Recruiting Thread 2017
- Thread starter Scholz
- Start date
There were 4 at this point last year. Imade's verbal was in May to bring it to 5.
Strong prefers to see; both spring and fall camps, Senior year, and who stays hungry once they've been handed golden tickets before taking a commit.
Strong prefers to see; both spring and fall camps, Senior year, and who stays hungry once they've been handed golden tickets before taking a commit.
Per TFB:
– Dylan Moses: The #1 player in the nation in IMG Academy (FL) OLB Dylan Moses visited Texas this weekend and generated some buzz as he named the Longhorns his leader over Alabama and LSU.
I spoke with Moses’ mother recently to see how the visit went from a parents prospective. She told me, “The thing that stood out to me was the academics at UT, and the business department.” A little note is that Moses father is a lawyer. She also said, “I want to know that Dylan can go to school, get a degree, build relationships, and become a successful young man outside of football.”
Another thing that Dylan and his family like is that, “he has a great relationship with Coach Strong and Coach Jean-Mary. He can talk life with them, not just football.” She also noted that seeing Malik Jefferson have so much success as a true freshman was “icing on the cake”.
It seems that the coaches made a really nice impression on the family and that they left, “with a really great vibe after the conversations with the coaches.” And that they, “touched on things that other universities haven’t mentioned so far.” It will be a battle between some of the blue bloods of college football for Moses but Texas is right in it. Expect to see Moses back on campus sometime this summer. – (Andrew)
– Dylan Moses Commentary: I haven’t had a chance to speak to Moses or the family but just wanted to add a brief comment based on what other outlets have said and based on what Andrew has provided above.
I have talked to so many parents and families about coach Strong and his ability to connect. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. In fact, I was pretty certain Malik Jefferson was going to Texas long before he ever committed just based on how his mother spoke about coach Strong early on.
When Strong puts his focus on a particular player and recruits that player and the parents, he is very difficult to beat regardless of the circumstances. If Texas shows improvement on the field this year, I’m going to bet Saban and Miles are going to have an epic fight on their hands for Moses that they probably did not anticipate. And I wouldn’t bet against Strong. – (Super K)
– Dylan Moses: The #1 player in the nation in IMG Academy (FL) OLB Dylan Moses visited Texas this weekend and generated some buzz as he named the Longhorns his leader over Alabama and LSU.
I spoke with Moses’ mother recently to see how the visit went from a parents prospective. She told me, “The thing that stood out to me was the academics at UT, and the business department.” A little note is that Moses father is a lawyer. She also said, “I want to know that Dylan can go to school, get a degree, build relationships, and become a successful young man outside of football.”
Another thing that Dylan and his family like is that, “he has a great relationship with Coach Strong and Coach Jean-Mary. He can talk life with them, not just football.” She also noted that seeing Malik Jefferson have so much success as a true freshman was “icing on the cake”.
It seems that the coaches made a really nice impression on the family and that they left, “with a really great vibe after the conversations with the coaches.” And that they, “touched on things that other universities haven’t mentioned so far.” It will be a battle between some of the blue bloods of college football for Moses but Texas is right in it. Expect to see Moses back on campus sometime this summer. – (Andrew)
– Dylan Moses Commentary: I haven’t had a chance to speak to Moses or the family but just wanted to add a brief comment based on what other outlets have said and based on what Andrew has provided above.
I have talked to so many parents and families about coach Strong and his ability to connect. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. In fact, I was pretty certain Malik Jefferson was going to Texas long before he ever committed just based on how his mother spoke about coach Strong early on.
When Strong puts his focus on a particular player and recruits that player and the parents, he is very difficult to beat regardless of the circumstances. If Texas shows improvement on the field this year, I’m going to bet Saban and Miles are going to have an epic fight on their hands for Moses that they probably did not anticipate. And I wouldn’t bet against Strong. – (Super K)
Huge news about Moses! We'll be in it till the very end with him! He'll be an EE so he will commit somewhere in December
24/7 reporting DE Taquon Graham of Temple has UT back on top:
“Texas is at the top of the list because I’m a Texas boy – and growing up watching them on TV almost every Saturday when they play, it’s something you want to be a part of,” Graham said. “Especially because they’re a team on the come up.”
“That is something (playing early) that I’ve always wanted to do, and that’s a goal to aim for,” Graham said about getting playing time as a freshman. “I’m not the kind of guy trying to just sit back and learn – I’m a guy that likes to attack things. I want to be the guy that makes plays and actually contributes to the team.”
“She (Graham's mother) really liked the visit,” Graham said. “She knows I would be in good hands and that she would be able to watch every home game. She’s comfortable with me going there.”
“I think I’ve changed my mind to actually do it (make a commitment) sooner than later," Graham said. “It’ll probably be the end of this month or early next month.”
“Texas is at the top of the list because I’m a Texas boy – and growing up watching them on TV almost every Saturday when they play, it’s something you want to be a part of,” Graham said. “Especially because they’re a team on the come up.”
“That is something (playing early) that I’ve always wanted to do, and that’s a goal to aim for,” Graham said about getting playing time as a freshman. “I’m not the kind of guy trying to just sit back and learn – I’m a guy that likes to attack things. I want to be the guy that makes plays and actually contributes to the team.”
“She (Graham's mother) really liked the visit,” Graham said. “She knows I would be in good hands and that she would be able to watch every home game. She’s comfortable with me going there.”
“I think I’ve changed my mind to actually do it (make a commitment) sooner than later," Graham said. “It’ll probably be the end of this month or early next month.”
I'm interested in that as well. Seems like we already have more players committed now than we did up until last November. With a small class this year some guys are going to get left out if we have a successful year.
That being said if there's an elite player that wants to pull the trigger early and shut down his recruitment you take him. If he wants to commit but still take visits, you hold off and tell him to take his visits and commit silently or whatever.
You take him. Plain and simple but let the kid be a kid and enjoy the recruiting process. Put no pressure on them but let them know, if you not on board when the train takes off, you will be left at the station.
He'll take em
Its part strategy now and part necessity. His philosophy is to take longer to eval the kids, but that is also part due to him still getting his footing in state.
Also he has been selling hope, not success. And that is easier to do in January and February.
Plus his whole idea of kids not committing just to commit and also them painting a target on their back. I'm sure in the future he will do the same thing of taking time to eval kids and also telling them to enjoy the process and not commit unless they are sure.
But if an elite kids wants to commit, you say yes whenever he says he's ready. Plus to your point on success, success leads to more excitement and also earlier commits.
The Eyes of Texas: The Opening Houston Regional gave reporters a great opportunity to not only see prospects but to speak with a number of sources about their recruitments.
Here are 10 takeaways from my conversations with a number of people about Texas targets.
