How can Texas land more top OL?
Please something more than win more games/championships.
More OOS recruiting?
Sign a greater number of lower-ranked OL?
Have 2 OL coaches, say Tackles and OG/C?
Anything that will make a concrete difference is appreciated. Thanks.
Tough question to answer. You suggested signing a greater number of lower-ranked line prospects, but that wouldn’t answer the original question of how Texas can land more top linemen.
I don’t think having two coaches is the answer at all. That would have minimal impact, if any. Not sure more out-of-state recruiting is the answer either. The staff has gone after several elite non-Texans but hasn’t grained much traction there are all. If a guy is an elite offensive lineman in say Louisiana or Florida, he’s probably not going to give Texas that much of a look if I’m being honest.
Recruiting top talent, including offensive linemen, can be somewhat contagious. Herb Hand just needs a few guys to help break the dam open. Continued development of guys like Junior Angilau and Tyler Johnson would certainly help, as would a high draft grade for Sam Cosmi in next year’s NFL Draft.
Hand isn’t necessarily known as a recruiter first and foremost, and while it’s natural to pin all the blame on him when guys like Tommy and James Brockermeyer, it’s usually not that cut and dried. Hand was facing an uphill battle in that one, a lot of which wasn’t in his control.
The best thing that can happen for Texas to consistently land top O-line talent … win games, develop lineman, establish a reputation for dominant line play and … cough … get out of the Big 12. That last part certainly isn’t a deal-breaker for most kids, but the Big 12 is known as more of a “finesse” conference compared to the SEC and the Big 10, which does impact some recruits’ thinking.
1. Any further word on Alexis (WR from FL)?
2. Is the staff still looking to take 4-5 OL this year?
3. Should y'all consider not reporting it when a kid says Texas is his dream school?
1. Alexis has gone completely quiet on me. Tough one to figure out for me, but I’ve heard there’s confidence on UT’s side of things, and some Texas recruits that have been in touch with him like their chances as well. I think it ultimately comes down to Texas or Miami. Will he pick the local school, or the one that can maximize his opportunities beyond football? Alexis is a mature, intelligent kid and my gut tells me Texas wins in the end.
2. Five offensive linemen is going to be a stretch. I’m not even sure who would make up that group right now without some new offers or without Texas landing basically every offer that’s currently on the table. Getting to five was a much more achievable goal if the Brockermeyers were included.
3. I like it … the next time I hear the phrase “dream school,” I’m going to take some writing liberty and insert another phrase.
Are Milroe and Bama flirting with each other? I keep seeing random smoke from articles, but no idea if the people are just throwing shit on the wall.
Alabama (and others) have been working on Milroe for a long time. That’s not new, and Milroe has been very open from day one that he wasn’t going to slam any doors out of respect to the coaches that are putting in the efforts in recruiting him. That being said, he’s been very pro-Texas throughout his commitment, and continues to recruit other prospects for the Longhorns. I wouldn’t worry about him just yet, but Texas could definitely help ease any concerns he might have by landing another receiver or two, along with some more linemen.
Is Herb Hand a recruiting liability for Tom Herman?
Give us a range on the number of OOS croots that sign with Texas?
Man, I hate to call Hand a “liability” because I don’t think it’s fair to put too much blame on him for the loss of the Brockermeyers. But yes, offensive line recruiting needs to bump it up a notch or two. Texas has already missed on several top targets this year and isn’t a clear leader for guys like Savion Byrd and/or Bryce Foster. The 2020 class was solid, but if we’re being honest, Texas didn’t have to work too hard to win most of those guys over early in the process. Finishing strong in this cycle will go a long way towards determining the answer to your question. If Texas can’t snag a guy like Byrd (and a couple others), it then becomes a major concern, especially with a ton of talent in the 2022 class next in line.
Texas already has three out-of-state commitments (or out-of-continent as it relates to Isaac Pearson). I’ll guess the net end result is four … meaning they land two others and lose one of the current commitments, or land one more OOS guy and hold onto the three they have.
Can you give me something positive so this hangover will go away?
I’m going on vacation next week so you all will have a chance to raise some hell on the boards without me breathing down your neck.
