Are the recruits you talk with fired up about any of our assistants in particular?
Definitely. You hear the names of the assistants mentioned quite a bit. Take, for instance, recent commitment Terrence Cooks. He’s told me numerous times that his relationship with and trust of Coleman Hutzler was a big reason the Longhorns were high on his list. Jay Valai has done a really good job, not just with his position group but also with other recruits in the Metroplex. Stan Drayton always has good relationships with the players he recruits, including Jonathon Brooks and LJ Johnson this year. Same with Oscar Giles, who is able to really gain the trust of both recruits and their families. I know it’s been a tough cycle for Herb Hand, but the offensive linemen I talk to that are on UT’s radar all speak very highly of him.
Jason, it seems to me that Herman is not as involved in recruiting as Saban is at Alabama. He heard (I know) that he is not well-liked by many Texas high school coaches. Have you heard anything on that?
I have not heard that. I’m sure there are some coaches that he relates with better than others, but I haven’t heard of numerous coaches having any ill-feelings towards Herman. The ones I’ve talked to that have specifically mentioned him all speak highly of him. Herman may not be as involved in recruiting as Saban is (not many are, and Saban’s rep does a lot of the recruiting on its own) but I think it’s a mischaracterization by some fans who think Herman isn’t involved at all. He’s in regular contact with many of UT’s top priority targets.
If Texas hired UM, how might that affect the recruitments of:
LJ Johnson
Shemar Turner
JJ Henry
Savion Byrd
Bryce Foster?
Is Texas still recruiting Erick Cade?
It’s hard to say how a coaching change (and potential hire of Urban Meyer) would impact any specific recruits – and I really wouldn’t cross that bridge until I get to it in terms of discussing those possibilities with the recruits themselves – but the big picture answer is that yes, hiring Meyer would certainly give Texas’ recruiting a shot in the arm. With many of those guys, their decisions would be (mostly) made so it would be tough to completely flip the script with them, but Meyer is the type of coach who could accomplish the improbable in a very short time. I mentioned Saban’s reputation helping him … Meyer has that same type of status.
Erick Cade is a tricky one to figure out. He tells me he talks to Herb Hand regularly, but Texas hasn’t been actively pushing for a commitment there, and you’ve seen other OL targets surface of late.
If Herman stays (likely if you believe his comments), how bad does recruiting get for 2022 and 2023 class?
TCU bad?
KU bad?
Ignore recruiting and pray to 6lb 8oz baby Jesus bad?
If Herman stays, that would lead me to believe that Texas has won the Big 12 this year. If that happens, recruiting will certainly get a boost. It’s not going to salvage the 2021 class and there would still be ground to make up with some of the 2022 guys who Texas has slipped with, but Herman and staff would have some positive momentum to sell and it would be a big help. The issue … what happens in that scenario if Texas was to struggle on the field next fall? Then we’re probably having these same conversations.
Do high school football recruits read all the negativity on OrangeFans.com?
Ha. Well-played. There used to be a time, before social media, when damn near every recruit was on Orangebloods. That has changed a bit, as most now get their “news” via Twitter, Instagram, etc. That whole discussion of fan negativity impacting recruits is way overblown, in my opinion. If Texas is sitting at 7-0 right now or even 6-1 without losses to TCU and struggles in other games, none of that stuff matters.
My question is similar. Herman blamed y’all (for Ewers) but i think you’ve said previously it was the social mess around the Eyes. Is the truth the fact we got off to a shit start?
I don’t think I’ve ever said it was the social media mess with the Eyes, but yes, I do think some of the “non-football” stuff had an impact on Ewers’ decision. Ultimately though, I think it was a combination of factors, including Texas’ slow start, him not wanting to play in an offense that saw the quarterback taking such a physical beating and wanting to play for a program he knows will be a championship contender instead of him having to lead the program “back.” Texas was 3-2 at the time of Ewers’ decommitment … had the Longhorns been 5-0 (maybe even 4-1) and shredding defenses, the guess here is he probably would still be committed. But Ewers and those close to him have been pretty quiet since he re-opened his recruitment so that’s a bit of a guess on my part.
Similar to the question above but why are guys waiting to commit such as Foster, Wheaton etc... Are they still evaluating or are they simply waiting for NSD to roll around so they can have their 10 minutes of fame on ESPN?
A little bit of both. I think in the case of Bryce Foster and Camar Wheaton, they genuinely have been sorting through their options. But I also have a hard time believing that at this stage of the recruiting process, both guys (and most others) don’t have a strong idea of where they’ll wind up. Some are definitely waiting for their time in the spotlight.
Will Jonathan Brooks get a fourth star?
Really good chance, in my opinion. He’s certainly been putting up the numbers to back up a bump in his ranking. I recently submitted his mid-season film to the Rivals.com guys for another evaluation, so there’s a decent chance he could get that bump soon.
