Sigh. Fine, Ketch. Who does Dallas and Jerrah take? I'm not gung-ho about any of these choices right now.
Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (What can we expect from the freshmen DTs?)
- Thread starter Ketchum
- Start date
- Status
Sigh. Fine, Ketch. Who does Dallas and Jerrah take? I'm not gung-ho about any of these choices right now.
That sucks because I really heard good things about Hodges when he can to the program. I don't necessarily expect him to be dominant, but he shouldn't be pushed by a three star true freshman at this point who's not even on campus yet.
I just hope we can mitigate the youth problem at DT with creative ways to attack their QB. That guy being Malik of course. I pray we don't give up a ton of easy yards on the ground. Those DT's have to plug so our linebackers are free to attack.
Bill Belichick doesn't coach in Dallas! We are stuck we the mediocre guys. One has to think irrationally about Dallas. They're not too far off from the Al Davis Raiders from the late 80's till his passing.
I mean, we aren't the Browns thank goodness, but it's still largely dissatisfying.
I've never shed a tear for celebrity. Prince Rogers Nelson death broke me down to my core. I'm still fuxked up.
At this point, I'm just hoping to see some improvement by season's end.
The deficiences on our lines will cost us 7-10 points per game in 2016. The offensive scheme will dramatically increase our points per game. By how much?
I really thInk we will score over 50 points a game. Suddenly, we have only two teams that can compete, Baylor and OU (sorry TCU). Notre Dame has great QBs, but the other skill positions are depleted by the draft as well as the O-line. We'll upset them, along the line of 49-28.
I really thInk we will score over 50 points a game. Suddenly, we have only two teams that can compete, Baylor and OU (sorry TCU). Notre Dame has great QBs, but the other skill positions are depleted by the draft as well as the O-line. We'll upset them, along the line of 49-28.
Shana Buechele might be the ultimate Froydian slip.
What did the data tell you about Connor Williams a true freshman starting at LT? I say that because I also think Wilbon will be the quickest to see the field and arguably the top DT by the end of the season. Going by the data you would have missed the boat on quite a few players last year.
Love the Davante Davis darkhorse pick. He's going to blow up on a national level.
Great post ketch. Loved it. Solid data.
Our dt number of tackles last year...
Poona - 39 tackles
Boyette - 37
Ridgeway - 36
Tank - 31
Poona and boyette need to improve to 45+ tackles and 2 fresh can contribute 20-25 each. Not too big of a stretch on the math/historical precedent
Our dt number of tackles last year...
Poona - 39 tackles
Boyette - 37
Ridgeway - 36
Tank - 31
Poona and boyette need to improve to 45+ tackles and 2 fresh can contribute 20-25 each. Not too big of a stretch on the math/historical precedent
Well....I would say you hit the pulse of the football program on the money with this weeks posting. The only real hope we should be considering aside from the future is these guys may come in more ready than we expect and 300 pound plus guys can make up for a lot in lack of experience.The Calvary is on the way.
In the aftermath of last weekend’s Texas spring game, one of the few comforting elements of the proceedings as it relates to a defensive tackle unit that was forced to exclusively play two walk-ons with the second-string defense is the fact that few schools in the nation can claim to signing a better class of defensive interior linemen last February than Charlie Strong and Co.
Five big fellas are on the way, including three that were ranked as four stars by at least one of the major recruiting services, which if nothing else, will give the Texas coaches some options that didn’t exist during spring workouts.
Yet, how much can be expected when the group of D’Andre Christmas-Giles, Chris Daniels, Jordan Elliott, Marcel Southall and Gerald Wilbon arrive this summer?
Once upon a time about a baker’s dozen years ago, the Longhorns were coming off of a season that witnessed true freshmen defensive tackle Rod Wright earn Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors, but since Wright arrived on campus that season, the number of true freshman interior linemen that have made instant impacts has been far and few between.
In fact, in the last 13 seasons, here’s a list of the true freshmen at the defensive tackle position that have started more than a game for the Longhorns:
None.