O/U 1.5 of these guys sign with Texas
Kam Dewberry
Devon Campbell
Kelvin Banks
Tough, but I’m going with the under right now. It’s hard for me to give Texas the benefit of the doubt on offensive line recruiting until I see some more momentum. I’ll say right now that Texas gets one, but not two or three.
Do we need to go the steal route on these O-line guys this year? Especially if there is no season.
I’m assuming you mean does Texas need to flip some prospects that are committed elsewhere. If that’s the question, I don’t think I’m there just yet. Yes, Texas could try to make a run at someone like Connor Heffernan, who is committed to Baylor. But there are still some big fish left on the hook in Savion Byrd and Bryce Foster. The focus needs to be closing with those guys and then trying to sprinkle in another guy or two for what would still make a very good offensive line class.
Most important non-senior currently in the program:
1) Ossai
2) Cosmi
3) Bijan
4) Casey Thompson
5) Tyler Johnson
6) Hudson Card
Good question. I like this one.
My first inclination is to have Cosmi and Ossai as one and two, but if I’m projecting on long-term contribution to the success of the program I’ll go with the following:
1. Hudson Card
2. Bijan Robinson
3. Sam Cosmi
4. Joseph Ossai
5. Tyler Johnson
6. Casey Thompson
Why does Dekaney CB Jaiden Robertson have zero offers despite running a 4.22 at the ESPN Elite Underclassmen Camp this weekend? Is Texas interested in that kind of speed at CB?
Is Texas prioritizing 2022 Frisco OL Cole Hutson with the recent Brokermeyer announcement?
Does 2023 Austin Westlake WR Jaden Greathouse have a chance to be the top player in the state for 2023?
Not sure on Jaiden Robertson. Honestly, he’s not really on my radar so I don’t know his backstory. The lack of spring evaluation period probably hurt a guy like him.
Cole Hutson is a 2022 guy so I don’t know that the Brockermeyers’ decisions will have much impact on him, but Texas did offer him earlier in the spring so he’s definitely a guy that’s a priority.
Little early to make projections for 2023 lists since those dudes haven’t even played their sophomore seasons and may not even get a sophomore season. But Jaden Greathouse should be in the mix. He’s one of only three in-state offers for Texas in his class, along with RB Rueben Owens II and recent DB offer Daniel Demery.
How is Tom Herman personally taking the recent recruiting gut punch? Any reaction you’ve heard about from Anwar’s “building”?
Nobody at Texas is going to be happy about losing the Brockermeyers, but as I said over the weekend, college coaches take a more business-like approach to recruiting and are less emotional than fans when things don’t fall their way. You’re never going to win them all and sometimes the other team simply has better cards. From what I’ve gathered, Texas feels like it recruited the Brockermeyers very well and with maximum effort … Alabama was just a formidable foe.
Texas lands a 5 star this year? Who?
Tommy Brockermeyer felt like UT’s best chance of landing a 5-star prospect in the 2021 class. With him off the board, I’m inclined to say the answer will wind up being no. Obviously the Longhorns are still in contention for guys like Foster and Camar Wheaton, but I don’t believe Texas is the outright leader for either right now. If a guy like Billy Bowman or Ja’Tavion Sanders gets enough of a bump, they could be the five-star discussion.
Who does Savion Byrd compare to as a player?
Good question. Savion Byrd played defensive line last year so you have to go back to his sophomore season to see his offensive line film. His body has changed since then, but his highlights show a guy who moves about as well as any tackle prospect I’ve seen in a long time. If he can continue with that type of athleticism as his body fills out, Byrd has a ridiculously high upside. A comparison to a young Jonathan Scott seems fair.
Mukuba - yes or no to Texas?
I need to follow up with Andrew Mukuba this week for an update. I’ll work on that for the War Room. The last information I heard from someone close to him was that Texas may have surged into a slight lead after the commitments of JD Coffey and Ishmael Ibraheem. But that was shortly after those two picked Texas, so some of that emotion may have worn off. He spoke highly of Clemson and coaches Brent Venables and Mickey Conn to Rivals this week, but I still slightly favor UT. One caveat … the person who thought UT may have climbed into the lead thought Texas needed to get him on campus with his friends and 7-on-7 teammates for a visit. That’s probably not happening anytime soon, so it may make it tougher to hold off Clemson.
