Official Signing Day Thread.......
- Thread starter clob94
- Start date
Jason Higdon @Jason_Higdon
In 30 minutes I will be out like a light lol but Texas could be close to adding a 2017 kid sooooo
In 30 minutes I will be out like a light lol but Texas could be close to adding a 2017 kid sooooo
Interesting list put up on another board, shows Strongs recruit rankings and highlights the '15 and '16 class as well as those Louisville recruits that are now in the NFL. Pretty clear that Strong has been able to get a lot higher ranked recruits here at Texas (no surprise), but also that his present NFL recruits came from all levels.
Hook 'em
Hook 'em
This is great news. I think all Longhorn fans wanted to see a Strong recruiting class today, and see Strong build something great at UT. I want Strong to win big at UT and wish him nothing but success.
Hitler Reacts to Texas Longhorns 2016 Signing Class
That account has been deleted now. lolSumlin fired his OL coach after the recruits signed yesterday. Wife went off on sumlin on twitter
What a standup man.Sumlin fired his OL coach after the recruits signed yesterday. Wife went off on sumlin on twitter
Yes, Brentwood, come and take your medicine, loudmouth.
He won't though. He's shown time and again he runs away like a coward every time one of his dumbass predictions faceplants.Btw, Brentwood, Daniels and Southall say hi. Along with Elliott, Buechele, Hemphill, Delance, Okafor, McCulloch, Fowler, Cuffee, Jones and Brown. Nice 3 whole players from the state of TX this class. Strong.
I was referring to this Wasatchhttp://espn.go.com/college-football...al/position/defense/sort/totalYards/year/2015
Yes, Brentwood, come and take your medicine, loudmouth.
Btw, Brentwood, Daniels and Southall say hi. Along with Elliott, Buechele, Hemphill, Delance, Okafor, McCulloch, Fowler, Cuffee, Jones and Brown. Nice 3 whole players from the state of TX this class. Strong.
Oh, and btw Brentwood sooner Dabo and his boys at Clemson say hello and would love to play you again in a bowl.
Advanced stats say the 2015 Texas defense wasn't nearly as bad as you like to say.
The 2015 defense finished 23rd in FEI opponent-adjusted defensive efficiency. With an offense that can stay on the field -- and less youth and a more normal rate of injuries for the D -- Bedford's group will be just fine.
It is time to forget all of that you heard in the past about Texas coach Charlie Strong’s need to hire an elite recruiter. There is no need to ever mention Clint Hurtt’s name again. Texas fans no longer have to look at other programs and believe their staff is inferior in recruiting when compared to the Longhorns.
Texas has an elite recruiter.
His name is Brian Jean-Mary.
Jean-Mary did not arrive in Austin with a lot of hype, but is beginning to earn the reputation of being a great recruiter. Texas currently has the 13th ranked class in the nation after finishing with a 5-7 record in 2015. Not only is that accomplishment impressive, but when you consider Texas was short-handed throughout the recruiting process, Strong’s staff pulled off a very impressive haul.
Texas hired offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert and offensive line coach Matt Mattox in December, but they were not responsible for specific players this year. Both men rode shotgun and will be given specific players in next year’s class. In addition, running backs coach Tommie Robinson took a job at USC in January, which left six assistant coaches to pull off this year’s class.
By the way, Jean-Mary was the leader in 2015, Charlie Strong parted ways with tight ends coach Bruce Chambers and receivers coach Les Koenning after the season. Jay Norvell was hired in mid-January, while Jeff Traylor was not hired until after the season.
Just as an FYI, Strong was involved in the recruitment of several players this year. However, I obtained a list of the lead recruiters from this year’s class.
Here is the breakdown:
Brian Jean-Mary (nine players)
Eric Cuffee, DB
Davion Curtis, WR
Chris Daniels, DT
Jean Delance, OL
Lil'Jordan Humphrey, ATH
Tope Imade, OL
Jeffrey McCulloch, LB
Zach Shackelford, OL
Marcel Southall, DT
Comment:Jean-Mary is clearly the Big 12 Recruiter of the Year. He hauled in more players than any coach on staff, and deserves a huge raise for his work. At this rate, Strong will have to fight hard to make sure another program does not attempt to steal Jean-Mary.