In the last 13 seasons, here’s a list of the true freshmen at the defensive tackle position that have averaged more than a tackle per game for the Longhorns:
Malcom Brown (25 tackles in 2012)
Yes, you read that correctly. In the last 13 seasons, the Longhorns haven’t started a single true freshman defensive tackle in more than one game in a season (Frank Okan started one game in 2004) and only player during that time recorded more than 10 tackles in a season. Since the turn of the century, only Wright, Okam and Brown have started or recorded more than 10 tackles in a season. and each of them were five-star prospects, the only three five-star defensive tackles that the Longhorns have signed since the Rivals rankings originated.
Obviously, the Longhorns are going to need more from this freshmen class than many of those great and terrible teams from the last 13 seasons was required or delivered, but what can reasonably be expected of this group? If we ignore the burnt orange data, what does it look like elsewhere?
Well, in an attempt to get an idea of what this discussion looks like on a national level, I went back and chronicled the true freshman seasons from all 22 defensive tackles from the Class of 2015 that were ranked four-stars and higher in the Rivals.com rankings. It’s unlikely that the following data will surprise you at this point in the discussion.
Number of players that started double-digit games: 2 (one of the two stated 13 games at defensive end)
Number of players that started 5 or more games: 4 (one of the four started 13 games at defensive end)
Number of players that recorded more than 25 tackles: 4 (all ranked in the top 7 in the national rankings)
Number of players that recorded more than 3 sacks: 3 (one of the three started at defensive end)
Obviously, the same size is limited in the discussion, but a fair rule of thumb in this discussion is that impact true freshmen at the defensive tackle position are fairly hard to come by, whether they sign with Texas or Alabama or Florida State or Nebraska or Arizona State.
When camp begins in August, opportunities for playing time will exist for every true freshman on the roster, especially those that weight 300 pounds or more per Texas defensive coordinator Vance Bedford. It’ll be fascinating and critically important at the same time as the the Longhorns try to find a way to defy recent history and conventional wisdom.
Given that games are often won in the trenches, Charlie Strong’s ability to find one or two legitimate contributors could ultimately determine the fate of his defense and the season.
No. 2 – The 2015 defensive tackle breakdown...
Here’s a look at all 22 defensive tackles that Rivals rated at least four stars in 2015 and how they performed last season in their true freshmen seasons.
1. (6.1) Kahlil McKenzie (Concord, Ca/Signed with Tennessee)
Played in all 13 games (zero starts), made 14 tackles with a sack,one tackle for loss and a forced fumble
2. (6.1) Trenton Thompson (Albany, Ga./Signed with Georgia)
Played in 12 games (six starts), made 25 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks
3. (6.1) Daron Payne (Birmingham, Ala./Signed with Alabama)
Played in 13 games (three starts), made 13 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss and one quarterback hit.
4. (6.1) Christian Wilkins (Suffield, CT/Signed with Clemson)
Played in 15 games, made 33 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
5. (6.0) Terry Buckner (E. St. Louis, Illinois/Signed with Missouri)
Played in 10 games (started five games), made 27 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks.
6. (6.0) Noah Jefferson (Las Vegas, Nevada/Signed with USC)
Played in 14 games (zero starts), made 23 tackles.
7. (6.0) Daylon Mack (Gladewater, TX/Signed with Texas A&M)
Played in 13 games (zero starts), made 33 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss.
8. (6.0) Shy Tuttle (Lexington, NC/Signed with Tennessee)
Played in first six games (zero starts) in first season before breaking a fibula, making 10 tackles with one fumble recovery and a blocked kick
9. (5.9) Neville Gallimore (St. Catharines, Ontario/Signed with Oklahoma)
Redshirted in 2015.
10. (5.9) Albert Huggins (Orangeburg, SC/Signed with Clemson)
Played in five games, made five tackles.
11. (5.9) Jacob Daniel (Fresno, Ca./Signed with USC)
Played in three games (zero starts), made three tackles.