It seems we only develop to starter about 20% of the OL commits we sign. Is this not a bigger concern than missing out on creme-de-la-creme legacy recruits? Do you agree with Hand only playing 5 OL a game? Can that be used as a negative recruiting factoid? Do you believe we have 5 Division 1 level OL starters this season?
Some of those percentages the last couple years can be impacted by graduate transfers like Parker Braun and Calvin Anderson holding down starting positions. Honestly, if you recruit talented enough players, development becomes much easier. If Texas was to sign the Brockermeyers, Bryce Foster and then some of the 2022 studs in next year’s class, I think it’s a pretty safe bet most of them would be multi-year starters. Talent rises to the top of the depth chart.
That last question is really interesting … Division I level linemen mean different things at different programs. But if you’re asking me if Texas needs more talent/depth along the line, that’s a definitive yes. There are a couple question marks atop the projected depth chart and little proven depth behind the projected starters. Texas really needs some of its second- and third-year players to take big steps forward this year.
This might be a better question for @Ketchum but I was shocked to see recently how many 3* OL Texas has signed in comparison to average star rankings of other positions from 2005-2015 (looked at these classes because UT has only had one OL drafted since Tony Hills in 2008). Why do you think we sign 3* prospects on the OL at a higher rate than other positions? I think close to 40% of our recruits were 3*s.
Second, I decided to look at who was available and the state of Texas had somewhere around 65 4*+ OL during that span (I think we signed 27 so that’s actually a pretty good rate) but I hardly recognized any of the names as NFL draftees. Why are there so many OL busts coming out of the state?
This leads me to ask, why aren’t we recruiting more OOS for this position considering the extremely high bust rate. It seemed like other than the 3 OL Mike Sherman recruited in 2013(?) that all the top ends of the classes have been duds. Texas signed 27 4/5*s and only Connor Williams got drafted. I know the state produces NFL linemen, is it just such a crapshoot for that position because of the amount of development and mental toughness it takes? Does the recruiting industry need to reconfigure how the rank OL prospects?
Whew, that’s a lot to process.
To answer the first part of your question, Texas has certainly taken some developmental or lower-ranked guys along the line in recent years, including guys like Willie Tyler and three three-star signees last year. There were five four-star prospects in the state last year that signed with schools other than Texas.
Why is it happening, and more importantly, why are so few of UT’s signees developing into NFL players? That’s the million dollar question. I do think you have to take a bit more of a wait-and-see approach with the current staff, since most of those evaluation/development shortcomings were not on this group’s watch. If Tom Herman and Herb Hand are the types of roster builders/talent developers everyone believed them to be when they first got to Austin, those numbers should start changing soon.
On your last question, as to why Texas doesn’t recruit more out-of-state offensive linemen, that can be easier said than done and as you said, it’s not that there hasn’t been in-state talent. Over the years, Texas just hasn’t made great evaluations. Hopefully for the sake of everyone reading this, the current staff is changing those shortcomings of the previous staff.
Jason, there seems to be more political drama at Texas, this year, than at boomer, tosu, Clemson, Bama, LSU, and UGA. Assuming that the highly ranked prospects are more businesslike in their approach to playing championship football and establishing themselves as genuine NFL prospects, isn’t that a disadvantage to Texas, both for closing out 2021 and starting up the 2022 classes? I mean, sure, some of these kids can walk and chew gum at the same time, but doesn’t there always seem to be more drama, of one kind of another, at Texas and a lot less just getting the job of winning and improving done here?
The short answer is I don’t think any current political/social issues are having any impact on Texas’ recruiting efforts. In fact, the recruits I’ve talked to about it (and in some cases their parents) have been very complimentary of the way things have been handled by Tom Herman.
What star ranking (5.9, 6.0, 6.1) would you rank Billy Bowman at each potential position he could play in college?
Good question. As a wide receiver, I’d probably put him at 6.0. As a DB, I think he’s a five-star type of talent so I have no issues of going 6.1 there.
