BOURBON WHISKEY
Blackland’s proprietary young whiskey is a blend of 80% Texas Yellow Corn and 20% Texas Triticale, a hybrid of wheat and rye which upon first taste embodies a classic rye spirit, until the creaminess of the wheat cuts into the rye’s spiciness to create a unique flavor profile that defines the modern day whiskey.
From Texas Monthly:
This small-batch offering from Fort Worth–based Blackland Distilling is as artfully crafted as the elegant bottle in which it is packaged. Offering notes of vanilla cream, candied orange rind, and homespun marshmallow, this bourbon leans into the softer, more delicate side of the spirit. 41.5 percent ABV.
Other Notes:
Blackland Distillery will have a tent and be sampling all of their spirits outside of the east side entrance of the stadium (entrance to the UT Club) for the Texas v. Kansas State game on November 26, 2021. Blackland Founder Markus Kypreos will have Blackland swag for anyone that mentions they’re an Orangeblood member.
How many OL do you think are signed via HS and /or recruiting?
I thought it was interesting to hear Steve Sarkisian address offensive line recruiting in his Monday press conference, and he said they would like to take five offensive linemen in this class, at least. I’m not sure where they’re going to get to five or beyond based off their current offers, but Sark seemed to be confident in the Longhorns’ chances of landing some of their top targets.
Is there any player on the TCU roster other than Quentin Johnston that was offered by Texas? Other than Johnston who do you believe Texas should go after should they make the portal?
In scrolling through their roster, the following guys had Texas offers coming out of high school:
WR Marcel Brooks (as a LB)
WR Quentin Johnston
RB Zach Evans
LB Shadrach Banks
OL Andrew Coker
Of that group, Johnston would be an obvious take, as would Andrew Coker, who starts at right tackle for TCU.
Does this sum up our pursuit of Devon Campbell?:
Texas is still in a good spot with Campbell, although my confidence level on that one isn’t as high as it was back in the summer. This one will likely come down to Texas or Oklahoma in the end, and the good news for Texas is that Campbell hasn’t used his official visit to UT yet, whereas he has already visited Oklahoma. In checking with a UT source on Monday, it’s likely that Campbell will take his Texas OV for the Kansas game in a couple weeks, but I’m told that the final details are still being ironed out.
Is Texas going to push for Xavier Benson?
Tyler Junior College linebacker Xavier Benson, who started his career at Texas Tech, tells me he has been in touch with the UT staff. According to Benson, the UT coaches are evaluating his film and he’s waiting to hear back on how (or if) he’ll figure into the Longhorns’ recruiting plans. Benson opted out of the 2020 season at Texas Tech so the only film on him is from this year or going back to his freshman year at Tech in 2019.
Do you think the staff will start offering Plan Bs and Cs soon?
It feels like we're going to be left at the altar with many of the big targets.
I could certainly see some new offers going out as the staff continues to evaluate players this fall, but I don’t get the sense that people inside the program are hitting the panic button on their remaining targets. In fact, I’d argue there’s a sense of confidence that Texas will be able to close on some of the top players that are still on the board. Of course … we’ve heard that before this year, only to see several players wind up committing elsewhere.
What is the feeling you get from defensive line prospects that look at a defense that often only has only 3 down lineman? With such a set they are often going to be double teamed by definition ( Center, Guards, Tackles + TE). If the prospects have true Sunday NFL aspirations are they going to want to go to a team with such a defensive setup? How are defensive schemes "sold" to recruits"?
A couple years ago, that was an issue that Texas had to overcome when schools like Texas A&M were pointing out that defensive linemen weren’t very productive in UT’s scheme compared to the types of stats the linemen were putting up in A&M’s four-man front. It got so bad that Texas started telling recruits it was changing its defense and would be playing a lot more four-man fronts. I honestly have not heard that come up once this year though. Texas has done a good job of selling recruits on the Longhorns running a variety of defensive sets, and they’ve also done a good job of telling all their defensive linemen that they’ll line up in different spots and be used in a variety of ways.