Brick Haley (five players)
Peyton Aucoin, TE
D’Andre Christmas-Giles, DT
Reggie Hemphill-Mapps, WR
Malcolm Roach, DE
Gerald Wilbon, DT
Comment:Haley used his Louisiana connections to obtain four players from that state. He is an underrated recruiter, but an extremely valuable member of this staff. Haley deserves a lot of credit for his recruiting ability.
Chris Vaughan (three players)
Chris Brown, DB
Jordan Elliott, DT
Kyle Porter, RB
Comment:His biggest accomplishment was convincing Porter to attend Texas. Strong sealed the deal. However, Vaughan stayed on Porter and helped Texas sign the only running back in this year’s class.
Jay Norvell (two players)
Andrew Fitzgerald, DE
Denzel Okafor, OL
Comment:Texas needed defensive lineman, and Norvell acquired Fitzgerald. Here is what Strong said about Fitzgerald on signing day: “I say this guy right here will be the dark horse of this class. He's a guy that goes hard all the time. He has one speed, and he's going to go hard. Up in the Fort Worth area, he was the defensive player of the year there. He's fun to watch. When we turned the tape on, I said, ‘Oh god, I don't need to see anything else. If he's going to play like that, we have to have him’.”
Jeff Traylor (two players)
DeMarco Boyd, LB
Brandon Jones, DB
Comment:Traylor used his connections to sign one of his former players. Getting Jones says a lot about Traylor’s upside as a recruiter. Expect good things from him in the future.
Vance Bedford (one player)
Erick Fowler, LB
Comment:Bedford is responsible for recruiting Austin and the surrounding areas. When you think about it, Fowler was the biggest recruit around, and Bedford stole the linebacker away from LSU. Bedford is like Robert Horry hitting a game-winning 3-pointer in the NBA Finals.
Charlie Strong (one player)
Shane Buechele, QB
Comment:To be fair, Shawn Watson was involved in the recruitment of Buechele, but after he was no longer on staff, Strong had to retain the state’s top quarterback. He was in constant contact with Buechele and his family, plus set up an immediate meeting with Gilbert after the coach was hired. If Strong would have been bashed for losing Buechele, he deserves credit for retaining the quarterback.
Tommie Robinson (one player)
Collin Johnson, WR
Comment:Robinson convinced a top player in California to play at Texas. Johnson might be a parting gift for Texas fans.
Obviously, Gilbert and Mattox’s workload will increase with the next recruiting class, and Longhorn fans will learn about their recruiting skills soon enough.
For now, Longhorn fans should be content to know they already have an ace recruiter on Strong’s staff. (Richardson)
*****
Speaking of recruiting, one question I asked people within the building after signing day was if they had any theories about why Texas was able to out-recruit Texas A&M.
The answer may or may not surprise you.
From what I have been told, the biggest turnoff by players who were pursued by Texas A&M and Texas was Kevin Sumlin’s negativity whenever he spoke about the Longhorns. Sumlin and his staff constantly took jabs at Strong and Texas, which did not go over well with many parents. Instead of selling his program, Sumlin spent more time ripping down Texas.
In fact, I was told one parent laid down the law with Sumlin and said, “I am tired of you talking about Texas. What can you tell me about Texas A&M?”
After hearing about Texas A&M’s failed attempt to bad-mouth Texas behind-the-scenes, this quote from Strong during Wednesday’s press conferences makes a lot more sense.
“One of the key things is there is no need to ever talk about another university,” Strong said. “I can only sell you what's here at the University of Texas, what we can do for you and what a degree can do for you. I allow the family to talk and you want to know what's on their mind. You have to put them in a position where they are very comfortable with you.”
It appears Sumlin and his staff will need to change their approach when recruiting against Strong in the future. (Richardson).
*****
As we previously reported, Strong was not going to begin the search for Robinson’s replacement until after signing day. Now that signing day is over, we should start hearing more about potential candidates next week.
