Tom Herman and his staff played it pretty cool this weekend.
Once upon a time around these parts, the Texas football program would host dozens of the state’s best juniors (and occasionally a few sophomores) and the excitement of the moment proved to be too much for those calling the shots.
So important was it to build early momentum each year, while embracing eager young men that wanted to be Longhorns more than they wanted to be prized recruits, that the Texas coaching staff would overlook all corresponding damage in the process.
As Mack Brown used to express, if a recruit told him Texas was just one of four or five instead of one of one, he was simply going to find him a guy that would tell him that he’s one of one.
The debate about the pros and cons of Mack’s recruiting strategies is for another time, as all I’m trying to point out is that there used to be a time when the Longhorns shot off fireworks like it was the Fourth of July when a Junior Day rolled around. If Mack had come away with anything less than a half-dozen commitments, folks would have been wondering if something was wrong.
Given that Herman’s weekend ended with a single commitment from an out-of-state player, it’s probably something a few folks are wondering today and I would guess the answer comes down to personal perspective on whether with 11 months to go until Signing Day, you should be pressing the gas or sitting in cruise control.
Mack loved early momentum. He would get a guy in the recruiting hotbox by telling him there was only one spot open for him and if he didn’t jump on board, there might be a kid in the hallway that would five minutes later. With the skills of a ketchup popsicle salesman who could make millions working a room full of people wearing white coats, Mack was a dangerous man in the recruiting world when his program was full of juice.
Part of that had to do with Mack’s personal preference towards building a class. Beginning with his very first class in 1999, it was important to Mack that he be at least at the halfway point in recruiting by the end of June. It gave him time to spend more focus and energy on the biggest recruits left on the table and it was a process that proved to pay huge dividends throughout his career.
Charlie Strong felt the exact opposite of Mack. Not only did early momentum not matter as much to him, he really didn’t like having to babysit commitments while they went back and forth over whether they made the right decision to commit early. Strong was willing to gamble that his staff would create its fireworks right at the finish line, a gamble that paid off in 2015/2016 recruiting, but would have been seriously tested if he had lasted another year.
It’s probably too early to draw any long-term conclusions on Herman’s preferred methods of building an ideal recruiting class, but if Herman and his staff wanted more commitments, they could have pushed for them. There were guys on campus that would have committed with an offer, but Herman stressed making a powerful first impression and showing the kids a good time more than anything else. Prospect after prospect confirmed after the event was over that there was virtually zero pressure applied by the staff to make a decision.
Eventually, Herman will have to decide when it’s time to start applying a little more pressure towards stacking up some commitments, but that day wasn’t this weekend and all things being equal, I tend to commend the collective football staff for its restraint. It would seem to indicate a belief that the staff believes it will collect momentum moving forward in the next 11 months, rather than concede it.
More than anything, these are the bullet points to take with you from what happened over the weekend.
A ton of big-timers from inside the state showed up, including the No. 1, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 7, No. 8, No. 9, No. 11, No. 12, No. 13, No. 14, No. 16, No. 20, No. 24 and No. 30 players (among others) from the Lone Star Recruiting Top 100 list.
The Longhorns solidified their position (at a minimum) with almost every kid that showed up this weekend, as almost every kid Orangebloods spoke with after the event raved about the time they had and expressed eagerness for a return visit.
Handing out new offers on Saturday wasn’t really a priority, as only one out of state 2019 prospect reported receiving a new offer, which speaks to the relaxed atmosphere the coaches tried to create.
One of the more interesting and telling notes from the weekend occurred when Jason Suchomel reported that those inside the Texas football offices still sensed a wait-and-see attitude with a number of prospects. Oh, they had a great time, but the big-time guys still want to see some results before completely jumping aboard.
All in all, there’s more positive vibes than anything else, but as I stressed in last week’s column, this Junior Day was the first step in a multi-step process.
The journey has begun and the end is nowhere in sight.
No. 2 – An out of state beginning ...
There’s something wonderfully ironic about the first commitment of the 2018 recruiting class coming from an out-of-state kid.
From the state of Florida, no less.
With so much focus on winning in the state of Texas, the commitment of Ocala (Florida) Vanguard athlete Justin Watkins reminded everyone of a very important lesson … it doesn’t matter where they come from if they can ball. If a national top 100 prospect is willing to fly 1,000 miles to give a commitment in person, you’re never going to turn it down.
What might be even more interesting than the commitment of Watkins is the reality that the No. 2 commitment in this recruiting class might not just come from another out of state, but the son of an Oklahoma Sooners legend.
Moore, Oklahoma dual-threat quarterback Casey Thompson is a Rivals250 prospect who ranks as one of the top five prospects in the state of Oklahoma. With a Texas offer already in hand, Thompson raved about his visit this weekend and announced that the Longhorns are in his top three, along with Miami and North Carolina. Literally moments after he announced that top three, Miami picked up a quarterback commitment, which might have eliminated them from consideration.