12. (5.9) Joseph Wicker (Long Beach, Ca./Signed with Arizona State)
Played in 13 games (10 starts), made 21 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
13. (5.9) Darian Roseboro (Lincolnton, NC/Signed with NC State)
Played in 13 games (zero starts), made 18 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
14. (5.9) Breiden Fehoko (Honolulu, Hawaii/Signed with Texas Tech)
Played in 13 games (started 13), made 19 tackles, four tackles for loss and one sack.
15. (5.9) Jerry Tillery (Shreveport, La./Signed with Notre Dame)
Played in 12 games (three starts), made 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.
16. (5.9) Darrion Daniels (Dallas, Texas/Signed with Oklahoma State)
Played in 13 games (zero starts), made 16 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.
17. (5.8) Tim Settle (Manassas, Va./Signed with Virginia Tech)
Redshirted in 2015.
18. (5.8) Darvin Taylor II (Chester, Va./Signed with Florida State)
Redshirted in 2015
19. (5.8) Marquise Overton (Jenks, Oklahoma/Signed with Oklahoma)
Played in eight games (zero starts), made five tackles and one sack.
20. (5.8) Hjalte Froholdt (Bradenton, Fla./Signed With Arkansas)
Played in 10 games (zero starts), made three tackles.
21. (5.8) Thomas Toki (Mountain View, Ca./Signed with Washington State)
Did not qualify.
22. (5.8) Khalil Davis (Blue Springs, Missouri/Signed with Nebraska)
Redshirted in 2015.
No. 3 – Speaking of true freshmen...
If I were a betting man, here’s the list of true freshmen that I believe will see the field for the Longhorns in 2016:
QB: Shane Buechele (likely starter)
WR: Collin Johnson (likely starter)
OL: Denzel Okafor (possible starter at LG)
OL: Zach Shackelford (definite starter)
DT: D’Andre Christmas-Giles
DT: Chris Daniels
DT: Jordan Elliott
DT/DE: Marcel Southall
DE: Andrew Fitzgerald
DE/LB: Erick Fowler (possible starter)
LB: Jeff McCulloch
S: Brandon Jones (possible starter)
Others that could play as well:
RB: Kyle Porter (could give team added depth)
TE: Peyton Aucoin (depth at position needs help)
OL: Jean Delance (likely needs a redshirt, but might have to give the line some depth)
OL: Tope Imade (see above)
DT: Gerald Wilbon
DE: Malcolm Roach
LB: Demarco Boyd (possible special teams)
No. 4 – Scattershooting on the Longhorns ...
… In retrospect, how important was Texas pulling Zach Shackelford away from Kansas State right before his recruiting clock struck midnight last year? In the two decades I’ve been covering the Longhorns, I’m not sure I can think of a more important incoming three-star recruit than Shackelford appears to be for this program right now. Without him on the field last week and appearing to fit in pretty well at this level, the options at center for the Longhorns would have been pretty thin to say the least.
… Mike Mattox needs to be in Denzel Okafor’s ear pretty fiercely for the rest of the off-season because I think I’d more comfortable putting him on the field blindly and letting him grow up on the job than I am having Brandon Hodges start at this point.
… How good was Rod Wright as true freshmen in 2002… 65 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 15 quarterback hits. That’s crazy good production for a true freshman and it makes the fact that he emerged as a very good, but never a truly great player even harder to believe.
… Dark-horse All-Big 12/American candidate: Davante Davis. I think he has a chance to have the best season of anyone on the team.
No. 5 – Texas baseball this weekend in a gif ...
No. 6 – Buy or sell …
(As always, all of these questions were submitted by actual Orangebloods subscribers.)
BUY or SELL: Texas will win 2 National Championships by 2021?
(Buy) Eddie Reese will get it done.
BUY or SELL: Texas quarterbacks throw for 2500+ yards in the 2016 season?
(Buy) I’d feel so much better about quarterback predictions if I knew how many games Shana Buechele was going to start and how many he might miss due to injury?