So far, there does not appear to be a leading contender for the open position. From what I have been told, Strong was so focused on recruiting in January, he does not have a list of possible replacements. I do know former Maryland offensive coordinator Mike Locksley will not be a candidate because of his son, Kai, is on the team. From what I have been told, Strong does not want to put that kind of pressure on his quarterback.
Strong will likely fill the position sometime this month, and expect to hear a lot of names circulating very soon. (Richardson).
*****
To change things up a bit, we reached out to a number of the Texas signees to ask them a quick series of questions with the assurance that their answers would be kept anonymous.
Which player/players on the current Texas team were most active in recruiting you?
a. I would say Deshon, Malik and Charles. Text messages and when i went up there on my official
b. The three freshmen all-Americans.
c. Charles Omenihu. He just talked to me a lot, just building a relationship.
d. I would say Charles, Malik and DeShon. And then at the end it was Jerrod.
e. Definitely Charles Omenihu. I think it's because when I got my offer from Texas, he was hitting me up and saying he saw I got offered and they definitely needed me and how I had improved my game. At first I didn't want to hear any of it, after listening to his word, I found out UT was right for me.
f. Hmm, I wouldn't say a player really recruited me. I just decided. But probably Charles Omenihu.
Which recruit did you view as the ringleader of your class?
a. I would probably say Jean Delance.
b. Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Christmas-Giles. And Shack. They were silently committed.
c. Right now it's Jean Delance.
d. I'll say Reggie Hemphill.
e. When I went on my official, that's really when I found everybody. I was chilling with Jeffrey. I had no idea he was such a big recruit for us. I was chilling with him not even knowing how high he was rated. He was a cool guy.
f. DeMarco Boyd. He's like the loudest. He's short, so we always say he has a Napoleon Complex. He's always loud and wants to be heard. When I'd tell him he had a Napoleon Complex, he told me to shut up fat ass.
What were the negative pitches teams used against Texas?
a. Nah, nothing like that.
b. The stability, talking that coach won't be there next there. A&M, Tennessee, Arkansas, OU, everywhere.
c. The only thing they can say is job stability. That's it really. A lot of coaches said that.
d. That it's not real football, come play real football in the SEC.
e. Just saying Charlie Strong is going to leave, why would you want to go there? It's not going to be consistent, the offense is going to change and he's leaving. OU said that plenty of times during the Texas Tech game. Just little stuff about coach Strong, saying he's not going to stay.
f. They said that Coach Strong is about to leave, the whole coaching staff is about to be replaced. This was in December and January.
What is it about Charlie Strong you like the most?
a. He's a great person all around. And I like that he's a defensive guy.
b. That he keeps everything 100. And he's very persuasive. Every thing he says he's going to do.
c. I just love his passion for the game. He's a really passionate coach on the field. He's really hands-on. He lets his players get after it mentally and physically, and is always going to challenge you.
d. I would say that he understands us as players. He's a player's coach, he cares about you.
e. I can't really explain it. He's just not like other coaches, in a good way. All these other coaches tell you they want you, telling me I'm Nigerian and I want other Nigerians here. With Charlie Strong it's just different. He's a calm guy. People say he might have a temper to him, but he's just a good guy I can get a long with. When I talk to him, it's like I'm talking to one of my friends. I can't really explain it.
f. He just keeps it 100 with you. He's really a genuine guy, tells you the truth. And he really cares about the players. That's why I decided to go to Texas, because of him.
What was the most interesting thing a college coach did to try to win you over?
a. I guess telling me I'll start when I get there.
b. Shoot, that's tough. When I got out of the car, a coach was there who I had never seen in my life. He said what's up and he knew my nickname that only my close friends now.
c. You know, I can't really think of anything that was that crazy.
d. Nothing too crazy.
e. I did have one school come to my job where I work. They just wanted a snow cone. They got a snow cone real fast and ate it there. They did it two times.
f. I went to spring game with my dad and my brother. We were leaving, walking to the car, about a mile away. Coach BJ sent a graduate assistant, he ran about 300 yards to track us down. That meant a lot to my dad, that he sent a guy like that. He was panting and sweating. That was before I got offered too.