Now who do you really think is going to commit to Texas before nsd1 after the past 3 games?
Well, for starters, Texas should add a piece to its 2023 class this week, but I’m assuming you’re referring to the 2022 class.
A lot of players are waiting until the all-star games in January before making their commitments, but you have some guys like Evan Stewart and Denver Harris that aren’t on a set timeline and could realistically happen at any time. Kam Dewberry is a guy I could see announcing before NSD1, although I doubt it will be for Texas. Malik Agbo is a guy I’d watch closely from a Texas perspective after his recent official visit.
Who's the next most likely commit in the 22 Class?
Have the past few weeks shifted the message significantly regarding OL, CB and other positions of need? Surely early opportunities to contribute were there, but curious how the staff is communicating it today, and whether it lands better with certain recruits/positions than others.
The next commitment is tough to call because I’m not sure there’s anyone right now that I’d call Texas the outright leader for, and nobody has any stated plans to make a decision on a certain date. My guess is that the next commitment is something unexpected and out of the blue. I’m just not sure who it will come from. I could see someone like Evan Stewart or maybe even Devin Brown pulling a surprise.
I haven’t gathered that the message has necessarily shifted in recent weeks, but it’s probably being reinforced. Texas has been selling the opportunity for early playing time this entire cycle, including to offensive linemen. Sarkisian mentioned in his press conference on Monday that it’s something they’re hammering home to their remaining offensive line targets.
Why has it taken Sark so long to identify that we need to be aggressively pursuing O-line targets? Or has he even had that realization yet?
Texas has been aggressively pursuing guys, so I don’t think that’s necessarily an issue. The staff just hasn’t been able to close on many, thus only two names are on the commitment list. If you’re talking about the transfer portal and not utilizing that option last year, that was definitely a mistake. I’m not sure if they overvalued the guys they had on campus and thought they could coach them up or what the thinking was there, because they were obviously aware that Texas signed only two guys in last year’s class. I have to think the coaches would love to have a re-do on that decision, especially after seeing the success a school like Baylor had in rebuilding it’s line.
How much does the "Sark needs his guys" message on recruiting cover up our bad results on the field? Do recruits give Sark a pass because he's playing the hand he was dealt or do they see it more of an indictment on the program itself?
Good question. That’s an easy sell for a position like wide receiver, especially when you can point out the success that Xavier Worthy (one of Sark’s “guys”) is having. But overall, I don’t think that argument carries a ton of weight, not enough to get Texas over the hump with a recruit anyway. Players want to play for championships, and that’s an awfully hard sell for the Longhorns after the past few weeks.
Why does the 2021 Recruiting Class feel more like a Top 10-15 ranked class rather than the Top 5 class it is on paper?
Fair question. Texas currently ranks No. 5 in the Rivals.com team rankings, but that number seems a bit high when you think about some of the key misses the Longhorns have suffered in this class. The Longhorns do have more commitments than some of the programs right behind them, so the ranking is a tad misleading as well. Those things will even out over the next couple months, and I’d guess this class will finish closer to that 10-15 range than top 5.
Does Stewart see the number 2 WR dropping passes and consider himself the difference maker? Or does he see the end results of these games?
Stewart has gone silent ever since opting out of the rest of his senior year other than confirming with me that he’s still visiting Alabama this month, so it’s hard to get a really good read on what he’s thinking. But knowing what I know of Evan, he’s always going to consider himself a difference maker, no matter what is happening with the players currently on the roster. He’s extremely talented and doesn’t lack confidence either. But I’d be naïve to suggest that the end results of games and Texas being on a three-game losing streak with occasionally sluggish play from the offense isn’t a factor as well.
Could you detail when our remaining targets are planning to commit? Even if it's a high-level idea like during season, after the season, during a HS all-star game, or on NSD?