1. Texas is a major player for Moses, make no mistake about it
Texas is the clear leader for five-star IMG Academy (Fla.) outside linebacker Dylan Moses. Yes, Alabama and LSU have been long considered his frontrunners, but Moses was blown away on his unofficial visit to Texas over the weekend. And so was his father, which is just as important. Both have great relationships with head coach Charlie Strong and defensive line coach Brick Haley, who recruited Moses at LSU. A source close to the Moses family told me that Moses loves the opportunity for early playing time at Texas and believes in both Strong and his vision for the future of the program. Moses will be back on the Forty Acres in June.
2. Where Texas stands for Wilson
One of Texas’ top overall targets in the 2017 class is Houston Bellaire Episcopal defensive tackle Marvin Wilson. I spoke to a handful of sources about Wilson during the event, and they all basically had the same thing to say: Wilson prefers to go out of state and really likes Alabama and LSU early on. With that said, Wilson could always opt to stay in state, and the 2015 Texas class is working hard to recruit him. Wilson also has a great relationship with Strong and still has high interest in the Longhorns. I spoke to one of Wilson’s family members, who had some great things to say about Texas. But the Longhorns need to win to have a shot.
3. Can Texas flip Netherly?
Right now, my answer is no. Yes, I have a flip pick in for Crosby wide receiver Mannie Netherly to Texas, but after talking to both Netherly and some people around the event, my conclusion is that Texas is going to have to work extremely hard down to get him away from Texas A&M. Netherly is still a little irked that Texas took longer than most schools to offer, especially since he grew up a fan of the Longhorns. Netherly also has a strong relationship with the Texas A&M coaching staff and likes the small city feel of College Station. Right now, LSU actually appears to be a bigger threat to flip Netherly than Texas. But as we all know, the Longhorns close strong.
4. Texas is still a player for Dobbins
This isn’t really a secret. Texas is and will always be a threat to flip La Grange running back J.K. Dobbins from Ohio State. Dobbins enjoyed his unofficial visit to Columbus this weekend and loves the way he fits into Ohio State’s offense. But Dobbins grew up a Texas fan and still plans to make an unofficial visit in the near future. Like with Marvin Wilson, it is imperative for Texas to win to have a shot. New running backs coach Anthony Johnson also has to establish a relationship with him. That’s also imperative since Dobbins was a little hurt with the lack of communication with Texas prior to Johnson being hired as a member of the coaching staff.
5. The Reed situation
There have been talks that Houston Cypress Creek offensive lineman Grayson Reed is considering a commitment to Texas A&M. I would be surprised if he pulls the trigger this weekend but wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually picks the Aggies. But I’m not saying he signs with them. Reed’s recruitment is going to come down to the wire, and again, Texas closes strong. From what I’ve been able to gather, there has been some negative recruiting against Texas in Reed’s camp, but his connection to Cedric Reed and relationship with Strong should prevail in the end, in my opinion.
6. Big battle for Little
I couldn’t get much from Houston Bellaire Episcopal offensive tackle Walker Little or his camp. But that’s because I truly think Little is taking things extremely slow. The four-star prospect is a quiet kid that isn’t exactly a big fan of the recruiting process. Little and his family will make multiple visits this offseason and likely won’t come to a final decision late in the process. I believe Ole Miss and Texas are the two teams to beat early on. Texas was the first school to offer Little, while he has two siblings at Ole Miss.
7. The word on Tucker
If Manvel safety Derrick Tucker had to make a choice today it would be Texas, according to sources. Tucker has always been high on the Longhorns, and his former teammate and Texas signee Reggie Hemphill-Mapps has constantly been in his ear. Like Little, Tucker is extremely quiet and doesn’t give too much away, but I’m confident saying the Longhorns at the top. Still, Houston and TCU are legitimate threats here. New defensive backs coach Clay Jennings will need to make a big impression not only on Tucker but his mother as well.
8. Ehlinger working on others
Texas quarterback Sam Ehinger was working hard on Texas targets throughout the duration of Sunday’s event. Ehlinger tried to keep things under wraps during our interview, but he did say that J.K. Dobbins was one of his top priorities. Ehlinger added that his recruiting pitch is simple: Texas is, well, Texas and the program will be winning national championships in the near future. Two recruits who told me Ehlinger was working on them were Mannie Netherly and Marvin Wilson.
9. McCulloch still doing some recruiting
Texas linebacker signee Jeffrey McCulloch spent his Sunday at The Houston Opening Regional. While he gave a number of prospects advice about the recruiting process, McCulloch also spent some time recruiting for the Longhorns. McCulloch was seen talking to Walker Little and Marvin Wilson as well as Dylan Moses. McCulloch didn’t want to give much away, but remember, he was one of the key recruiters for Texas in the 2015 class.
10. Long shots
Two prospects Texas has an uphill battle with are Langham Creek running back Toneil Carter and Cy-Fair offensive lineman Austin Deculus. I hear that the latter is all but a lock to land at LSU. Meanwhile, Carter is extremely high on both LSU and Texas A&M, and I fully expect him to land at one of those schools. According to a source, Texas has reached out to Carter, but he is often unresponsive. North Shore defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson was considered a long shot as well, but Texas has made a recent surge in his recruitment. Don’t be surprised if he’s on campus soon. (Holland)
***
Texas made a huge impression on Dylan Moses over the weekend.
So much so that the five-star outside linebacker out of IMG Academy (Fla.) named Texas his leader. While Charlie Strong and Brick Haley deserve plenty of credit, it wasn’t all about the Texas coaching staff.
Current Texas linebacker Malik Jefferson has a great relationship with Moses and spent a lot of time with the highly touted prospect during his time on campus.
“Malik was recruiting me, but he didn’t push Texas too much,” Moses said. “He told me to just make a commitment to a school. He said that I needed to take some time and make the right decision for myself. He wants me to enjoy the process.”
Moses added that he appreciated Jefferson’s honesty. Moses is looking forward to continuing to develop a relationship with him.
The two have actually known each other for years. Even though Moses is a few years younger, he started participating in elite camps with Jefferson at an early age.
Moses smiled when asked about the possibility of them teaming up on the Forty Acres down the line.
“It would be really great to team up with Malik,” Moses said. “We became good friends because we would always do camps like these. When we lined up with each other, we would do some damage. So it would be really cool to play with him.”
Moses will make a return visit to Texas in June. He currently has a top five of Alabama, LSU, Texas, UCLA and USC.
At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Moses is ranked as the No. 1 outside linebacker in the country and No. 1 overall prospect in the state of Florida, according to 247Sports Composite. (Holland)
***
Texas quarterback commit Sam Ehlinger participated in The Opening Houston Regional on Sunday.
His performance, however, did not earn him a trip to the finals Oregon. Although Ehlinger was not considered the best quarterback at the event, camp counselor and former NFL quarterback Craig Nall said he is a coachable kid who can implement the skills he learns quickly.
“I think he was trying a bit hard at times,” Nall said. “We tried loosening up his upper body just a little bit. He was taking coaching very well. He was taking those coaching points and did some of the things we were asking. He was always attentive. He gives great effort.”