(Note: Harbaugh spending the night was mentioned by Jordan Elliott but I asked him to come up with a different answer otherwise his other answers would be obvious).
How much influence did the group text have that a bunch of recruits were on have on you?
a. A lot. I mean, we were just staying in touch with players and recruits was great. That helped a lot.
b. It really felt like we had been playing with each other since Pop Warner. We had that good connections. Everybody who is in that group chat is still in that group chat. If you didn't sign, you got kicked out.
c. I don't think it was much of an influence. I think it's more just solidifying things. That group message, it showed the reality of the situation of who you'd be spending the next three, four or five years with. It was a really a neat deal.
d. It showed everyone how cool everyone was, that they weren't all Hollywood and they really want you to come there.
e. I think a lot. I don't think other schools would put a mass group text message together like that. People thinking about coming here, it was like, "Oh this dude is here, maybe I should join in on it." I got added the day after I committed. It was pretty cool to finally join in on the conversation.
f. It helped a lot. People who were uncommitted at the time but are committed now, they got to see how we talked, how we related with each other. I think that really played a role in their decision, knowing who they're going to be playing with for the next four or five years. (Suchomel)
******
I was able to catch up with Erick Fowler's father, James Fowler, on Thursday to get a bit more insight into his son's recruitment now that things have settled down.
On Erick's struggle to decide between Texas and LSU ...
"Really Erick, he had come over to my house on Monday. We talked a little bit, he was still undecided. He said 'Dad I really don't know.' I told him he has to talk to me, we've been riding with each other the whole way, going to camps, going back and forth. He said he really didn't know. That morning, when he came in on Wednesday, he was still undecided. He said he made the decision right when he sat down."
(Note: Mr. Fowler said Erick brought both an LSU hat and Texas hat to the ceremony.
"He even kept me in suspense. That came from him really not knowing what he wanted to do. We talked the night before, even that (Wednesday) morning. Then he sat down and picked it out."
On how stressful the decision was:
"It was a win/win situation. I'm just happy that he was happy. Whoever he was going to ride with, I was going to support him 100 percent."
On his meeting with Charlie Strong:
"I went down there and met with him on Sunday. As soon as Erick announced, I called and he was very excited. He was thanking me and I'm thanking him. I just told him and the staff to take care of my boy, I'm 100 percent behind you."
"It was short and sweet. I don't like a lot of people around me. I told him if he wanted to meet, let's meet one on one, just me and him. And coach BJ (Brian Jean-Mary) was there too. They're just really good guys. Some coaches will tell you this, coaches will tell you that. But when it's one on one, just you two in the room, you tend to hold some respect and some integrity. They won all that.
"Coach strong allowed me to talk to him one on one. B.J. talked to me one on one. Both went very well."
On how Erick will be used at Texas:
"I've asked them that question before. They told me they were going to use him as a fox end. I just put him in their hands, just being trusting of their word, that they're going to make him a great player. I'm looking forward to what he can do."
On his feelings towards Charlie Strong:
"Man, I really admire the guy. I love what he's doing for UT, for the Austin community, I love what he's doing for the Texas sports community. I'm really standing behind him. I've always stood behind him, but now that he has my son, I'm 1,000 percent behind him."
Texas has an elite recruiter.
His name is Brian Jean-Mary.
Jean-Mary did not arrive in Austin with a lot of hype, but is beginning to earn the reputation of being a great recruiter. Texas currently has the 13th ranked class in the nation after finishing with a 5-7 record in 2015. Not only is that accomplishment impressive, but when you consider Texas was short-handed throughout the recruiting process, Strong’s staff pulled off a very impressive haul.
Texas hired offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert and offensive line coach Matt Mattox in December, but they were not responsible for specific players this year. Both men rode shotgun and will be given specific players in next year’s class. In addition, running backs coach Tommie Robinson took a job at USC in January, which left six assistant coaches to pull off this year’s class.