Is the aggy wr in the Portal a take for Texas if he wants to come over to the good guys?
Freshman WR Kam Brown is the receiver you’re referencing. Him coming to Texas would surprise me. He was a good prospect but Texas really wasn’t involved much in his recruitment, and I’m not sure he’s a transfer that Texas would aggressively pursue.
Blondes, brunettes or redheads?
All of the above.
Has any recruit mentioned that Herman has said they can talk to CDC about his job security?
I believe Herman said CDC offered that. Unless I’m mistaken, I don’t think he said it has actually happened. I have not heard of any recruit talking to CDC, but I haven’t directly asked anyone about that either.
Is Texas actively recruiting WR- Keithron Lee?
Yes. Texas actually offered the Bryan Rudder standout last week. I’ve got a call into Keithron Lee to get his thoughts, but have not heard back yet. I’m hoping to have an update on him at some point this week.
Any truth to Bijan being in transfer after the season?
I have not heard that. Never say never, especially with players from out-of-state, but that would surprise me with Bijan Robinson. That just doesn’t seem in his character from what I know of him.
How much of a shot in the arm would recruiting get if/when we get Urban?
When a school changes its coaching staff, you can see it go a couple different ways. You’ll usually see a “transition class” of sorts, but in other instances you’ll see a program get an immediate boost if the new hire generates a lot of electricity. Hiring Meyer would no doubt fall in that latter category. Would Texas suddenly clean up with the top prospects in the 2021 class? Probably not because it’s so late in the process, but I would bet money that Meyer would have a trick or two up his sleeve and add a couple key pieces. Where I think you’d really see a boost is in a very deep in-state 2022 recruiting class and beyond.
Would a Big 12 title cure recruiting?
Would it cure recruiting? Probably not. Would it help? Absolutely. One of the biggest knocks against Texas compared to a school like Oklahoma, LSU or some of the top national powers is that UT doesn’t consistently compete for championships, either conference or national. Getting one this year would give Texas some much-needed positive momentum, but I don’t think it would “cure” things because so much damage has been done with UT’s slow start to the season, the decommitment of Quinn Ewers, etc. Even with a conference title, there’d still be work to be done before Texas would be in control of the state in recruiting.
Go to Thanksgiving pie?
I’m not really a pie guy, but if I’m eating a slice at Thanksgiving, it’s going to be pumpkin.
Definitely. You hear the names of the assistants mentioned quite a bit. Take, for instance, recent commitment Terrence Cooks. He’s told me numerous times that his relationship with and trust of Coleman Hutzler was a big reason the Longhorns were high on his list. Jay Valai has done a really good job, not just with his position group but also with other recruits in the Metroplex. Stan Drayton always has good relationships with the players he recruits, including Jonathon Brooks and LJ Johnson this year. Same with Oscar Giles, who is able to really gain the trust of both recruits and their families. I know it’s been a tough cycle for Herb Hand, but the offensive linemen I talk to that are on UT’s radar all speak very highly of him.
Jason, it seems to me that Herman is not as involved in recruiting as Saban is at Alabama. He heard (I know) that he is not well-liked by many Texas high school coaches. Have you heard anything on that?
I have not heard that. I’m sure there are some coaches that he relates with better than others, but I haven’t heard of numerous coaches having any ill-feelings towards Herman. The ones I’ve talked to that have specifically mentioned him all speak highly of him. Herman may not be as involved in recruiting as Saban is (not many are, and Saban’s rep does a lot of the recruiting on its own) but I think it’s a mischaracterization by some fans who think Herman isn’t involved at all. He’s in regular contact with many of UT’s top priority targets.
If Texas hired UM, how might that affect the recruitments of:
LJ Johnson
Shemar Turner
JJ Henry
Savion Byrd
Bryce Foster?
Is Texas still recruiting Erick Cade?
It’s hard to say how a coaching change (and potential hire of Urban Meyer) would impact any specific recruits – and I really wouldn’t cross that bridge until I get to it in terms of discussing those possibilities with the recruits themselves – but the big picture answer is that yes, hiring Meyer would certainly give Texas’ recruiting a shot in the arm. With many of those guys, their decisions would be (mostly) made so it would be tough to completely flip the script with them, but Meyer is the type of coach who could accomplish the improbable in a very short time. I mentioned Saban’s reputation helping him … Meyer has that same type of status.
Erick Cade is a tricky one to figure out. He tells me he talks to Herb Hand regularly, but Texas hasn’t been actively pushing for a commitment there, and you’ve seen other OL targets surface of late.
If Herman stays (likely if you believe his comments), how bad does recruiting get for 2022 and 2023 class?
TCU bad?
KU bad?
Ignore recruiting and pray to 6lb 8oz baby Jesus bad?