While Thompson would probably prefer to wait before making his decision, he also understands how the quarterback committing game is played and it wouldn’t shock me at all to see him jump on his Texas offer in the near future after some more consideration. Considering that he’s the only player among the five quarterback offers that have gone out that has actually visited Texas and only one of two that are currently uncommitted, it’s not a stretch at this point to say he’s the most important quarterback target on the recruiting board.
This is just my opinion based on reading the tea leaves, but I think it’s only a matter of time.
No. 3– The Gif game ...
This Texas staff loves gifs. LOVES GIFS.
One of the questions I need answered after the weekend is whether Tom Herman selects his own gifs to celebrate commitments or if there’s an in-house gif-selecter? Does he wing it or is there a pile of gifs he has set aside for special occasions, like
my gif toy chest in the Orangebloods Classics?
No. 4 – Scattershooting on the Texas Junior Day ...
… 2018 Prospects that visited this weekend that I think Texas eventually lands: Thompson, Carthage RB
Keaontay Ingram, Angleton safety
B.J. Foster, Houston Lamar cornerback
Anthony Cook, Houston Lamar RB/ATH
Ta'Zhawn Henry, Alief Taylor WR
Brennan Eagles, Houston Westside defensive tackle
Keondre Coburn, Arp LB/DB
DeMarvion Overshown, Cypress Springs safety
Leon O'Neal and Houston Lamar WR
Al'Vonte Woodard
… I fully expect Texas to kill it in Houston this year.
… The biggest upset of the recruiting year would be Angleton athlete B.J. Foster not ending up at Texas. Angleton is to Texas what Lufkin used to be for Texas A&M.
… The most fluid situation in the recruiting class might be at the wide receiver position, as there are probably more great prospects looking at the Longhorns than there are spaces to take them. It’s one thing to have three bad mamma jammas in a class, but it’s hard to believe there will be five national top 100 prospects all going to the same school, which means with Watkins’ commitment, there’s a bit of a game of musical chairs taking place. If you’re looking for clues as to who Texas is in the best shape with, look at the players that were talking about making a quick return in the coming weeks. With Woodard mentioning he plans on returning for a visit during his spring break, he’s the guy I’m most expecting to end up in this class more than any other.
… If you made me bet with a simple yes or no, I’d say yes to Texas getting all four of the Lamar kids in this picture.
No. 5 – Buy or sell …
BUY or SELL: Horns end up with at least two 5-star recruits in this 2018 class?
(Buy) Anthony Cook, Al’Vonte Woodard and B.J. Foster are the three that come to mind.
BUY or SELL: Tom Herman's 2018 class will be top 10 nationally and best in the Big 12?
(Buy) I’ve been on record that this is where I expect the 2018 class to finish for a while, so there’s no need to backpedal now.
BUY or SELL: Charlie Strong was a good hire before playing a single snap?
(Sell) There was little to suggest that Charlie was ever an elite-level hire based on the evidence available at the time. The results kind of reveal that truth.
BUY or SELL: Justin Watkins is a Horn on national signing day?
(Buy) Just a hunch, but I think he’s where he wants to be.
BUY or SELL: The majority of the 2018 class doesn't commit until after we get a few wins this fall?
(Sell) I think by the time we get to the season-opener, the Longhorns will be beyond the 50-percent mark on this class.
BUY or SELL: With the Georgetown head coaching job becoming available, Shaka leaves Texas for his "dream" job?
(Sell) Shaka isn’t going anywhere. There’s still work to be done in Austin.
BUY or SELL: As Chancellor McRaven sat in the stands at yesterday's basketball game, he looked disgruntled because he didn't like the hot dogs or the ball game.
(Sell) I get that same face every morning when I wake up and read what’s going on in the world. I call that the “You Gotta Be Fing Kidding Me Face”.
BUY or SELL: Jarrett Allen could benefit more from being a three-year college player than declaring for the NBA draft and playing in the D-League for two years.
(Sell) I have a hard time telling a guy that he should wait two years before beginning his NBA clock when he’s a borderline lottery pick and will be a sure lottery pick in another year from now.
BUY or SELL: The new radio show will feature a Buy/Sell segment daily?
(Buy) Honestly, I’m still a little undecided on whether it will be the same exact concept, but it’s a segment that I love and there will almost certainly be something in that vein on a daily basis.
No. 6 – So much for the momentum from a 19-game winning streak …
In a span of seven days, the Longhorns women's basketball team went from being the second-hottest team in the country, the favorite to win the Big 12 and a possible No. 1 seed to a mini free-fall.