By the way, Jean-Mary was the leader in 2015, Charlie Strong parted ways with tight ends coach Bruce Chambers and receivers coach Les Koenning after the season. Jay Norvell was hired in mid-January, while Jeff Traylor was not hired until after the season.
Just as an FYI, Strong was involved in the recruitment of several players this year. However, I obtained a list of the lead recruiters from this year’s class.
Here is the breakdown:
Brian Jean-Mary (nine players)
Eric Cuffee, DB
Davion Curtis, WR
Chris Daniels, DT
Jean Delance, OL
Lil'Jordan Humphrey, ATH
Tope Imade, OL
Jeffrey McCulloch, LB
Zach Shackelford, OL
Marcel Southall, DT
Comment:Jean-Mary is clearly the Big 12 Recruiter of the Year. He hauled in more players than any coach on staff, and deserves a huge raise for his work. At this rate, Strong will have to fight hard to make sure another program does not attempt to steal Jean-Mary.
Brick Haley (five players)
Peyton Aucoin, TE
D’Andre Christmas-Giles, DT
Reggie Hemphill-Mapps, WR
Malcolm Roach, DE
Gerald Wilbon, DT
Comment:Haley used his Louisiana connections to obtain four players from that state. He is an underrated recruiter, but an extremely valuable member of this staff. Haley deserves a lot of credit for his recruiting ability.
Chris Vaughan (three players)
Chris Brown, DB
Jordan Elliott, DT
Kyle Porter, RB
Comment:His biggest accomplishment was convincing Porter to attend Texas. Strong sealed the deal. However, Vaughan stayed on Porter and helped Texas sign the only running back in this year’s class.
Jay Norvell (two players)
Andrew Fitzgerald, DE
Denzel Okafor, OL
Comment:Texas needed defensive lineman, and Norvell acquired Fitzgerald. Here is what Strong said about Fitzgerald on signing day: “I say this guy right here will be the dark horse of this class. He's a guy that goes hard all the time. He has one speed, and he's going to go hard. Up in the Fort Worth area, he was the defensive player of the year there. He's fun to watch. When we turned the tape on, I said, ‘Oh god, I don't need to see anything else. If he's going to play like that, we have to have him’.”
Jeff Traylor (two players)
DeMarco Boyd, LB
Brandon Jones, DB
Comment:Traylor used his connections to sign one of his former players. Getting Jones says a lot about Traylor’s upside as a recruiter. Expect good things from him in the future.
Vance Bedford (one player)
Erick Fowler, LB
Comment:Bedford is responsible for recruiting Austin and the surrounding areas. When you think about it, Fowler was the biggest recruit around, and Bedford stole the linebacker away from LSU. Bedford is like Robert Horry hitting a game-winning 3-pointer in the NBA Finals.
Charlie Strong (one player)
Shane Buechele, QB
Comment:To be fair, Shawn Watson was involved in the recruitment of Buechele, but after he was no longer on staff, Strong had to retain the state’s top quarterback. He was in constant contact with Buechele and his family, plus set up an immediate meeting with Gilbert after the coach was hired. If Strong would have been bashed for losing Buechele, he deserves credit for retaining the quarterback.
Tommie Robinson (one player)
Collin Johnson, WR
Comment:Robinson convinced a top player in California to play at Texas. Johnson might be a parting gift for Texas fans.
Obviously, Gilbert and Mattox’s workload will increase with the next recruiting class, and Longhorn fans will learn about their recruiting skills soon enough.
For now, Longhorn fans should be content to know they already have an ace recruiter on Strong’s staff. (Richardson)
*****
Speaking of recruiting, one question I asked people within the building after signing day was if they had any theories about why Texas was able to out-recruit Texas A&M.
The answer may or may not surprise you.
From what I have been told, the biggest turnoff by players who were pursued by Texas A&M and Texas was Kevin Sumlin’s negativity whenever he spoke about the Longhorns. Sumlin and his staff constantly took jabs at Strong and Texas, which did not go over well with many parents. Instead of selling his program, Sumlin spent more time ripping down Texas.