Please something more than win more games/championships.
More OOS recruiting?
Sign a greater number of lower-ranked OL?
Have 2 OL coaches, say Tackles and OG/C?
Anything that will make a concrete difference is appreciated. Thanks.
Tough question to answer. You suggested signing a greater number of lower-ranked line prospects, but that wouldn’t answer the original question of how Texas can land more top linemen.
I don’t think having two coaches is the answer at all. That would have minimal impact, if any. Not sure more out-of-state recruiting is the answer either. The staff has gone after several elite non-Texans but hasn’t grained much traction there are all. If a guy is an elite offensive lineman in say Louisiana or Florida, he’s probably not going to give Texas that much of a look if I’m being honest.
Recruiting top talent, including offensive linemen, can be somewhat contagious. Herb Hand just needs a few guys to help break the dam open. Continued development of guys like Junior Angilau and Tyler Johnson would certainly help, as would a high draft grade for Sam Cosmi in next year’s NFL Draft.
Hand isn’t necessarily known as a recruiter first and foremost, and while it’s natural to pin all the blame on him when guys like Tommy and James Brockermeyer, it’s usually not that cut and dried. Hand was facing an uphill battle in that one, a lot of which wasn’t in his control.
The best thing that can happen for Texas to consistently land top O-line talent … win games, develop lineman, establish a reputation for dominant line play and … cough … get out of the Big 12. That last part certainly isn’t a deal-breaker for most kids, but the Big 12 is known as more of a “finesse” conference compared to the SEC and the Big 10, which does impact some recruits’ thinking.
1. Any further word on Alexis (WR from FL)?
2. Is the staff still looking to take 4-5 OL this year?
3. Should y'all consider not reporting it when a kid says Texas is his dream school?
1. Alexis has gone completely quiet on me. Tough one to figure out for me, but I’ve heard there’s confidence on UT’s side of things, and some Texas recruits that have been in touch with him like their chances as well. I think it ultimately comes down to Texas or Miami. Will he pick the local school, or the one that can maximize his opportunities beyond football? Alexis is a mature, intelligent kid and my gut tells me Texas wins in the end.
2. Five offensive linemen is going to be a stretch. I’m not even sure who would make up that group right now without some new offers or without Texas landing basically every offer that’s currently on the table. Getting to five was a much more achievable goal if the Brockermeyers were included.
3. I like it … the next time I hear the phrase “dream school,” I’m going to take some writing liberty and insert another phrase.
Are Milroe and Bama flirting with each other? I keep seeing random smoke from articles, but no idea if the people are just throwing shit on the wall.
Alabama (and others) have been working on Milroe for a long time. That’s not new, and Milroe has been very open from day one that he wasn’t going to slam any doors out of respect to the coaches that are putting in the efforts in recruiting him. That being said, he’s been very pro-Texas throughout his commitment, and continues to recruit other prospects for the Longhorns. I wouldn’t worry about him just yet, but Texas could definitely help ease any concerns he might have by landing another receiver or two, along with some more linemen.
Is Herb Hand a recruiting liability for Tom Herman?
Give us a range on the number of OOS croots that sign with Texas?
Man, I hate to call Hand a “liability” because I don’t think it’s fair to put too much blame on him for the loss of the Brockermeyers. But yes, offensive line recruiting needs to bump it up a notch or two. Texas has already missed on several top targets this year and isn’t a clear leader for guys like Savion Byrd and/or Bryce Foster. The 2020 class was solid, but if we’re being honest, Texas didn’t have to work too hard to win most of those guys over early in the process. Finishing strong in this cycle will go a long way towards determining the answer to your question. If Texas can’t snag a guy like Byrd (and a couple others), it then becomes a major concern, especially with a ton of talent in the 2022 class next in line.
Texas already has three out-of-state commitments (or out-of-continent as it relates to Isaac Pearson). I’ll guess the net end result is four … meaning they land two others and lose one of the current commitments, or land one more OOS guy and hold onto the three they have.
Can you give me something positive so this hangover will go away?
I’m going on vacation next week so you all will have a chance to raise some hell on the boards without me breathing down your neck.