Nall, who spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers after playing at LSU and being drafted in 2002 out of Northwestern State, considers Ehlinger a “buff” quarterback with “above-average arm strength” who lacks flexibility.
Nall added that Ehlinger needs to spend less time in the weight room and more time working on other areas of his game.
“From my personal experience, there was a point during my time at LSU when I was getting too big,” Nall said. “My strength coaches actually made me stop lifting weights as much as I was, because it was affecting my throws.
“Quarterbacks don’t need to be doing a whole lot of bench. They need to be doing a lot of core, leg strength, back and shoulders.”
During drills that featured multiple receivers and defensive backs, Ehlinger chose to throw quick, short routes more often than not. He finished the drill 2-for-6 with the incompletions coming on pass break-ups near the sideline.
While Nall has only seen a small sample size of Ehlinger, there is promise. Ehlinger has talent, but developing the talent will be his key to success at Texas.
“He’s very athletic,” Nall said. “I think you can see that, but he’s just a 17-year old kid trying to figure it out. I can speak to his attitude. The kid loves playing football. He’s very attentive and asks questions.”
Ehlinger committed to Texas last summer over offers from Houston and SMU. At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, he is ranked as the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback in the country and No. 12 overall prospect in the state, according to 247Sports Composite. (Brock)
Here are 10 takeaways from my conversations with a number of people about Texas targets.
1. Texas is a major player for Moses, make no mistake about it
Texas is the clear leader for five-star IMG Academy (Fla.) outside linebacker Dylan Moses. Yes, Alabama and LSU have been long considered his frontrunners, but Moses was blown away on his unofficial visit to Texas over the weekend. And so was his father, which is just as important. Both have great relationships with head coach Charlie Strong and defensive line coach Brick Haley, who recruited Moses at LSU. A source close to the Moses family told me that Moses loves the opportunity for early playing time at Texas and believes in both Strong and his vision for the future of the program. Moses will be back on the Forty Acres in June.
2. Where Texas stands for Wilson
One of Texas’ top overall targets in the 2017 class is Houston Bellaire Episcopal defensive tackle Marvin Wilson. I spoke to a handful of sources about Wilson during the event, and they all basically had the same thing to say: Wilson prefers to go out of state and really likes Alabama and LSU early on. With that said, Wilson could always opt to stay in state, and the 2015 Texas class is working hard to recruit him. Wilson also has a great relationship with Strong and still has high interest in the Longhorns. I spoke to one of Wilson’s family members, who had some great things to say about Texas. But the Longhorns need to win to have a shot.
3. Can Texas flip Netherly?
Right now, my answer is no. Yes, I have a flip pick in for Crosby wide receiver Mannie Netherly to Texas, but after talking to both Netherly and some people around the event, my conclusion is that Texas is going to have to work extremely hard down to get him away from Texas A&M. Netherly is still a little irked that Texas took longer than most schools to offer, especially since he grew up a fan of the Longhorns. Netherly also has a strong relationship with the Texas A&M coaching staff and likes the small city feel of College Station. Right now, LSU actually appears to be a bigger threat to flip Netherly than Texas. But as we all know, the Longhorns close strong.
4. Texas is still a player for Dobbins
This isn’t really a secret. Texas is and will always be a threat to flip La Grange running back J.K. Dobbins from Ohio State. Dobbins enjoyed his unofficial visit to Columbus this weekend and loves the way he fits into Ohio State’s offense. But Dobbins grew up a Texas fan and still plans to make an unofficial visit in the near future. Like with Marvin Wilson, it is imperative for Texas to win to have a shot. New running backs coach Anthony Johnson also has to establish a relationship with him. That’s also imperative since Dobbins was a little hurt with the lack of communication with Texas prior to Johnson being hired as a member of the coaching staff.
5. The Reed situation
There have been talks that Houston Cypress Creek offensive lineman Grayson Reed is considering a commitment to Texas A&M. I would be surprised if he pulls the trigger this weekend but wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually picks the Aggies. But I’m not saying he signs with them. Reed’s recruitment is going to come down to the wire, and again, Texas closes strong. From what I’ve been able to gather, there has been some negative recruiting against Texas in Reed’s camp, but his connection to Cedric Reed and relationship with Strong should prevail in the end, in my opinion.
6. Big battle for Little
I couldn’t get much from Houston Bellaire Episcopal offensive tackle Walker Little or his camp. But that’s because I truly think Little is taking things extremely slow. The four-star prospect is a quiet kid that isn’t exactly a big fan of the recruiting process. Little and his family will make multiple visits this offseason and likely won’t come to a final decision late in the process. I believe Ole Miss and Texas are the two teams to beat early on. Texas was the first school to offer Little, while he has two siblings at Ole Miss.
7. The word on Tucker
If Manvel safety Derrick Tucker had to make a choice today it would be Texas, according to sources. Tucker has always been high on the Longhorns, and his former teammate and Texas signee Reggie Hemphill-Mapps has constantly been in his ear. Like Little, Tucker is extremely quiet and doesn’t give too much away, but I’m confident saying the Longhorns at the top. Still, Houston and TCU are legitimate threats here. New defensive backs coach Clay Jennings will need to make a big impression not only on Tucker but his mother as well.
8. Ehlinger working on others
Texas quarterback Sam Ehinger was working hard on Texas targets throughout the duration of Sunday’s event. Ehlinger tried to keep things under wraps during our interview, but he did say that J.K. Dobbins was one of his top priorities. Ehlinger added that his recruiting pitch is simple: Texas is, well, Texas and the program will be winning national championships in the near future. Two recruits who told me Ehlinger was working on them were Mannie Netherly and Marvin Wilson.
9. McCulloch still doing some recruiting
Texas linebacker signee Jeffrey McCulloch spent his Sunday at The Houston Opening Regional. While he gave a number of prospects advice about the recruiting process, McCulloch also spent some time recruiting for the Longhorns. McCulloch was seen talking to Walker Little and Marvin Wilson as well as Dylan Moses. McCulloch didn’t want to give much away, but remember, he was one of the key recruiters for Texas in the 2015 class.
10. Long shots
Two prospects Texas has an uphill battle with are Langham Creek running back Toneil Carter and Cy-Fair offensive lineman Austin Deculus. I hear that the latter is all but a lock to land at LSU. Meanwhile, Carter is extremely high on both LSU and Texas A&M, and I fully expect him to land at one of those schools. According to a source, Texas has reached out to Carter, but he is often unresponsive. North Shore defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson was considered a long shot as well, but Texas has made a recent surge in his recruitment. Don’t be surprised if he’s on campus soon. (Holland)
***
Texas made a huge impression on Dylan Moses over the weekend.
So much so that the five-star outside linebacker out of IMG Academy (Fla.) named Texas his leader. While Charlie Strong and Brick Haley deserve plenty of credit, it wasn’t all about the Texas coaching staff.