As I mentioned above, Evan Stewart is a bit of a wildcard with no set timeframe.
I expect Denver Harris will probably decide after his season ends and before NSD1.
Devon Campbell has indicated that he’ll announce at the Under Armour All-American Game in January. Same with Harold Perkins.
Malik Agbo has told me he’d like to decide sometime in December, after he finishes his official visits. I don’t believe Kam Dewberry has ever set a hard timeline for a decision. Neto Umeozulu is a complete wildcard.
Linebacker Lander Barton has finished up his official visits and he was hoping to make a decision shortly after completing those trips, so that one could happen soon.
Wide receiver Kevin Colemam and offensive lineman Earnest Greene are supposed to announce at the All-American Bowl in January.
Seems like the only players that really make a difference are the ones where their talent is undeniable, like Xavier Worthy. Which players would you describe as having that type of talent? Which recruits from the '22 class would you describe as having that type of talent?
What do you think about the Ewers smoke that has been mentioned? Anything on CB Brooks?
Which of the OL recruits would be Day 1 starters? I know it is not ideal, but a necessity right now.
Green
Agbo
Campbell
Dewberry
Neto
Williams
Thanks!
Lots to unpack here. You’re correct, Texas needs more undeniable talent, guys that are in the five-star range. That’s how the Alabamas, Georgias and Ohio States of the world make their living. In terms of guys Texas is recruiting, I would put Evan Stewart, Denver Harris and Devon Campbell in that grouping. I’d maybe even put quarterback Devin Brown in there as well.
I haven’t put much stock in the Ewers smoke. Nothing would surprise me there, but I’m not going crazy over tracking that story just yet.
Texas has stayed in touch with DB Terrance Brooks and those close to him. The coaches aren’t going to throw in the towel on him or some of the other highly-ranked guys they’ve been recruited from the jump, but I don’t get the impression there’s a real possibility of a flip from Ohio State or anything like that.
As for the OL starters, that’s always risky starting a true freshman but I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of any of the guys on your list as being able to crack the two-deep and maybe even get some starting action. They’re all fine players, but that’s more a reflection on the current Texas OL than anything else.
Given that we are likely to finish the season at 6-6 or 7-5 if we a lucky, how do you sense this recruiting class will finish?
I’m not fully convinced Texas can’t win out and finish 8-4, but 5-7 doesn’t feel impossible either. If Texas finishes 6-6, as you suggest, it’s going to be a tough sell to close on the real difference makers in this class. Texas will have a really hard time convincing Denver Harris that he needs to be in Austin and not Alabama. Same with Devon Campbell and Oklahoma. You might even see a player or two pull off of their commitments. Texas is always going to have a solid class, but 6-6 or 7-5 will certainly be a missed opportunity to really bring in some elite talent.
Biggest risk of flips from the 2020 class?
And like everyone else OL, OL, OL?
Armani Winfield and Jamarion Miller would be the two guys I would put down as the biggest risk for flips. Guys like Trevell Johnson, J'Mond Tapp and Jaray Bledsoe have seemed to firm up their positions.
Not a ton new to report on offensive line recruiting. Steve Sarkisian seems confident, which I found interesting. Kam Dewberry will visit Texas in a couple weeks and Devon Campbell is expected to be there as well. The visit with Malik Agbo went very well with some who spent time with him feeling Texas came out of that weekend as the team to beat. Texas is still working on other guys like Neto Umeozulu and Cameron Williams, but things have been pretty quiet there.
Sark still seemed confident about their recruiting class during the presser. Should I feel the same?
I’ve never known a coach that wasn’t confident in his recruiting efforts, sometimes overconfident. Sark does seem to be more of a realist than some other coaches I’ve covered, but he’s also a guy that’s never going to hit the panic button when facing some adversity. I’m sure he knows Texas hasn’t helped itself over the last month with its play on the field, but there’s still a chance to close with a very good class.