O/U 1.5 of these guys sign with Texas
Kam Dewberry
Devon Campbell
Kelvin Banks
Tough, but I’m going with the under right now. It’s hard for me to give Texas the benefit of the doubt on offensive line recruiting until I see some more momentum. I’ll say right now that Texas gets one, but not two or three.
Do we need to go the steal route on these O-line guys this year? Especially if there is no season.
I’m assuming you mean does Texas need to flip some prospects that are committed elsewhere. If that’s the question, I don’t think I’m there just yet. Yes, Texas could try to make a run at someone like Connor Heffernan, who is committed to Baylor. But there are still some big fish left on the hook in Savion Byrd and Bryce Foster. The focus needs to be closing with those guys and then trying to sprinkle in another guy or two for what would still make a very good offensive line class.
Most important non-senior currently in the program:
1) Ossai
2) Cosmi
3) Bijan
4) Casey Thompson
5) Tyler Johnson
6) Hudson Card
Good question. I like this one.
My first inclination is to have Cosmi and Ossai as one and two, but if I’m projecting on long-term contribution to the success of the program I’ll go with the following:
1. Hudson Card
2. Bijan Robinson
3. Sam Cosmi
4. Joseph Ossai
5. Tyler Johnson
6. Casey Thompson
Why does Dekaney CB Jaiden Robertson have zero offers despite running a 4.22 at the ESPN Elite Underclassmen Camp this weekend? Is Texas interested in that kind of speed at CB?
Is Texas prioritizing 2022 Frisco OL Cole Hutson with the recent Brokermeyer announcement?
Does 2023 Austin Westlake WR Jaden Greathouse have a chance to be the top player in the state for 2023?
Not sure on Jaiden Robertson. Honestly, he’s not really on my radar so I don’t know his backstory. The lack of spring evaluation period probably hurt a guy like him.
Cole Hutson is a 2022 guy so I don’t know that the Brockermeyers’ decisions will have much impact on him, but Texas did offer him earlier in the spring so he’s definitely a guy that’s a priority.
Little early to make projections for 2023 lists since those dudes haven’t even played their sophomore seasons and may not even get a sophomore season. But Jaden Greathouse should be in the mix. He’s one of only three in-state offers for Texas in his class, along with RB Rueben Owens II and recent DB offer Daniel Demery.
How is Tom Herman personally taking the recent recruiting gut punch? Any reaction you’ve heard about from Anwar’s “building”?
Nobody at Texas is going to be happy about losing the Brockermeyers, but as I said over the weekend, college coaches take a more business-like approach to recruiting and are less emotional than fans when things don’t fall their way. You’re never going to win them all and sometimes the other team simply has better cards. From what I’ve gathered, Texas feels like it recruited the Brockermeyers very well and with maximum effort … Alabama was just a formidable foe.
Texas lands a 5 star this year? Who?
Tommy Brockermeyer felt like UT’s best chance of landing a 5-star prospect in the 2021 class. With him off the board, I’m inclined to say the answer will wind up being no. Obviously the Longhorns are still in contention for guys like Foster and Camar Wheaton, but I don’t believe Texas is the outright leader for either right now. If a guy like Billy Bowman or Ja’Tavion Sanders gets enough of a bump, they could be the five-star discussion.
Who does Savion Byrd compare to as a player?
Good question. Savion Byrd played defensive line last year so you have to go back to his sophomore season to see his offensive line film. His body has changed since then, but his highlights show a guy who moves about as well as any tackle prospect I’ve seen in a long time. If he can continue with that type of athleticism as his body fills out, Byrd has a ridiculously high upside. A comparison to a young Jonathan Scott seems fair.
Mukuba - yes or no to Texas?
I need to follow up with Andrew Mukuba this week for an update. I’ll work on that for the War Room. The last information I heard from someone close to him was that Texas may have surged into a slight lead after the commitments of JD Coffey and Ishmael Ibraheem. But that was shortly after those two picked Texas, so some of that emotion may have worn off. He spoke highly of Clemson and coaches Brent Venables and Mickey Conn to Rivals this week, but I still slightly favor UT. One caveat … the person who thought UT may have climbed into the lead thought Texas needed to get him on campus with his friends and 7-on-7 teammates for a visit. That’s probably not happening anytime soon, so it may make it tougher to hold off Clemson.