Current Texas linebacker Malik Jefferson has a great relationship with Moses and spent a lot of time with the highly touted prospect during his time on campus.
“Malik was recruiting me, but he didn’t push Texas too much,” Moses said. “He told me to just make a commitment to a school. He said that I needed to take some time and make the right decision for myself. He wants me to enjoy the process.”
Moses added that he appreciated Jefferson’s honesty. Moses is looking forward to continuing to develop a relationship with him.
The two have actually known each other for years. Even though Moses is a few years younger, he started participating in elite camps with Jefferson at an early age.
Moses smiled when asked about the possibility of them teaming up on the Forty Acres down the line.
“It would be really great to team up with Malik,” Moses said. “We became good friends because we would always do camps like these. When we lined up with each other, we would do some damage. So it would be really cool to play with him.”
Moses will make a return visit to Texas in June. He currently has a top five of Alabama, LSU, Texas, UCLA and USC.
At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Moses is ranked as the No. 1 outside linebacker in the country and No. 1 overall prospect in the state of Florida, according to 247Sports Composite. (Holland)
***
Texas quarterback commit Sam Ehlinger participated in The Opening Houston Regional on Sunday.
His performance, however, did not earn him a trip to the finals Oregon. Although Ehlinger was not considered the best quarterback at the event, camp counselor and former NFL quarterback Craig Nall said he is a coachable kid who can implement the skills he learns quickly.
“I think he was trying a bit hard at times,” Nall said. “We tried loosening up his upper body just a little bit. He was taking coaching very well. He was taking those coaching points and did some of the things we were asking. He was always attentive. He gives great effort.”
Nall, who spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers after playing at LSU and being drafted in 2002 out of Northwestern State, considers Ehlinger a “buff” quarterback with “above-average arm strength” who lacks flexibility.
Nall added that Ehlinger needs to spend less time in the weight room and more time working on other areas of his game.
“From my personal experience, there was a point during my time at LSU when I was getting too big,” Nall said. “My strength coaches actually made me stop lifting weights as much as I was, because it was affecting my throws.
“Quarterbacks don’t need to be doing a whole lot of bench. They need to be doing a lot of core, leg strength, back and shoulders.”
During drills that featured multiple receivers and defensive backs, Ehlinger chose to throw quick, short routes more often than not. He finished the drill 2-for-6 with the incompletions coming on pass break-ups near the sideline.
While Nall has only seen a small sample size of Ehlinger, there is promise. Ehlinger has talent, but developing the talent will be his key to success at Texas.
“He’s very athletic,” Nall said. “I think you can see that, but he’s just a 17-year old kid trying to figure it out. I can speak to his attitude. The kid loves playing football. He’s very attentive and asks questions.”
Ehlinger committed to Texas last summer over offers from Houston and SMU. At 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, he is ranked as the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback in the country and No. 12 overall prospect in the state, according to 247Sports Composite. (Brock)
Q&A with Higs
Chances on getting one of the two major Episcopal players?
I understand the words Marvin Wilson and Walker Little are saying to the Texas coaching staff, and it’s good stuff don’t get me wrong so I think Texas has a legitimate shot at each, but I would not consider Texas to be the front runner on these guys. Now, both have visited multiple times; we do see a new group of coaches on offense and Brick is in his second year with Texas, which could also play a role for Wilson. Texas is 100% in the race but for me to call them the favorite for either at this point in time would be foolish I believe even if either kid came out and named Texas the leader as did Dylan Moses last week.
How are things with Dobbins? Does he seem solid to tOSU?
I think you will see JK Dobbins still listen to Texas. The Longhorns will not stop recruiting him and see where it goes. If he visits Texas again, then you will have your answer, and I believe he will step back on campus.
If so, who does Texas target next? I know Toneil Carter has an offer but doesn't seem to interested in Texas plus he is rumored to commit to aggy this weekend.
TC is a kid that Texas has some ground to make up on in my mind. I believe you will see them make the effort on him and see where it goes if anywhere. I can't remember him visiting Texas which is clearly an issue if he did it was once?
Has Eno Benjamin been offered by Texas yet and if so, is he a Longhorn when he commits this month?
He has not been offered, and I do not expect to see him offered anytime soon
Walker little, Dylan Moses, DeAngelo Gibbs, Robert Beal. How many are horns on NSD?
DeAngelo Gibbs is not even talking to Texas – He is not going to ink with the Longhorns and people don’t need to even consider him as far as I am concerned. I think Texas is in a great spot for Beal, but the Dawgs will not go without a fight. We will see if Texas visits him in May, which I would expect to see them do so. Moses, for me, is Alabama, LSU then Texas and yes I am fully aware of what he is telling people and what his father is saying. I think he plays it close to the vest, but ultimately Bama and LSU should be the teams to beat. His move to Florida I think hurt Texas. Texas will make multiple trips to Louisiana, but I am not sure how often they will get to Florida.
Call me Eeyore, but I feel like every verbal commitment at this point should have an asterisk next to it until Charlie secures his future with whatever level of progress the powers that be need to see on the field. How many of the current commits would stay with Texas if 2016 gets sideways and Charlie isn't around on NSD?
That is not something I can begin to estimate on. If something like that were to take place, then I would be able to give you an answer by talking to all parties from both sides but not now.
Out of Manning, Buckley, Netherley, and Shavers, which ones are currently most interested in the Longhorns? It seems like Netherley has a pretty good friendship with Ehlinger but it's hard to tell if it's enough to sway him away from the SOE.
I believe all four of them have nice relations with Texas at the moment; I think Shavers has a solid line of communication going at the moment and especially Mannie.
Rank these players in order of most likely to land to least likely to land.
JK Dobbins
Marvin Wilson
Walker Little
Grayson Reed
Dylan Moses
Baron Browning
Anthony Hines
Jefferey Okudah
Omar Manning
Kary Vincent
I like where Texas sits with Grayson Reed, Hines, Browning right now. And they are working extra hard on the others. It’s April, now is not the time for me to put percentages or try and figure out who Texas is most likely to land from best to worst. Those guys all have things going against and for Texas at the moment. Vincent with ties to the soe and Reed ties to Texas etc…the rest are going to be some of the most heavily recruited players regardless of position OR state so very hard for me to put them in any order until I start seeing some more visits to Austin. How does five sound though?
What are your thoughts on Texas and K.Chiasson from North Shore?
Brick has some strong connections to this one that I believe will keep Texas in the race. The board at this spot is very deep so they will not wait around very long for any “one” at that position. First, come first serve and I think KC takes it to the end.
Do you still think Texas misses on Walker Little?
I don’t think they are the leader for Walker Little, not going to say 100% they miss on him I think they are working hard on this one right now to make a move but long battle for sure I believe.
What DTs other than Marvin Wilson does Texas have their sights on?
DT Marvin Wilson
Episcopal
TX
DT Juan Harris
North Fayette HS
Iowa
DT Deiontae Watts
Plano East Sr.