BUY or SELL: The Tight Ends catch 30 passes this season?
(Sell) I don’t see it.
BUY or SELL: Texas wins minimum of 7 games this year, CS returns, another top 10 recruiting class, Texas wins the Big 12 in 2017?
(Sell) I’m going to see a lot more before I’m buying a Big 12 title in 2017, even if the season on paper right now looks potentially very strong.
BUY or SELL: Strong starts Shane Buechele against Notre Dame?
(Buy) Foregone conclusion IMO.
BUY or SELL: Coach Strong has hired the right coaches to win enough games in 2016 and make it past 2017?
(Buy) I dig his current group of coaches.
BUY or SELL: We will have more freshman all Americans in 16 than we had in 15?
(Buy) Go ahead and pencil Shackleford in. Buechele, Collin Johnson, Denzel Okafor, one of those defensive tackles and Brandon Jones could all emerge as that type of player because of the potential playing time/combination of talent that exists.
BUY or SELL: Dallas wets the bed in the draft?
(Buy) Jerry has the No.4 pick in the draft and there isn’t an obvious pick in that slot and he seems to be in love with a running back who isn’t close to being the type of generational talent some want to make him out to be. What could go wrong?
BUY or SELL: Tyrion will sit on the iron throne?
(Sell) I’m taking Team Sansa on the office pool.
No. 7 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
… If you’re the San Antonio Spurs, I’m not sure you could ask for a better first-round of the playoffs than the four-game sweet of the Memphis Grizzlies that just took place. I’m not sure that the Grizzlies would have taken a game from the Spurs if all of San Antonio’s starters had taken the series off. The Spurs are healthy and dialed in… bring on the Thunder.
… I’ll be surprised if the Thunder take the Spurs to six games once they rid themselves of the Mavericks. I just don’t like this team very much right now once you get beyond the Big Two.
… I have a feeling that before it’s all said and done, Steph Curry’s health is going to be a major storyline within his career.
… UFC197 didn’t exactly delver the goods like I hoped, but it wasn’t the worst pay-per-view of the year via the UFC. I just can’t figure out why I can’t get five dynamite matches for my money, rather than two or three if we’re lucky.
… Jon Jones looked like a guy that needed a tune-up fight and somewhat struggles with guys that can match him in height and length. Not that he didn’t dominate Ovince Saint-Preux, he just didn’t look like Megatron in doing so.
… Nothing makes my blood boil in the UFC more than Daniel Cormier acting like he so much as one branch on the tree that he can stand on when discussing Jones, who dominated him to such a degree when they last fought that he was reduced to tears in the locker room afterwards. Every time he opens his mouth, he sounds like a guy that wasn’t humiliated when these two last fought, which he was. He’s the hollowest champion in the history of the UFC, at least as far as my eyes can find in the last eight or nine years I’ve been watching the sport.
… Man, I’d be terrified if I was a Philadelphia Eagles fan and knew my team was about to put the entire future of the franchise on Carson Wentz’s back. Yikes. Double yikes.
… If Joey Bosa ends up being Greg Ellis Jr., is that good enough for the No.4 pick in the draft? If Jalen Ramsey isn’t around at No.4, I think I’m ok with the Cowboys trading back. I think.
… Josh Norman signing with Washington is bad news for Dez Bryant, at least if we’re going off of what happened in 2015 (two catches for 26 yards).
… Leicester City is almost at the finish line after running roughshod over Swansea.
… Watch the hell out for the L.A. Galaxy in the MLS. After scoring nine goals in its last two games, this looks like a very talented team that is ready to fle some muscle like that little kid in section five.
… Speaking of the MLS, I’m really digging following the league this year and I find the fantasy aspect of things to be very challenging and a lot of fun, but the lack of injury information/reporting is wildly missing. I’m finding out what the expression “Because MLS” means on a weekly basis for a variety of reasons, but the
No. 8 – Finally, the return of Game of Thrones - Live blog...