It seems we only develop to starter about 20% of the OL commits we sign. Is this not a bigger concern than missing out on creme-de-la-creme legacy recruits? Do you agree with Hand only playing 5 OL a game? Can that be used as a negative recruiting factoid? Do you believe we have 5 Division 1 level OL starters this season?
Some of those percentages the last couple years can be impacted by graduate transfers like Parker Braun and Calvin Anderson holding down starting positions. Honestly, if you recruit talented enough players, development becomes much easier. If Texas was to sign the Brockermeyers, Bryce Foster and then some of the 2022 studs in next year’s class, I think it’s a pretty safe bet most of them would be multi-year starters. Talent rises to the top of the depth chart.
That last question is really interesting … Division I level linemen mean different things at different programs. But if you’re asking me if Texas needs more talent/depth along the line, that’s a definitive yes. There are a couple question marks atop the projected depth chart and little proven depth behind the projected starters. Texas really needs some of its second- and third-year players to take big steps forward this year.
This might be a better question for @Ketchum but I was shocked to see recently how many 3* OL Texas has signed in comparison to average star rankings of other positions from 2005-2015 (looked at these classes because UT has only had one OL drafted since Tony Hills in 2008). Why do you think we sign 3* prospects on the OL at a higher rate than other positions? I think close to 40% of our recruits were 3*s.
Second, I decided to look at who was available and the state of Texas had somewhere around 65 4*+ OL during that span (I think we signed 27 so that’s actually a pretty good rate) but I hardly recognized any of the names as NFL draftees. Why are there so many OL busts coming out of the state?
This leads me to ask, why aren’t we recruiting more OOS for this position considering the extremely high bust rate. It seemed like other than the 3 OL Mike Sherman recruited in 2013(?) that all the top ends of the classes have been duds. Texas signed 27 4/5*s and only Connor Williams got drafted. I know the state produces NFL linemen, is it just such a crapshoot for that position because of the amount of development and mental toughness it takes? Does the recruiting industry need to reconfigure how the rank OL prospects?
Whew, that’s a lot to process.
To answer the first part of your question, Texas has certainly taken some developmental or lower-ranked guys along the line in recent years, including guys like Willie Tyler and three three-star signees last year. There were five four-star prospects in the state last year that signed with schools other than Texas.
Why is it happening, and more importantly, why are so few of UT’s signees developing into NFL players? That’s the million dollar question. I do think you have to take a bit more of a wait-and-see approach with the current staff, since most of those evaluation/development shortcomings were not on this group’s watch. If Tom Herman and Herb Hand are the types of roster builders/talent developers everyone believed them to be when they first got to Austin, those numbers should start changing soon.
On your last question, as to why Texas doesn’t recruit more out-of-state offensive linemen, that can be easier said than done and as you said, it’s not that there hasn’t been in-state talent. Over the years, Texas just hasn’t made great evaluations. Hopefully for the sake of everyone reading this, the current staff is changing those shortcomings of the previous staff.
Jason, there seems to be more political drama at Texas, this year, than at boomer, tosu, Clemson, Bama, LSU, and UGA. Assuming that the highly ranked prospects are more businesslike in their approach to playing championship football and establishing themselves as genuine NFL prospects, isn’t that a disadvantage to Texas, both for closing out 2021 and starting up the 2022 classes? I mean, sure, some of these kids can walk and chew gum at the same time, but doesn’t there always seem to be more drama, of one kind of another, at Texas and a lot less just getting the job of winning and improving done here?
The short answer is I don’t think any current political/social issues are having any impact on Texas’ recruiting efforts. In fact, the recruits I’ve talked to about it (and in some cases their parents) have been very complimentary of the way things have been handled by Tom Herman.
What star ranking (5.9, 6.0, 6.1) would you rank Billy Bowman at each potential position he could play in college?
Good question. As a wide receiver, I’d probably put him at 6.0. As a DB, I think he’s a five-star type of talent so I have no issues of going 6.1 there.