TX
DT Damion Daniels
Bishop Dunne
TX
You can forget about Juan Harris. Those are the only DT’s with offers as of today, but you will see more go out.
Was Sam recruiting at the opening this weekend? If so; who were his targets?
Those are things Sam can tell the media if he wants. That is not something I am going to talk about at all.
Dylan Moses on Twitter responded to Tyson Lindsay about a play at the opening, and it was Marvin Wilson making a great play and under it Dylan says "aye that's my future teammate" considering Dylan said Texas was his #1 just a few days ago what are the chances Marvin and him could wind up in the ATX.
I would not pay attention to what any player says on Twitter unless you are using it for factual information. Information that I would use Twitter for would be a kid saying he is visiting somewhere or on his way to some school, names his top 10 or top 5 or says he has been offered, etc…That is it.
I've seen posted numerous times, "if they (Texas) start winning games.." from recruits who committed and not committed. Say Texas wins 8-10 games..what kind of class are we looking at?
This class should be somewhat smaller than last year's class. I think the average star ranking of the 2017 class will be among the top in America on NSD. I believe they are at 84 ships today with 14 seniors meaning the have 15 spots available for 2017. I think you will see attrition between 4-6 pushing the total number of the class size to at or around 19-21 range.
What's more likely, kids not able to get in due to the class filling up or Charlie trying to secure commits on NSD?
Kids always miss out on Texas offers. No one closes out on everyone they want, no one but I am not worried in the least regarding Charlie Strong and his ability to close out a recruiting class.
What is it going to take to sign Moses and do you think it's possible? If Texas were able to get Moses, then do they still get one of Hines and Browning?
Moses could play some different positions. Yes, Texas landing Moses could most definitely impact those guys. People need to have real expectations when it comes to recruiting and landing Browning, Hines and Moses all in the same class is not real imo. Do they have a chance at Moses you bet they do? He has visited Texas three times already while Strong has been the HC and he will continue to visit.
Would Tucker and Okudah come to Texas or does one affect the other?
Independent of each other I believe.
What's Texas record this year and who are their losses too?
I am on record with 8-4, I am not on record with predicting each game as of yet, not publicly anyway.
Are we going to host satellite camps anytime soon?
I believe it’s a waste of time and energy. I don’t believe you will ever see Strong and crew do this stuff in the way other teams have pulled it off.
Do you think playing in the Briles like offense will have any impact on the marketability of the players to the NFL since it's not the "pro set?'
I have not paid enough attention to Baylor (draft picks/former players) to even see what those guys are doing in the NFL other than RGIII, and he was not good. I think that Baylor offense is not preparing kids to be able to manage in the NFL, but that’s just me.
Which OL is Texas in the best shape for at the moment, excluding soon-to-commit-to-A&M Grayson Reed?
I can’t exclude him because he is the one I have heard the most about.
Thoughts on Sam's recent comments? Paraphrasing here-- "it's not about who get but who will have to turn away"...
I love it, and he’s correct. I have been saying this since I started covering Texas. Kids all the time end up at schools they did not have as their first choice, all the time it happens.
#TTFH is saying Boyce said he is still open to other schools and will be at soe this weekend. You think he shows? He said similar things about Miller, but no surprise there.
I am not concerned with what any other media person reports about Texas recruiting, and I am not trying to be rude.
Chances on getting one of the two major Episcopal players?
I understand the words Marvin Wilson and Walker Little are saying to the Texas coaching staff, and it’s good stuff don’t get me wrong so I think Texas has a legitimate shot at each, but I would not consider Texas to be the front runner on these guys. Now, both have visited multiple times; we do see a new group of coaches on offense and Brick is in his second year with Texas, which could also play a role for Wilson. Texas is 100% in the race but for me to call them the favorite for either at this point in time would be foolish I believe even if either kid came out and named Texas the leader as did Dylan Moses last week.
How are things with Dobbins? Does he seem solid to tOSU?
I think you will see JK Dobbins still listen to Texas. The Longhorns will not stop recruiting him and see where it goes. If he visits Texas again, then you will have your answer, and I believe he will step back on campus.
If so, who does Texas target next? I know Toneil Carter has an offer but doesn't seem to interested in Texas plus he is rumored to commit to aggy this weekend.
TC is a kid that Texas has some ground to make up on in my mind. I believe you will see them make the effort on him and see where it goes if anywhere. I can't remember him visiting Texas which is clearly an issue if he did it was once?
Has Eno Benjamin been offered by Texas yet and if so, is he a Longhorn when he commits this month?
He has not been offered, and I do not expect to see him offered anytime soon
Walker little, Dylan Moses, DeAngelo Gibbs, Robert Beal. How many are horns on NSD?
DeAngelo Gibbs is not even talking to Texas – He is not going to ink with the Longhorns and people don’t need to even consider him as far as I am concerned. I think Texas is in a great spot for Beal, but the Dawgs will not go without a fight. We will see if Texas visits him in May, which I would expect to see them do so. Moses, for me, is Alabama, LSU then Texas and yes I am fully aware of what he is telling people and what his father is saying. I think he plays it close to the vest, but ultimately Bama and LSU should be the teams to beat. His move to Florida I think hurt Texas. Texas will make multiple trips to Louisiana, but I am not sure how often they will get to Florida.
Call me Eeyore, but I feel like every verbal commitment at this point should have an asterisk next to it until Charlie secures his future with whatever level of progress the powers that be need to see on the field. How many of the current commits would stay with Texas if 2016 gets sideways and Charlie isn't around on NSD?
That is not something I can begin to estimate on. If something like that were to take place, then I would be able to give you an answer by talking to all parties from both sides but not now.
Out of Manning, Buckley, Netherley, and Shavers, which ones are currently most interested in the Longhorns? It seems like Netherley has a pretty good friendship with Ehlinger but it's hard to tell if it's enough to sway him away from the SOE.
I believe all four of them have nice relations with Texas at the moment; I think Shavers has a solid line of communication going at the moment and especially Mannie.
Rank these players in order of most likely to land to least likely to land.
JK Dobbins
Marvin Wilson
Walker Little
Grayson Reed
Dylan Moses
Baron Browning
Anthony Hines
Jefferey Okudah
Omar Manning
Kary Vincent
I like where Texas sits with Grayson Reed, Hines, Browning right now. And they are working extra hard on the others. It’s April, now is not the time for me to put percentages or try and figure out who Texas is most likely to land from best to worst. Those guys all have things going against and for Texas at the moment. Vincent with ties to the soe and Reed ties to Texas etc…the rest are going to be some of the most heavily recruited players regardless of position OR state so very hard for me to put them in any order until I start seeing some more visits to Austin. How does five sound though?
What are your thoughts on Texas and K.Chiasson from North Shore?
Brick has some strong connections to this one that I believe will keep Texas in the race. The board at this spot is very deep so they will not wait around very long for any “one” at that position. First, come first serve and I think KC takes it to the end.