In fact, I was told one parent laid down the law with Sumlin and said, “I am tired of you talking about Texas. What can you tell me about Texas A&M?”
After hearing about Texas A&M’s failed attempt to bad-mouth Texas behind-the-scenes, this quote from Strong during Wednesday’s press conferences makes a lot more sense.
“One of the key things is there is no need to ever talk about another university,” Strong said. “I can only sell you what's here at the University of Texas, what we can do for you and what a degree can do for you. I allow the family to talk and you want to know what's on their mind. You have to put them in a position where they are very comfortable with you.”
It appears Sumlin and his staff will need to change their approach when recruiting against Strong in the future. (Richardson).
*****
As we previously reported, Strong was not going to begin the search for Robinson’s replacement until after signing day. Now that signing day is over, we should start hearing more about potential candidates next week.
So far, there does not appear to be a leading contender for the open position. From what I have been told, Strong was so focused on recruiting in January, he does not have a list of possible replacements. I do know former Maryland offensive coordinator Mike Locksley will not be a candidate because of his son, Kai, is on the team. From what I have been told, Strong does not want to put that kind of pressure on his quarterback.
Strong will likely fill the position sometime this month, and expect to hear a lot of names circulating very soon. (Richardson).
*****
To change things up a bit, we reached out to a number of the Texas signees to ask them a quick series of questions with the assurance that their answers would be kept anonymous.
Which player/players on the current Texas team were most active in recruiting you?
a. I would say Deshon, Malik and Charles. Text messages and when i went up there on my official
b. The three freshmen all-Americans.
c. Charles Omenihu. He just talked to me a lot, just building a relationship.
d. I would say Charles, Malik and DeShon. And then at the end it was Jerrod.
e. Definitely Charles Omenihu. I think it's because when I got my offer from Texas, he was hitting me up and saying he saw I got offered and they definitely needed me and how I had improved my game. At first I didn't want to hear any of it, after listening to his word, I found out UT was right for me.
f. Hmm, I wouldn't say a player really recruited me. I just decided. But probably Charles Omenihu.
Which recruit did you view as the ringleader of your class?
a. I would probably say Jean Delance.
b. Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Christmas-Giles. And Shack. They were silently committed.
c. Right now it's Jean Delance.
d. I'll say Reggie Hemphill.
e. When I went on my official, that's really when I found everybody. I was chilling with Jeffrey. I had no idea he was such a big recruit for us. I was chilling with him not even knowing how high he was rated. He was a cool guy.
f. DeMarco Boyd. He's like the loudest. He's short, so we always say he has a Napoleon Complex. He's always loud and wants to be heard. When I'd tell him he had a Napoleon Complex, he told me to shut up fat ass.
What were the negative pitches teams used against Texas?
a. Nah, nothing like that.
b. The stability, talking that coach won't be there next there. A&M, Tennessee, Arkansas, OU, everywhere.
c. The only thing they can say is job stability. That's it really. A lot of coaches said that.
d. That it's not real football, come play real football in the SEC.
e. Just saying Charlie Strong is going to leave, why would you want to go there? It's not going to be consistent, the offense is going to change and he's leaving. OU said that plenty of times during the Texas Tech game. Just little stuff about coach Strong, saying he's not going to stay.
f. They said that Coach Strong is about to leave, the whole coaching staff is about to be replaced. This was in December and January.
What is it about Charlie Strong you like the most?
a. He's a great person all around. And I like that he's a defensive guy.
b. That he keeps everything 100. And he's very persuasive. Every thing he says he's going to do.
c. I just love his passion for the game. He's a really passionate coach on the field. He's really hands-on. He lets his players get after it mentally and physically, and is always going to challenge you.
d. I would say that he understands us as players. He's a player's coach, he cares about you.
e. I can't really explain it. He's just not like other coaches, in a good way. All these other coaches tell you they want you, telling me I'm Nigerian and I want other Nigerians here. With Charlie Strong it's just different. He's a calm guy. People say he might have a temper to him, but he's just a good guy I can get a long with. When I talk to him, it's like I'm talking to one of my friends. I can't really explain it.
f. He just keeps it 100 with you. He's really a genuine guy, tells you the truth. And he really cares about the players. That's why I decided to go to Texas, because of him.