The following are my stream of concious thoughts on the season-six premier of Game of Thrones.
********SPOILER ALERT ***********
********SPOILER ALERT ***********
********SPOILER ALERT ***********
Oh man, we’re starting with Ghost howling in the background, while Jon dies. I always cry at the videos where a dog sees its owner come home from a long trip and HBO is playing on my emotions. Kill someone, Ser Davos.
So, let me get this right, Ramsay’s reaction to losing to someone he loves is to feed their meat to the hounds?
Reek and Sansa never had a chance. Holy hell, is that Brienne of Tarth’s music!?! It’as Brienne of Tarth’s music! That’s what I’m talking about!
Oh boy, it’s Cersei time. This is not going to go well for Jamie. Geez, what kind of trip back do you think that was for him?
Remind me again how Jamie turned baby-face?
Margaery just keeps fighting the good fight. I wish I had her backbone.
The Sand Snakes are in control of Dorne. I imagine this is the way the rest of the Democratic primaries would go if Hilary had her way.
You just kind of get the sense that the Queen of Dragons is going to have a rough season six.
Speaking of rough seasons sixes, Arya is going to come out of this season a bad, bad girl.
Uhhhhhh… The Red Woman… uhhhhh… ok.
********END OF SPOILER ALERT ***********
********END OF SPOILER ALERT ***********
********END OF SPOILER ALERT ***********
No. 9 – Remembering a national treasure...
We lost more than a pop star this week with the news on Thursday that Prince died at the age of 57 inside of a Paisley Park elevator.
What we lost was the Mozart and Beethoven of our times, which is oddly one of the least full of hyperbolic statements I’ve ever made. We’re talking about a guy that played 26 instruments on his debut album when he was 19 years old. Actually, we’re talking about a guy that played 26 instruments really well on his debut album. We’re also talking about a guy that was a god among mere mortals in his realm.
Don’t believe me? Watch this video from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions in 2004. On a stage full of Hall of Famers, Prince ran the score up by about 80 points on them by the end of his solo and every single one of them knew it.
We’re talking about a genius that could take someone else’s song and reinvent it in such a way that the original creator might think he doesn’t deserve to play the song again.
We’re talking about a guy that grabbed my imagination at the age of eight when I saw Purple Rain the movie theater by myself. Oh, Apollonia had a lot to do with that as well.
Anyway, here’s my personal list of Prince songs.
Top 10 Prince Songs
10. I could never take the place of your man
9. Little Red Corvette
8. The Beautiful Ones
7. 1999
6. Purple Rain
5. Kiss
4. I Wanna Be Your Lover
3. Darling Nikki
2. Let's Go Crazy
1. When Doves Cry
Bonus Prince: After-Hours
10. Cream
9. Lady Cab Driver
8. Let's Pretend We're Married
7. Sexy MF
6. Bambi
5. Erotic City
4. Scandalous
3. Get Off
2. Do Me, Baby
1. Darling Nikki
No. 10 - And finally…
I wanted to give you guys an update on fundraiser that we hope to have in the works in the coming weeks as a way of honoring the memory of Haruka Weiser.
The hope is that I’ll be able to put together an event planned for the weekend of the Notre Dame game, with the goal of raising enough money to establish multiple scholarships within the school’s Department of Theatre and Dance.
If anyone of you want to be involved on the front lines of helping organize or sponsor the event, please email me at geoff@orangebloods.com. With a little help from the Orangebloods Nation, this has a chance to be the best thing the site has ever accomplished.
Stay tuned.
As for Prince, losing him is going to sting for a while. Watched Purple Rain about 3 times and clicked on every posting about him. Sadly a little piece of childhood and teens died with him.
Prince won't be remembered in 100 years. Beethoven will be remembered in 1000 years. Prince may have been a great talent in the time he lived, but the appeal of his music was limited. No offense for those who think he's a GOAT, but there a much greater fraction of the population for whom Prince doesn't crack the top 10.