Do you still think Texas misses on Walker Little?
I don’t think they are the leader for Walker Little, not going to say 100% they miss on him I think they are working hard on this one right now to make a move but long battle for sure I believe.
What DTs other than Marvin Wilson does Texas have their sights on?
DT Marvin Wilson
Episcopal
TX
DT Juan Harris
North Fayette HS
Iowa
DT Deiontae Watts
Plano East Sr.
TX
DT Damion Daniels
Bishop Dunne
TX
You can forget about Juan Harris. Those are the only DT’s with offers as of today, but you will see more go out.
Was Sam recruiting at the opening this weekend? If so; who were his targets?
Those are things Sam can tell the media if he wants. That is not something I am going to talk about at all.
Dylan Moses on Twitter responded to Tyson Lindsay about a play at the opening, and it was Marvin Wilson making a great play and under it Dylan says "aye that's my future teammate" considering Dylan said Texas was his #1 just a few days ago what are the chances Marvin and him could wind up in the ATX.
I would not pay attention to what any player says on Twitter unless you are using it for factual information. Information that I would use Twitter for would be a kid saying he is visiting somewhere or on his way to some school, names his top 10 or top 5 or says he has been offered, etc…That is it.
I've seen posted numerous times, "if they (Texas) start winning games.." from recruits who committed and not committed. Say Texas wins 8-10 games..what kind of class are we looking at?
This class should be somewhat smaller than last year's class. I think the average star ranking of the 2017 class will be among the top in America on NSD. I believe they are at 84 ships today with 14 seniors meaning the have 15 spots available for 2017. I think you will see attrition between 4-6 pushing the total number of the class size to at or around 19-21 range.
What's more likely, kids not able to get in due to the class filling up or Charlie trying to secure commits on NSD?
Kids always miss out on Texas offers. No one closes out on everyone they want, no one but I am not worried in the least regarding Charlie Strong and his ability to close out a recruiting class.
What is it going to take to sign Moses and do you think it's possible? If Texas were able to get Moses, then do they still get one of Hines and Browning?
Moses could play some different positions. Yes, Texas landing Moses could most definitely impact those guys. People need to have real expectations when it comes to recruiting and landing Browning, Hines and Moses all in the same class is not real imo. Do they have a chance at Moses you bet they do? He has visited Texas three times already while Strong has been the HC and he will continue to visit.
Would Tucker and Okudah come to Texas or does one affect the other?
Independent of each other I believe.
What's Texas record this year and who are their losses too?
I am on record with 8-4, I am not on record with predicting each game as of yet, not publicly anyway.
Are we going to host satellite camps anytime soon?
I believe it’s a waste of time and energy. I don’t believe you will ever see Strong and crew do this stuff in the way other teams have pulled it off.
Do you think playing in the Briles like offense will have any impact on the marketability of the players to the NFL since it's not the "pro set?'
I have not paid enough attention to Baylor (draft picks/former players) to even see what those guys are doing in the NFL other than RGIII, and he was not good. I think that Baylor offense is not preparing kids to be able to manage in the NFL, but that’s just me.
Which OL is Texas in the best shape for at the moment, excluding soon-to-commit-to-A&M Grayson Reed?
I can’t exclude him because he is the one I have heard the most about.
Thoughts on Sam's recent comments? Paraphrasing here-- "it's not about who get but who will have to turn away"...
I love it, and he’s correct. I have been saying this since I started covering Texas. Kids all the time end up at schools they did not have as their first choice, all the time it happens.
#TTFH is saying Boyce said he is still open to other schools and will be at soe this weekend. You think he shows? He said similar things about Miller, but no surprise there.
I am not concerned with what any other media person reports about Texas recruiting, and I am not trying to be rude.
24/7 reporting WR Camron Buckley of Cedar Hill has talked about making a commitment to UT in the near future. However, they've heard the coaches aren't ready to take him at this time. WR Omar Manning and WR Tyrell Shavers appear to be ahead of Buckley on the recruiting board.
OT Grayson Reed (Cypress Creek)
C Creed Humphrey (Shawnee, OK)
OT Grayson Reed (Cypress Creek)
C Creed Humphrey (Shawnee, OK)
James Lott's Film Room: Evaluating LB targets
LB Anthony Hines, Plano East (6-2, 222)
ANALYSIS: Committed to Mississippi State 2013 but opened up his recruitment and is now the most offered prospect in the nation. Being sought after by the likes of Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Texas Tech, LSU, Texas, Oklahoma State and many others. Exceptional athlete, who is almost impossible to block when he plays hard. Exceptional athlete. Was originally recruited by some teams as a running back.
STRENGTHS: Excellent length with the frame to pack on additional muscle in the future. Instinctive and explosive three down ILB with excellent speed and range. Excellent read and react skills to decipher play and get to the ball in a hurry. Flow LB who displays excellent ability to make plays from sideline to sideline. Athletic, quick twitch athlete with fluid movements. Very explosive striker, with excellent wrap up skills.
AREA TO IMPROVE: Still raw with room for refinement.
THE LATEST: The Longhorns are extremely high on Hines' mind and are a favorite to land him. He visited UT for junior day and is maybe to come back for the spring game. Hines plans on making a decision before his senior season. (Holland)
LB Mohamed Sanogo (6-2, 239)
ANALYSIS: Sanogo has impressed at camps this offseason and should see his stock rise. Currently has offers on the table from Indiana and Rice. Was named the District 6-6A Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore. Picked as an all-district selection again as a junior.
STRENGTHS: Has the desired build for the linebacker position. Steady, consistent tackler when he`s squared up. Will arm tackle sometimes, when he does not square up and come to balance. Needs to play more downhill football and attack ball carriers, passive at times. Has the speed to chase down plays from sideline to sideline. Shows he can cover tight ends in the passing game. Is athletic enough to break on ball quickly against pass.
AREA TO IMPROVE: Overall tackling.
THE LATEST: Sanogo attended Texas junior day in February and is on the Longhorns' radar. UT assistant Brian Jean-Mary has been keeping in contact with Sanogo and will further evaluate him this spring. (Holland)
LB Loren Mondy, Mansfield Lake Ridge (6-1, 230)
ANALYSIS: Committed to Arizona State as an eight grader. Plays with lots of passion and flies to the football. Will strike you. Early down linebacker who can make plays against the run but will struggle if isolated in coverage. Mondy is a lunch-pail worker who enjoys the physical part of the game.
STRENGTHS: Very physical, run though tackler who plays with excellent fundamentals. Plays with great passion and loves the game. Wants to hit and brings his pads with him when he delivers a blow. Delivers a jarring punch into oncoming offensive linemen on second level. Plays low and with leverage. Once he diagnoses, can trigger into gaps and disrupt. Expected to be productive special teams player at the next level.
AREA TO IMPROVE: Still raw. Needs to refine footwork. Needs to shed fat and add muscle in order to stay at linebacker. Too slow. Struggles in pass coverage. Played out of position as a junior.