Consecutive losses to Oklahoma, Baylor and Iowa State have knocked all of the regular-season rewards that the winning streak seemed to position them to win off the table. There won’t be a Big 12 title, shared or otherwise. That possible No. 1 seed has probably turned into a No. 3 or No. 4, unless the team runs the table of Kansas State on Monday night and then the Big 12 Tournament this weekend.
The most important thing for Karen Aston is finding a way to stop the bleeding because there was very little doubt on Friday night that the team let that loss against Baylor on Monday night impact it emotionally going into a home game with the Cyclones.
Two weeks ago, the team seemed mentally unshakable, but it’s fair to wonder where this team is after blowing three consecutive games that it probably believes it should have won.
In the final minutes on Friday night, there wasn’t a player on the floor that seemed to want to have the ball in her hands with everything on the line, which looms as a pretty critical component of a Final Four run. Not only does someone have to make the shots, someone has to want to take them.
Humpty Dumpty might not need a full rebuild, but with the season hanging in the balance, some rebuilding of parts is absolutely necessary.
No. 7 – Still trying to figure out Texas baseball …
On one hand, the Texas Longhorns took two of three games from UConn this weekend, which kind of feels like a concern because the Texas baseball team should always sweep a program that probably isn’t even practicing outside at this point.
On the other hand, Texas won three of four games this week, including an impressive win over top 25 Sam Houston State, by a combined 21-8 margin.
If forced to choose between extreme positions, I’m more inclined to believe that the Longhorns are a pretty good team that possesses some definite upside this season. When the team scores two or fewer runs, it’s 0-3 this season, but when it scores three or more runs, it’s a perfect 5-0.
Of course, that’s a very small sample size from which to draw conclusions, but it seems pretty clear that when this team scores runs, it’ll have the pitching to win a lot of games. With a four-game series on the road at Stanford looming next weekend, we’ll likely have a better idea of what we’re looking at.
Thus far, though, it seems like a team Texas fans can like.
No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
… I expect Baker Mayfield to miss exactly zero game snaps after his arrest this weekend. With seven months in between now and the first game, Stoops will lean on his off-season punishment and call it a day. We’re probably closer to seeing Stoops request a medical hardship for Baker because of the clear medical condition that caused this arrest than we are seeing him miss any significant playing time.
… Kim Mulkey doesn’t realize it, but she’s a huge part of the problem in Waco. Frankly, if she wants to talk, I have quite a few questions for her when it comes to the Baylor rape scandal. She comes across as someone more concerned with her own recruiting than any of the women whose lives were shattered in the name of winning football games.
… I get the feeling that no NFL Hall of Fame inductee has ever enjoyed being a Hall of Fame inductee quite like Jerry Jones is enjoying being a Hall of Fame inductee.
… Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Rob Gronkowski…
… I’m not going to lie, I will probably watch the CFL if Vince Young is playing. Which of you is ready to buy a Saskatchewan jersey?
… For those that are wondering, this is where Vince’s home games might be in the near future.
… So, Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut are going to Cleveland, while Jose Calderon is headed to Golden State? Good luck, rest of the NBA.
… Is there a team in professional sports with a worse long-term outlook than the Brooklyn Nets?
… I’m pretty convinced that Malik Monk is going to be a Philadelphia 76er.
… Zlatan Ibrahimovic has truly conquered England. All hail, Zlatan!
… Watch out, MLS, the Houston Dynamo are collecting trophies this season.
No. 9 – Stream of conscious thoughts on the Oscars...
... Justin Timberlake should never sing Bill Withers again...
... I was rooting for Dev Patel, but Mahershala Ali was a very deserving winner. Good for him. I would have never guessed that he became the first Muslim to ever win an acting Oscar.
... More movies with Janelle Monae, please.
... ESPN has now produced an Oscar winner.
... Viola Davis was the biggest sure thing of the night and her category was loaded with showstoppers.
... Man, I could have watched The Walking Dead and I only would have missed Best Supporting Actress. I don't know why I watch this entire show. Oh yeah, because it's a part of my column... or something like that.
... Gary in Chicago was the night's biggest winner.
... Nicole Kidman's hands are freaking me out!
... Amy Adams was robbed. Oh, and my goodness...
... 305 in the house!
... I don't know how great of a human being he is, but Casey Affleck deserved Best Actor. It was a master's class of a performance.
... It's hard not to love Emma Stone. She's just a darling.
.. I just don't know about La La Land. It was very good, but I don't know if it was special. I suppose the awards it won suggests that perhaps it was.
.. Oh, God... Warren Beatty.
... Moonlight. OMG. THAT. JUST. HAPPENED! I need some time to wrap my head around what just happened. Good night.
No. 10 - And finally …
Just a reminder... "Orangebloods Radio" debuts on 104.9 FM in Austin today from 1-3 pm. Hopefully, it's the show you guys have been itching to receive from the site.
You can listen live here and we'll be posting podcasts links daily. There will be lots of Junior Day talk in the debit of the show today.
