As you might expect, there wasn't a universal agreement on the matter.
"You have Alfred Collins too low. He should be in the top 8."
"J.Cook way too low. Just want it on record when you look back after next season!"
"Collins and Muhammad will be top 10 this year. Sorrell, Silas and Trey Moore all too high. Not sure any of them actually start."
And on and on and on it went.
I thought it might be interesting to compare February's list with a fresh re-do leading into Saturday's upcoming spring game. As a refresher, here's what the top 10 from two months ago looked like:
10. Edge - Ethan Burke
9. WR - Matthew Golden
8. S - Andrew Mukuba
7. DB - Jahdae Barron
6. WR - Silas Bolden
5. Edge - Trey Moore
4. WR - Isaiah Bond
3. LB - Anthony Hill
2. QB - Quinn Ewers
1. LT - Kelvin Banks
My first reactions?
a. Running back Jaydon Blue, cornerback Malik Muhammad and defensive end Barryn Sorrell probably need to be on the list.
b. The transfers haven't yet materialized as I thought they would upon arrival.
c. Young players like wide receiver Ryan Wingo and offensive tackle Trevor Goosby warrant some consideration at the very least.
With those three thoughts, let's look at what the new top 10 list looks like.
10. WR - Johntay Cook
9. WR - Isaiah Bond
8. Edge - Ethan Burke
7. Edge -- Trey Moore
6. Edge - Barryn Sorrell
5. RB - Jaydon Blue
4. CB - Malik Muhammad
3. LB - Anthony Hill
2. QB - Quinn Ewers
1. LT - Kelvin Banks
No. 2 - Scattershooting on spring ball ...
... I don't know that it will mean anything at all in the fall, but while Quinn Ewers has been singled out as a standout player this spring, I haven't had anyone tell me that at any point this spring he's ever dominated or been the best player on the field. There's been lots of steadiness and solid play, but I'm not sure that there's ever been a report of more than that. Just something that occurred to me this weekend.
... It's kind of strange how little CJ Baxter has been referenced throughout spring workouts. It'll be funny if he rips of 100 yards in the spring game.
... No player has made more progress this spring than Malik Muhammad. His interception off of Arch Manning on Saturday in scrimmage No. 2 was an exclamation mark on this camp.
... Gavin Holmes reportedly taking reps away from Terrance Brooks at first-team cornerback is something I'll be looking for on Saturday when the spring game rolls around. Is that really the state of the first-team corners or is Sarkisian going out of his way to keep Holmes fully engaged with the Portal window opening on Monday?
... Kobe Black continues to ball out with the second-team defense. It's going to be hard to keep him off the field.
... Is Jake Majors the most under-appreciated player on the entire team? Very possible.
... There's no question to me that the lack of buzz on Vernon Broughton and to a degree Alfred Collins is a disappointment. The hope had to be that one of the two would step up and take over a piece of domain as theirs and I just don't think that has happened.
... The offense doing well in the red zone, but not sustaining a lot of successful drives for the second consecutive scrimmage, is worth filing away, especially considering that they were playing the second-string defense. That first-team offense has a way to go.
... Johntay Cook just hasn't had the camp everyone was hoping for. It feels like there's as much buzz about Matthew Golden and Ryan Wingo as Cook heading into the spring game. It's not time to worry, but it is what it is.
No. 3 – An upgrade at nose tackle?