THE LATEST: Mondy visited Texas junior day and has been on the Longhorns' radar since last year. He is currently committed to Arizona State, but a Texas offer would change things. The staff will evaluate him this spring. (Holland)
LB Anthony Hines, Plano East (6-2, 222)
ANALYSIS: Committed to Mississippi State 2013 but opened up his recruitment and is now the most offered prospect in the nation. Being sought after by the likes of Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Texas Tech, LSU, Texas, Oklahoma State and many others. Exceptional athlete, who is almost impossible to block when he plays hard. Exceptional athlete. Was originally recruited by some teams as a running back.
STRENGTHS: Excellent length with the frame to pack on additional muscle in the future. Instinctive and explosive three down ILB with excellent speed and range. Excellent read and react skills to decipher play and get to the ball in a hurry. Flow LB who displays excellent ability to make plays from sideline to sideline. Athletic, quick twitch athlete with fluid movements. Very explosive striker, with excellent wrap up skills.
AREA TO IMPROVE: Still raw with room for refinement.
THE LATEST: The Longhorns are extremely high on Hines' mind and are a favorite to land him. He visited UT for junior day and is maybe to come back for the spring game. Hines plans on making a decision before his senior season. (Holland)
LB Mohamed Sanogo (6-2, 239)
ANALYSIS: Sanogo has impressed at camps this offseason and should see his stock rise. Currently has offers on the table from Indiana and Rice. Was named the District 6-6A Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore. Picked as an all-district selection again as a junior.
STRENGTHS: Has the desired build for the linebacker position. Steady, consistent tackler when he`s squared up. Will arm tackle sometimes, when he does not square up and come to balance. Needs to play more downhill football and attack ball carriers, passive at times. Has the speed to chase down plays from sideline to sideline. Shows he can cover tight ends in the passing game. Is athletic enough to break on ball quickly against pass.
AREA TO IMPROVE: Overall tackling.
THE LATEST: Sanogo attended Texas junior day in February and is on the Longhorns' radar. UT assistant Brian Jean-Mary has been keeping in contact with Sanogo and will further evaluate him this spring. (Holland)
LB Loren Mondy, Mansfield Lake Ridge (6-1, 230)
ANALYSIS: Committed to Arizona State as an eight grader. Plays with lots of passion and flies to the football. Will strike you. Early down linebacker who can make plays against the run but will struggle if isolated in coverage. Mondy is a lunch-pail worker who enjoys the physical part of the game.
STRENGTHS: Very physical, run though tackler who plays with excellent fundamentals. Plays with great passion and loves the game. Wants to hit and brings his pads with him when he delivers a blow. Delivers a jarring punch into oncoming offensive linemen on second level. Plays low and with leverage. Once he diagnoses, can trigger into gaps and disrupt. Expected to be productive special teams player at the next level.
AREA TO IMPROVE: Still raw. Needs to refine footwork. Needs to shed fat and add muscle in order to stay at linebacker. Too slow. Struggles in pass coverage. Played out of position as a junior.
THE LATEST: Mondy visited Texas junior day and has been on the Longhorns' radar since last year. He is currently committed to Arizona State, but a Texas offer would change things. The staff will evaluate him this spring. (Holland)
Levi Jones recaps Texas visit
Levi Jones likes to stay quiet about his recruitment. But the four-star outside linebacker out of Austin Westlake showed plenty of candor as he discussed his unofficial visit to Texas over the weekend. “I had a really great time on the visit,” Jones said. “I had some great conversations with the coaching staff. They said that they still really like me and that they want me up there. I had fun watching the scrimmage. It was just overall a good visit.”
That was Jones’ first visit to Texas this offseason. There has been some speculation that UT isn’t as high on his list as schools like Baylor, LSU or Oklahoma. But that’s all it is — speculation. Jones made it clear that Texas is one of the schools he is closely considering and described his interest level as high. “Texas is definitely high on my list,” Jones said. “Of course, Sam (Ehlinger) is always in my ear about it. But I really do like the program, the tradition and what they trying to build. But I’m taking it slow and weighing all of my options right now.”
Texas likes Jones at both outside linebacker and ‘Fox’ end. Jones said he paid close attention to the Texas linebackers on Saturday morning and came away impressed with the position group. “I like what the linebackers were doing,” Jones said. “Texas runs a similar scheme to ours at Westlake, so I’m pretty familiar with it. I think I could fit in well. They kind of see me doing some of the same things as my former teammate, Breckyn Hager.” Jones does not have any other visits planned at this time. He hopes to narrow his list down after his senior season and make a decision at the Under Armour All-American Game in February. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Jones is ranked as the No. 13 outside linebacker in the country and No. 25 overall prospect in the state, according to 247Sports Composite.
Levi Jones likes to stay quiet about his recruitment. But the four-star outside linebacker out of Austin Westlake showed plenty of candor as he discussed his unofficial visit to Texas over the weekend. “I had a really great time on the visit,” Jones said. “I had some great conversations with the coaching staff. They said that they still really like me and that they want me up there. I had fun watching the scrimmage. It was just overall a good visit.”
That was Jones’ first visit to Texas this offseason. There has been some speculation that UT isn’t as high on his list as schools like Baylor, LSU or Oklahoma. But that’s all it is — speculation. Jones made it clear that Texas is one of the schools he is closely considering and described his interest level as high. “Texas is definitely high on my list,” Jones said. “Of course, Sam (Ehlinger) is always in my ear about it. But I really do like the program, the tradition and what they trying to build. But I’m taking it slow and weighing all of my options right now.”
Texas likes Jones at both outside linebacker and ‘Fox’ end. Jones said he paid close attention to the Texas linebackers on Saturday morning and came away impressed with the position group. “I like what the linebackers were doing,” Jones said. “Texas runs a similar scheme to ours at Westlake, so I’m pretty familiar with it. I think I could fit in well. They kind of see me doing some of the same things as my former teammate, Breckyn Hager.” Jones does not have any other visits planned at this time. He hopes to narrow his list down after his senior season and make a decision at the Under Armour All-American Game in February. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Jones is ranked as the No. 13 outside linebacker in the country and No. 25 overall prospect in the state, according to 247Sports Composite.
Inside Texas:
Mohamed Sanogo, Plano West - LB
Hudl: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2861736/mohamed-sanogo
How he fits at Texas: Sanogo knows his business between the tackles, that much is clear. He's an inside-backer all the way and probably won't ever be quick enough to play as an outside-backer but he has adequate quickness and the right kind of power and strength to be a bull inside. Besides his fantastic size and strength, he also has a good feel for the position. He'd be a good fit for a team that protects their LBs from leaving the box much vs the run or pass and whether he'd be a good take for Texas would depend on how much he could translate his heavy hands into becoming a strong blitzer. - Ian Boyd
Coach Says: Built like a prototypical inside linebacker at 6-foot-2, 239. Was named the MVP for his position group at The Opening regional in Dallas, but his offer sheet is sparse at the moment (Indiana, Rice, Western Illinois). He is in his element coming down hill in the run game and filling his gaps, but I don’t see much (or any) clips of him going backwards in coverage. When I see that a red flag automatically goes up until I can see him do it with my own eyes because otherwise he may be a two down LB. I didn’t see how he tested in Dallas, but I am going to double back so I can get a better idea of what kind of athlete he is.