What was the most interesting thing a college coach did to try to win you over?
a. I guess telling me I'll start when I get there.
b. Shoot, that's tough. When I got out of the car, a coach was there who I had never seen in my life. He said what's up and he knew my nickname that only my close friends now.
c. You know, I can't really think of anything that was that crazy.
d. Nothing too crazy.
e. I did have one school come to my job where I work. They just wanted a snow cone. They got a snow cone real fast and ate it there. They did it two times.
f. I went to spring game with my dad and my brother. We were leaving, walking to the car, about a mile away. Coach BJ sent a graduate assistant, he ran about 300 yards to track us down. That meant a lot to my dad, that he sent a guy like that. He was panting and sweating. That was before I got offered too.
(Note: Harbaugh spending the night was mentioned by Jordan Elliott but I asked him to come up with a different answer otherwise his other answers would be obvious).
How much influence did the group text have that a bunch of recruits were on have on you?
a. A lot. I mean, we were just staying in touch with players and recruits was great. That helped a lot.
b. It really felt like we had been playing with each other since Pop Warner. We had that good connections. Everybody who is in that group chat is still in that group chat. If you didn't sign, you got kicked out.
c. I don't think it was much of an influence. I think it's more just solidifying things. That group message, it showed the reality of the situation of who you'd be spending the next three, four or five years with. It was a really a neat deal.
d. It showed everyone how cool everyone was, that they weren't all Hollywood and they really want you to come there.
e. I think a lot. I don't think other schools would put a mass group text message together like that. People thinking about coming here, it was like, "Oh this dude is here, maybe I should join in on it." I got added the day after I committed. It was pretty cool to finally join in on the conversation.
f. It helped a lot. People who were uncommitted at the time but are committed now, they got to see how we talked, how we related with each other. I think that really played a role in their decision, knowing who they're going to be playing with for the next four or five years. (Suchomel)
******
I was able to catch up with Erick Fowler's father, James Fowler, on Thursday to get a bit more insight into his son's recruitment now that things have settled down.
On Erick's struggle to decide between Texas and LSU ...
"Really Erick, he had come over to my house on Monday. We talked a little bit, he was still undecided. He said 'Dad I really don't know.' I told him he has to talk to me, we've been riding with each other the whole way, going to camps, going back and forth. He said he really didn't know. That morning, when he came in on Wednesday, he was still undecided. He said he made the decision right when he sat down."
(Note: Mr. Fowler said Erick brought both an LSU hat and Texas hat to the ceremony.
"He even kept me in suspense. That came from him really not knowing what he wanted to do. We talked the night before, even that (Wednesday) morning. Then he sat down and picked it out."
On how stressful the decision was:
"It was a win/win situation. I'm just happy that he was happy. Whoever he was going to ride with, I was going to support him 100 percent."
On his meeting with Charlie Strong:
"I went down there and met with him on Sunday. As soon as Erick announced, I called and he was very excited. He was thanking me and I'm thanking him. I just told him and the staff to take care of my boy, I'm 100 percent behind you."
"It was short and sweet. I don't like a lot of people around me. I told him if he wanted to meet, let's meet one on one, just me and him. And coach BJ (Brian Jean-Mary) was there too. They're just really good guys. Some coaches will tell you this, coaches will tell you that. But when it's one on one, just you two in the room, you tend to hold some respect and some integrity. They won all that.
"Coach strong allowed me to talk to him one on one. B.J. talked to me one on one. Both went very well."
On how Erick will be used at Texas:
"I've asked them that question before. They told me they were going to use him as a fox end. I just put him in their hands, just being trusting of their word, that they're going to make him a great player. I'm looking forward to what he can do."
On his feelings towards Charlie Strong:
"Man, I really admire the guy. I love what he's doing for UT, for the Austin community, I love what he's doing for the Texas sports community. I'm really standing behind him. I've always stood behind him, but now that he has my son, I'm 1,000 percent behind him."