The news broke on Friday night that Arizona starting nose-tackle Bill Norton was hitting the Portal and the early buzz/speculation/projections had him re-joining his former DC Johnny Nansen in Austin. A few thoughts on the matter ...
a. Norton would absolutely improve the Longhorns up the middle as a possible starting nose tackle. While he's not going to be a front-line NFL Draft prospect, he's a better and more proven player than Vernon Broughton, which means that inserting him into the line-up means that the Longhorns will be better off in August at a question-mark position than they were a month ago if they can land Norton.
b. Norton was one of two players I thought the Longhorns needed to hope they could land through the Portal back in January when Arizona's players were considering what to do in the wake of a coaching change. The other was linebacker Jacob Manu.
c. He's not a like-for-like for Bear Alexander, who was discussed as a possible Portal ad last week, only for the news of his possible transfer occurring too early. A source close to Alexander told Orangebloods over the weekend that USC is doing everything it can to keep Alexander and that his entry into the Portal is now significantly more cloudy than it was just days ago. If the Longhorns land Norton, they'll have elevated the nose-tackle position, but finding someone who can play the 3-tech and bring added versatility to the table would still be a need.
No. 4 - Oh, no! Not 219 pounds!
One of the first things that clicked in my brain when Dallas Skyline linebacker Bo Barnes committed to the Longhorns on Friday was the stat involving four-star (or higher) linebackers from the state of Texas who are listed at more than 218 pounds in the Rivals database.
It's such an obscure and specific set of data point that it is basically impossible for me to forget when someone comes along to challenge the numbers.
Enter Barnes, who is listed at 219 pounds in the Rivals database, but has been listed as high as 225 pounds and told OB on Saturday that he currently weighs in at 230 pounds.
Since the beginning of the Rivals rankings in 2002, only 10 linebackers from the state of Texas ranked as 4 stars or higher have played in the NFL. Here's that list of players and their reported height and weights coming into college as chronicled by Rivals:
2006 Sergio Kindle (6-4, 225)
2007 Keenan Robinson (6-3, 211)
2007 Travis Lewis (6-1, 213)
2010 Corey Nelson (6-0, 210)
2014 Otaro Alaka (6-3, 210)
2015 Malik Jefferson (6-2, 218)
2017 Kenneth Murray (6-2, 208)
2017 Baron Browning (6-3, 230)
2017 Anthony Hines (6-3, 218)
2017 Levi Jones (6-3, 225)
Of that group of 10, only three players were listed at more than 218 pounds - Kindle, Browning and Jones. Until very recently, the list used to only feature Kindle and Browning - both 5-star prospects. Yet, Jones made the list as an undrafted player because he has played on special teams in the 3 career NFL games. He might just barely count, but he counts, nonetheless.
That means that 3 of the 29 (10.3%) four- or five-star linebackers from the state of Texas who weighed more than 218 pounds have gone on to play in the NFL. The only two that were drafted were former 5-stars. It's a pretty exclusive bunch. Players who played at Texas and fit the criteria and failed to climb the NFL mountaintop include the likes of Steve Edmond (245), Jeffrey McCulloch (235), Kendall Thompson (232), Jared Norton (232), Tariq Allen (231), Tevin Jackson (230), Dravannti Johnson (230), Marquez Bimage (223), DeMarco Boyd (223), Tim Cole (220) and Chet Moss (219).
Enter Barnes. While he's not ranked as a 5-star, he's emerging as a player who might earn super-blue chip status following a spring that has seen him crack sub-11.0 seconds in the 100 meters this track season. Perhaps he's not at the Kindle/Browning level of prospect, but his speed gives him a superpower that most of the players on the list didn't come close to possessing.
For the record ... there are some players that will likely be added to the list in the coming years. Former Houston defensive end Nelson Ceaser was listed as a 6-4, 220-pound 4-star linebacker coming out of high school. Current Longhorns sophomore Anthony Hill (6-2, 228 pounds) will likely join the list in due time.
It's not an impossible bar to pass, but history suggests that there are nine misses for every single hit. Barnes has my attention. I'm fascinated to see if he can buck the odds.
No. 5 - Is your glass half-empty or nearly spilled ...
If you're a half-full Texas baseball fan, the ninth-inning comeback by the Longhorns in Houston was the highlight moment of the season. Although you wanted a sweep, you took two of three this weekend and you remain only two games behind West Virginia and Oklahoma for first place in the Big 12, with series against TCU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Central Florida and Kansas remaining. There's a lot of baseball left and you're still easily within striking distance for a conference title with more than a month of play remaining. This thing can be put back on the rails with a few good bounces.
