
23. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger (Westlake - Class of 2017)
Never won the big prize while he was at Westlake, which is why he has to rank behind a few quarterbacks that did, but 69 touchdowns and six interceptions as a prep player pretty much exactly match what Baker Mayfield produced at Lake Travis, while winning a state title.
22. Defensive end Alex Okafor (Pflugerville - Class of 2009)
A USA Today All-American and a five-star prospect that is still playing in the NFL, Okafor might deserve a higher placement on this list.
21. Offensive lineman Seth McKinney (Westlake - Class of 1997)
It feels a little dirty ranking the greatest lineman of the last 25 years of Chaps football outside of the top 20.
20. Defensive back Aaron Williams (McNeil - Class of 2008)
One of the two or three best players/talents that the RRISD has ever produced.
19. Running back Victor Ike (Bowie - Class of 1997)
One of three running backs from the 1990s that crack the top 20.
18. Linebacker Reggie Brown (Reagan - Class of 1992)
The hardest dude I've ever tried to block in my entire life. An absolute sideline to sideline monster.
17. Defensive lineman Ken Harvey (Lanier - Class of 1983)
I wish I could have seen his film from when he played at Lanier because my coaches at McCallum swore by him when they used to talk about him.
16. Athlete Michael Griffin (Bowie - Class of 2003)
A special do-it-all performer that would likely have been higher on the list if he had played for a more powerful program. Hell, he might rank in the top 5 if he'd had a chance to play for Lake Travis or Westlake.
15. Running back Ryan Nunez (Westlake - Class of 1995)
He wasn't quite the best running back from the area during the early to mid 90s, but he certainly is in the conversation. One of the city's all-time great home run hitters from the running back position.
14. Quarterback O.J. McClintock (Westwood - Class of 1999)
The sound of Craig Way calling McClintock touchdowns on the radio during his senior year will live with me forever. Although he never starred at Texas, he was the most dominant force on a football field I have ever seen from the RRISD.
13. Defensive tackle Brad Shearer (Westlake - Class of 1973)
The former Outland Trophy winner at Texas was the first big superstar player out of Westlake.
12. Defensive tackle Sonny Davis (Lanier - Class of 2000)
It's hard to describe how freaky good Davis was as an athlete/football player, but this is a young man that could have been an NFL Hall of Fame level player if he'd had the grades and support system around him to lift himself out of a tough background. Think of an even more athletic Shaun Rogers.
11. Quarterback Baker Mayfield (Lake Travis - Class of 2012)
Finished his high school career with a 25-2 record, a 2011 state title and a 67/8 touchdown to interception ratio.
10. Wide receiver Billy Brooks (Johnston - Class of 1972)
There are still some old heads that will likely debate me not having Brooks higher on the list. An absolute star on the field, Brooks ranks as one of the best receivers in OU history.
9. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson (Lake Travis - Class of 2019)
The best wide receiver in the history of the city as far as I'm concerned.
8. Athlete Don Baylor (Austin High - Class of 1967)
The future Major League Baseball MVP broke the Austin High color lines, becoming the first black varsity player in school history and he dominated on the field.
7. Linebacker Kenneth Alexander (LBJ - Class of 1990)
I remember watching Alexander play as a senior when I was in middle school and thinking the former Parade All-American was a god. That he was a star linebacker for Florida State and won a national title during my senior season at McCallum only reinforced that notion when I was 17.
6. Athlete John Harvey (Old Anderson High - Class of 1966)
Almost broke the color lines at The University of Texas coming out of high school, but he didn't qualify academically. Another legend of all legends in the area.
5. Running back Shon Mitchell (LBJ - Class of 1993)
I don't remember anyone even knowing Mitchell's name before the 1993 season, yet no skill player in the AISD has ever been worth the price of admission quite like Mitchell.
4. Quarterback/defensive back Derrick Strait (Lanier - Class of 1999)
I've seen every AISD player worth a pound of salt since the late 1980s and I'm not sure anyone deserves to be mentioned in the same breath. The fact that a Lanier team that was beyond horrible before he arrived dominated the district for three straight seasons while he played only starts to scratch the surface if how good he was.
3. Quarterback Garrett Gilbert (Lake Travis - Class of 2009)
It's easy now to somewhat forget how out of this world good Gilbert was in high school, but before he arrived on the scene, Lake Travis was known for folding in the playoffs annually. Two state titles and virtually every state passing record later, Gilbert's high school resume is second to none.
2. Defensive back Dick "Night Train" Lane (Old Anderson High - Class of 1947)
His legend while playing in the segregated Prairie View Interscholastic League has stood the test of time.
1. Quarterback Drew Brees (Westlake - Class of 1997)
There's a reason why I predicted that he would become a Heisman finalist at Purdue when he signed in 1997, despite only having two scholarship offers. The only other football player I've seen that compares in the last quarter-century from this state at the quarterback position in high school is Vince Young.
No.10 - And finally...
Rest in power, Chadwick Boseman. He seemed like such a beautiful man and soul. The world is a little less better without him.
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