This is like the same post Ketch had about the Oline last year. Williams and Vahe held their own. They may have just been average or a little better compared to experienced guys, but they were excellent for Freshman.
Pretty sure we can find 2 DL out of all the ones coming in. Playing Hager at DE shows the staff knows what it needs to develop. The Freshman only need to be average. The back seven in that defense are going to be excellent.
Every team has holes and weak links, be it starters or lack of depth or experience. Lets see if we can go a week without making the line depth on both sides the focus of life. It was just a couple of weeks ago and QB was the ultimate downer. Now with a little help from Beuchele, the panic roomers have moved on to something else. I expect by the fall we will get to see this same story on kickers. Cant wait.
Pretty sure we can find 2 DL out of all the ones coming in. Playing Hager at DE shows the staff knows what it needs to develop. The Freshman only need to be average. The back seven in that defense are going to be excellent.
Every team has holes and weak links, be it starters or lack of depth or experience. Lets see if we can go a week without making the line depth on both sides the focus of life. It was just a couple of weeks ago and QB was the ultimate downer. Now with a little help from Beuchele, the panic roomers have moved on to something else. I expect by the fall we will get to see this same story on kickers. Cant wait.
based off what? just a random pick with the intent to be able to claim you called it? if we're just going off film christmas-giles looks the most college ready by far, imo. wilbon looks like another alex norman and will probably need to red shirt.
Based off his size, film, and reports he's been putting in work since he signed.
Because Wilbon has a similar build to Norman you assume he redshirts? That's just your opinion, right?
Try not to take the message board so serious.
There was a touching beautiful amazing statement read @ the Spring game by the family...how we're all Weiser children now & we're honored to be! Bless that family!!
Excellent breakdown of freshmen DTs historical and current. I am still hoping Wilbon becomes an ace in the hole at run stuffing. It would be fun to see him and Christmas-Giles next to each other in the middle.
Last edited:
DT stats are overrated IMO
Bedford wants 300lbs to play the classic Tony Sirafatsa role where you just grab the C/OG's and don't let them move you, freeing up the LB's to roam free and make plays
These DT's are driven to the local Golden Corral once they step foot on campus and given a regular dinner of steak and potatoes IMO
My favorite Prince song
Bedford wants 300lbs to play the classic Tony Sirafatsa role where you just grab the C/OG's and don't let them move you, freeing up the LB's to roam free and make plays
These DT's are driven to the local Golden Corral once they step foot on campus and given a regular dinner of steak and potatoes IMO
My favorite Prince song
This statement is a gross exaggeration, intended both to express a strong opinion and elicit an emotional response from the reader. It is the literary definition of hyperbole.
I think you are spot on with your analysis and basically what you didn't say was the failure of the prior staff to develop the recruits that were under their watch. Texas had some very talented recruits that could have been really good and fell short. I'm very confident in this staff's ability to develop these guys and bring championship football back to Texas.
I was trying to implicitly state that his true talent was as a performer and musician, not as a composer. So the comparison is already weak. But regardless, he's not in their ballpark. Arguing otherwise seems ignorant.
In hundreds of years will artists or composers be compared to Prince? Will bands and orchestras around the world continue to play his music, and do so frequently? Or did Prince just really make an impression on you, like many others, and your least hyperbolic statement ever is actually pretty hyperbolic?
As a lead guitarist there is nothing extraordinary in that solo by prince. But, the fact that a guy who does ALL the things that he does, writes, sings, dances, choreographs, plays so many instruments and hammers out a pretty good blues solo is what is mind bottling. Finding all of that wrapped up into a single human being is rare!
That's the million dollar question. Don't have an answer. I'm kind of dreading Draft night.
a. Hodges is just getting by. He's in the line-up by default.
b. OKafor is no three-star.
In the last 20 years, we're closer to the Browns that we'd like to believe...
It says the team was desperate for help and received decent play as a byproduct. How would I have missed the boat? That doesn't really make any sense.
- Status