If Herman stays, that would lead me to believe that Texas has won the Big 12 this year. If that happens, recruiting will certainly get a boost. It’s not going to salvage the 2021 class and there would still be ground to make up with some of the 2022 guys who Texas has slipped with, but Herman and staff would have some positive momentum to sell and it would be a big help. The issue … what happens in that scenario if Texas was to struggle on the field next fall? Then we’re probably having these same conversations.
Do high school football recruits read all the negativity on OrangeFans.com?
Ha. Well-played. There used to be a time, before social media, when damn near every recruit was on Orangebloods. That has changed a bit, as most now get their “news” via Twitter, Instagram, etc. That whole discussion of fan negativity impacting recruits is way overblown, in my opinion. If Texas is sitting at 7-0 right now or even 6-1 without losses to TCU and struggles in other games, none of that stuff matters.
My question is similar. Herman blamed y’all (for Ewers) but i think you’ve said previously it was the social mess around the Eyes. Is the truth the fact we got off to a shit start?
I don’t think I’ve ever said it was the social media mess with the Eyes, but yes, I do think some of the “non-football” stuff had an impact on Ewers’ decision. Ultimately though, I think it was a combination of factors, including Texas’ slow start, him not wanting to play in an offense that saw the quarterback taking such a physical beating and wanting to play for a program he knows will be a championship contender instead of him having to lead the program “back.” Texas was 3-2 at the time of Ewers’ decommitment … had the Longhorns been 5-0 (maybe even 4-1) and shredding defenses, the guess here is he probably would still be committed. But Ewers and those close to him have been pretty quiet since he re-opened his recruitment so that’s a bit of a guess on my part.
Similar to the question above but why are guys waiting to commit such as Foster, Wheaton etc... Are they still evaluating or are they simply waiting for NSD to roll around so they can have their 10 minutes of fame on ESPN?
A little bit of both. I think in the case of Bryce Foster and Camar Wheaton, they genuinely have been sorting through their options. But I also have a hard time believing that at this stage of the recruiting process, both guys (and most others) don’t have a strong idea of where they’ll wind up. Some are definitely waiting for their time in the spotlight.
Will Jonathan Brooks get a fourth star?
Really good chance, in my opinion. He’s certainly been putting up the numbers to back up a bump in his ranking. I recently submitted his mid-season film to the Rivals.com guys for another evaluation, so there’s a decent chance he could get that bump soon.
Is the aggy wr in the Portal a take for Texas if he wants to come over to the good guys?
Freshman WR Kam Brown is the receiver you’re referencing. Him coming to Texas would surprise me. He was a good prospect but Texas really wasn’t involved much in his recruitment, and I’m not sure he’s a transfer that Texas would aggressively pursue.
Blondes, brunettes or redheads?
All of the above.
Has any recruit mentioned that Herman has said they can talk to CDC about his job security?
I believe Herman said CDC offered that. Unless I’m mistaken, I don’t think he said it has actually happened. I have not heard of any recruit talking to CDC, but I haven’t directly asked anyone about that either.
Is Texas actively recruiting WR- Keithron Lee?
Yes. Texas actually offered the Bryan Rudder standout last week. I’ve got a call into Keithron Lee to get his thoughts, but have not heard back yet. I’m hoping to have an update on him at some point this week.
Any truth to Bijan being in transfer after the season?
I have not heard that. Never say never, especially with players from out-of-state, but that would surprise me with Bijan Robinson. That just doesn’t seem in his character from what I know of him.
How much of a shot in the arm would recruiting get if/when we get Urban?
When a school changes its coaching staff, you can see it go a couple different ways. You’ll usually see a “transition class” of sorts, but in other instances you’ll see a program get an immediate boost if the new hire generates a lot of electricity. Hiring Meyer would no doubt fall in that latter category. Would Texas suddenly clean up with the top prospects in the 2021 class? Probably not because it’s so late in the process, but I would bet money that Meyer would have a trick or two up his sleeve and add a couple key pieces. Where I think you’d really see a boost is in a very deep in-state 2022 recruiting class and beyond.
Would a Big 12 title cure recruiting?
Would it cure recruiting? Probably not. Would it help? Absolutely. One of the biggest knocks against Texas compared to a school like Oklahoma, LSU or some of the top national powers is that UT doesn’t consistently compete for championships, either conference or national. Getting one this year would give Texas some much-needed positive momentum, but I don’t think it would “cure” things because so much damage has been done with UT’s slow start to the season, the decommitment of Quinn Ewers, etc. Even with a conference title, there’d still be work to be done before Texas would be in control of the state in recruiting.
Go to Thanksgiving pie?
I’m not really a pie guy, but if I’m eating a slice at Thanksgiving, it’s going to be pumpkin.