If you're glass just left a stain on the rug person, it took a huge late-inning rally to survive last place Houston and nothing about the bottom line of this team has changed. Texas was 65th in the nation in RPI coming into Sunday, which means the post-season hopes have to be limited quite a bit. After all of the turnover within the staff, momentum is going backward as the Longhorns prepare for the SEC and nothing is likely going to happen this season that will make you think the Longhorns don't need a change at the top.
Maybe there's a middle ground between the two. Which are you?
No. 6 – The Big 12 title race is on!
Three things you need to know about the Texas softball team from the weekend ...
a. The Longhorns swept Baylor in a three-game series that saw 44 runs scored between both teams, 32 of which came from the Longhorns.
b. BYU stole one of three from Oklahoma this weekend, which leaves the Longhorns a single game behind the Sooners for first place.
c. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State still have their three-game set of chaos coming in a few weeks. The Longhorns just need to keep stacking Ws.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) I've seen enough. Pierce is a very good coach, but the bar in the program isn't very good. It's higher. He's not ever going to better than very good (at best).
(Buy) It might prove to be a tough chore, but I'm going to say yes.
(Sell) I'll take the under on that, mainly because official visits are around the corner and guys might as well take some trips.
(Buy) A&M is already powerful in the NIL space. This won't make them less powerful.
(Buy) I'll go Tashard Choice and Johny Nansen, for sure.
(Sell) Most of the wide receivers just arrived. I'll take the under.
(Sell) Penne.
(Sell) Not hosting a regional will do the trick.
(Sell) It's more like in Urban Cowboy when Bud wakes up next to two women whose names he can't remember.
(Sell) 1000-percent locked in means not taking visits. Yes, Texas can have a nationally elite wide receiver class in 2025. I'm expecting it.
(Sell) I'm going to go with the 2023 class, which finished third, but might have been slightly underrated.
No. 8 – Green Jacket No.2 for Scottie …
Texas great Scottie Scheffler entered the week as the No.1 ranked golfer in the world and the heaviest favorite to win The Masters since Tiger Woods was in his prime.
With a bevy of young players nipping at his feels, he did the things that truly great players are able to do... play their game and put all the pressure on everyone else. Scheffler made six birdies from the 8th hole through the 16th hole on Sunday and everyone near him wilted like azaleas in front of a furnace.
In winning his second green jacket by four shots, Scheffler put an exclamation mark on that No.1 ranking. It's his second career major and the rest of the majors this year will be scripted around his ability to add more major trophies for his home. He's not just the word's No.1, he's the player that the sport is currently defined by.
Among the things to know about Scott's win...
* Became the first person to twice win The Masters in a three-year window by three strokes or more both times.
* The 4th youngest player to ever win multiple green jackets, trailing only Jack, Tiger and Seve.
* Only the second odds-on-favorite to win The Masters since 2000 (Tiger Woods 2001, 2002 and 2005)
* Scottie's last four tournaments: Win - Win - T2nd - Win
* It's the fifth Masters champion for Texas golf: Ben Crenshaw (1984 and 1995), Jordan Spieth (2015) and Scheffler (2022 and 2024)
No. 9 – Scattershooting all over the place …
... This column written about Jordan Spieth after his Friday round at The Masters is worth your time if you're wondering about where things stand with the Texas-ex and three-time majors winner.
... ICYMI ... the Texas men's tennis team won the outright Big 12 title.
... Hello, D.J. Lagway...
... Is Myles Garrett going to Canton when his career is over? He's the only player in the NFL to have 10+ sacks in every season since 2018. He has 88.5 career sacks, he's a 5X All-Pro (3X first-team) and has a Defensive Player of the Year Award in the cupboard. Yes, right?
... My Sixers are in the 7th/8th-seed play-in game. Oof.