Fair enough. I look forward to OU not having a young team this year on offense. They may do better than just make the playoffs.
...or they may have to play some teams with their starting QBs and not luck into the conference title.
The ringleaders of last years class (DeShon, Malik and Charles O) made a big impact in that recruiting cycle and also this one. Probably can credit at least five leans from each class with committing in part to this influence. The group text no doubt goes a long way to cementing the otherwise transient bonds established at camps or jr days.
I think we will see other teams attempt to replicate this (#gigemgang17 #FOE) but a superficial counterfeit just highlights the genuine bonds in the original.
Two solid classes in the books, a new offense and an overhauled staff... time to get it done in the weight room and then on the field. Fingers crossed.
Hook 'em
Damnit. I wish that hadn't gotten out. Now aggy is gonna know exactly why Strong made Sumlin his bitch. His typical butthurt, jealous, obsessed aggy side controlled him. aggys will raise hell over this.
Can not stop ROTFLMAO these last couple days btwn Hitler and the latest Charlie F'n Strong tweet about the spreadsheet, anyone want to post that beauty? Social media is having a field day with the Aggies
Some love needs to go out for Brick too after the fan base threw him under the bus in December and started clamoring for Clint Hurtt.
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There's been a lot of premature throwing coaches under the bus around here. Reminders are printed up and ready to start being shipped out in 2017.
I'm not going to apologize for throwing those MF'ers under the bus. Wins 10 games and I will apologize. Win the conference and I will apologize. Get in the playoffs and I will apologize. Win the national title and I will apologize. Until then, I'm not going to stop holding their feet to the fire. Football is about winning not recruiting.
I am very happy about the recruiting but it is ONLY recruiting now. I am still pissed about the hiring of Watson and Chambers and Iowa Fn State, I am still mad he brought Watson BACK.... We have every damn reason to be mad. I want Strong to Succeed but at this point he has to show me.
Winning on the field matters most. Strong's record at Texas indicates that he has a long way to go to break even with a 0.500 record.
Strong won recruiting, again. I hope Strong doesnt follow that up with another losing season, again. There is no excuse for that to happen at Texas, especially this year. I'm optimistic for an 8-9 win season. Anything less is a disappointment. Tap the brakes on apologies.
Strong won recruiting, again. I hope Strong doesnt follow that up with another losing season, again. There is no excuse for that to happen at Texas, especially this year. I'm optimistic for an 8-9 win season. Anything less is a disappointment. Tap the brakes on apologies.
Many of the coaches that were thrown under the bus have been fired and no longer work for Texas. The apologies are owed to those that were calling for these coaches heads. Many 2016 recruits have openly stated that if some of those coaches were still here, they would not have signed with Texas.
We play 12 games next season. I spot 6 games that we should not lose-vs UTEP, vs Iowa State, @ Kansas State, @ Texas Tech, vs West Virginia, and @ Kansas.
We have a good shot at winning the following: @ Cal Berkeley, @ Oklahoma State, and vs OU.
I believe we lose to Notre Dame, Baylor, and TCU.
That is a 9-3 season and a solid bowl game. In this scenario, Strong's record at Texas WOULD improve to 20-17. I am happy with that.
We have a good shot at winning the following: @ Cal Berkeley, @ Oklahoma State, and vs OU.
I believe we lose to Notre Dame, Baylor, and TCU.
That is a 9-3 season and a solid bowl game. In this scenario, Strong's record at Texas WOULD improve to 20-17. I am happy with that.
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Guilty as charged. Brick got it done and seems to have opened a Louisiana pipeline that has already proven very valuable.
Higdon released a post signing day tell all reveal and then answered 173 recruiting questions from his readers. A fascinating and in depth look from behind the scenes, click the 'spoiler' button in the linked posts for the full text.
Hook 'em
I think 9-3 is very optimistic for a team that only has 6 for sure starting upperclassmen. The roster is still recovering from Mack's latter years.
I look at Inside Texas' roster table quite a bit. http://insidetexas.com/football/football.php?pg=fb_roster