... OKC took the No. 1 seed in the West on Denver's court. Kinda gangsta.
... I don't know what this kid is going to eventually become ... but ... he good.
... When your own resume is a little short, you bring the championship crew.
... My sports fan's soul was destroyed on Sunday with Liverpool's 1-0 loss at home to Crystal Palace. We've pissed our season away in the span of three games in eight days. Arsenal losing only made that point hit even harder.
... Man City is going to have those 115 charges sitting in limbo when my kids have had kids.
... Bayern Leverkusen freaking did it. Well done.
... Not too bad, Caitlin.
... UFC300 thoughts...
a. I had never heard of Diego Lopes before tonight, but he has my attention after that destruction of Sodiq Yusuff.
b. I had never heard of Kayla Harrison before tonight, but she has my attention after that destruction of Holly Holm.
c. Let me get this straight, Cowboy Cerrone is retired AND he has hair?
d. Bo Nickal works the mic like a young Kerry Von Erich.
e. I think the judges for the Tsarukyan/Olivera fight got it correctly in giving it to Tsarukyan. I think.
f. Same.
g. I don't want to live in a moment of recency bias, but that knock-out by Max Holloway might have been the greatest knockout in the sport I have ever seen. Up 4-1 on the scorecards, he stood in the middle of the Octagon with 15 seconds to go and dared Justin Gaethe to throw haymakers with him, only to emphatically knock him out with one second left on the clock. I still can't believe it.
h. Alex Pereira is a bad man. Memo to self: Never hit that man in the groin.
i. That was one bad-ass night of fights. More of that UFC!
No. 10 - Top 10: Al Green ...
It's not quite been 12 years since Chad Hastings and I had a chance to interview Al Green on our radio show.
The good Reverend Al turned 78 years old on Saturday and I just happened to find a copy of our interview with him, which you can listen to if you want a good smile.
AL GREEN talks Sports & Music with Geoff & Chad
Listen to AL GREEN talks Sports & Music with Geoff & Chad by RunningProducer-AT #np on #SoundCloud
Among the highlights:
a. Even though he was doing the show in Austin, he made sure to let everyone know that his Memphis Grizzlies had eliminated the Spurs in the playoffs the season before.
b. If a lady is over at the house and wants to hear music, Al will play whatever she wants and then he sang a piece of "What's Going On," which made my year.
"Hey, may the best man win" is a quote for all-time.
c. "Let's Stay Together" is his baby among all songs and he's never forgotten or lacked appreciation for it.
With that being said, it's time to do an Al Green Top 10, even if I'm only doing it to put a smile on my own face.
Honorable Mention: Lay It Down, Georgia Boy, Sha La La (Make Me Happy), Beware, I'm a Ram, Back Up Train and Standing in the Rain
10. So You're Leaving
One of four songs off the "Let's Stay Together" album considered for this Top 10 list and one of three songs from the album to make it.
9. Here I Am (Come and Take Me)
The best song on 1973's "Call Me" album.
8. Simply Beautiful
Maybe the most underrated song in his entire catalog.
7. Unchained Melody
A cover on his 1973 album Livin' For You, it's one of my favorite performances of this song.
6. Tired of Being Alone
The song Al released right before he released Let's Stay Together. Not to be completely overshadowed, it ranked No. 293 on the 2004 edition of Rolling Stone's Top 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time
5. Take Me To The River
Al used this song for the title of his 2000 autobiography.
4. I'm Still In Love With You
A single that sold more than one million copies. Billboard ranked it as the No. 59 song for 1972 and I really need to see the 58 songs in front of it because that just sounds like a disaster of a ranking.
3. Love and Happiness
Rolling Stone ranked this as the No. 98 song of all-time on its 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time.
2. How Do You Mend a Broken Heart
The Bee Gees wrote it and performed it first, while Al perfected it.
1. Let's Stay Together
The undeniable No.1 song in the catalog and if you want to argue the point, take it up with Al. This song is his "baby" and his "honey.