How this affects Texas: After a couple great camps showings, Momo didn't disappoint in Houston. He's got the size to play inside backer, a spot Texas sorely needs, but the staff still views him as the 2nd tier of in-state backers. If Texas lands Baron Browning - they look great here - they probably get Anthony Hines, and look good here as well. Any indication otherwise and Sanogo becomes a priority. Until then, it's wait-and-see mode for Sanogo. - Justin Wells
Walker Little, Bellaire Episcopal - OT
Hudl: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2913981/walker-little
How he fits at Texas: At 6-foot-7, 305, as a high school junior with quick feet (size 18's) and some real power, Little is a fantastic tackle prospect. He's quick enough out of his stance to be intriguing as a left tackle and the way he absorbs contact while hardly budging against the pass-rush is very promising. He's also a very willing and effective run blocker who can find targets at the second level. Walker is probably your left tackle of the 2017 class and could still be a mauling RT if he doesn't pan out as the featured tackle. - IB
Coach Says: Little and the Austin Deculus kid from Cy-Fair are 1A and 1B for me this cycle for in-state offensive tackles. Recently locked up OL MVP honors at the Rivals camp in Dallas and Opening Regionals in Houston, he possesses the ideal measureables you look for when recruiting guys at the position. When I watched his sophomore film I wasn’t sure if he was going to stick at left tackle, but watching his junior tape convinced me otherwise. He moves very well and possesses adequate athleticism necessary to stick on the blindside. On top of that he has a nice punch and overwhelms his opponents at times as he should given the competition level (SPC) he goes against. He is going to make one offensive line coach a very happy camper come NSD.
How this affects Texas: We've gone in-depth about Little for almost two years now. He's a top target for a reason - a natural tackle for the left or right side. There are tons of positives for UT at the moment; proximity, relationship with the staff (notably Mattox), the ability to play early, and the new offense in which he feels most comfortable. Little will continue to take his time in his recruitment; he'll visit Ole Miss and Stanford, and LSU and Alabama will have a legit shot. He told me he'll have a Top 10 soon. But if Texas shows the slightest of on-field improvement, I feel good about the Horns chances. Protecting Ehlinger's blindside is just too enticing at this point. Strong's penchant for patience so play dividends in the end. - JW
Kary Vincent, Port Arthur Memorial - CB
Hudl: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3890503/kary-vincent-jr-
How he fits at Texas: This kid is a top shelf athlete and can project to do most anything you could want from a coverage player. He has recovery speedy to play press and good eyes and lateral range in zone. His frame is a tad slight when it comes to being a physical presence on the perimeter but the willingness is there, if he could get to 190 or so without losing his quickness he'd be an absolute prize for Texas. This isn't a guy that Texas wants anyone else in the Big 12 to get. - IB
Coach Says: Got him slated as the number one corner in the state as things sit right now. I didn’t have to watch his tape very long before he had me saying “OH SH**”. He can fly, he’s athletic, and for me I wouldn’t care how I got him, but I would have to have him on my team if I was a coach on a defensive staff. I’m not sure if he is 6-foot-0 as he is listed, but in this case I wouldn’t make a fuss about it because he can flat out ball.
How this affects Texas: UT wants to take two corners in 2017. Vincent is one of those. His speed and quickness are elite, his hips are good, he's just a tad on the small size. However, that won't deter major college programs. After Texas locked up Lake Dallas CB, Kobe Boyce, the Horns staff can afford to be picky and patient. Both of which will help in Vincent's recruitment. He's an A&M legacy and has Florida drooling over his potential. Running a 4.3 40 will do that sometimes. - JW
Mannie Netherly, Crosby - WR (A&M commit)
Hudl: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2850175/mannie-netherly
How he fits at Texas: Netherly is an explosive receiver who's a fluid route runner with great hands but also terrifying on screens or quick passes that just get the ball in his hands. He's already quite polished on his junior tape so he'll probably be a guy that teams build around by the time he's a junior in college. For Texas he's the perfect fit for the new offense as he excels in all the places where receivers are emphasized in this offense (deep routes, screens, and quick slants/crosses). - IB
Coach Says: One of his coaches down at Crosby has been singing this kid’s praises for some time now, and now he has blown up and holds 25 offers, including some from very heavy hitters. Started out at quarterback (he'll play there as senior) and then made his way to receiver and may have found a home at the position. He has good size (listed at 6-foot-3) and is plenty fast (4.5 speed) and when you watch his film, it is clear the kid can roll. Receivers who are tall, long, and fast will always be in demand and if he can add some weight to his frame and keep his speed, he is going to be a damn problem for college DCs at the collegiate level.
How this affects Texas: The in-state crop of wide receivers for 2017 is sick. Texas is well aware of this. You can land a difference maker from potentially 7-8 prospects. Netherly fits that mold. The staff wants to take three in this class, and would be willing to take four if the opportunity presents itself. With Damion Miller already in the fold, UT has a handful to choose from - Tyrell Shavers, Omar Manning, Jalen Reagor, and Netherly are at the top of its big board. And despite Mannie being pledged to the Aggies, I have a feeling that won't stick. Texas would happily flip the 21.7 200-meter athlete if given the chance. And I kinda like their chances. - JW
Mohamed Sanogo, Plano West - LB
Hudl: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2861736/mohamed-sanogo
How he fits at Texas: Sanogo knows his business between the tackles, that much is clear. He's an inside-backer all the way and probably won't ever be quick enough to play as an outside-backer but he has adequate quickness and the right kind of power and strength to be a bull inside. Besides his fantastic size and strength, he also has a good feel for the position. He'd be a good fit for a team that protects their LBs from leaving the box much vs the run or pass and whether he'd be a good take for Texas would depend on how much he could translate his heavy hands into becoming a strong blitzer. - Ian Boyd
Coach Says: Built like a prototypical inside linebacker at 6-foot-2, 239. Was named the MVP for his position group at The Opening regional in Dallas, but his offer sheet is sparse at the moment (Indiana, Rice, Western Illinois). He is in his element coming down hill in the run game and filling his gaps, but I don’t see much (or any) clips of him going backwards in coverage. When I see that a red flag automatically goes up until I can see him do it with my own eyes because otherwise he may be a two down LB. I didn’t see how he tested in Dallas, but I am going to double back so I can get a better idea of what kind of athlete he is.
How this affects Texas: After a couple great camps showings, Momo didn't disappoint in Houston. He's got the size to play inside backer, a spot Texas sorely needs, but the staff still views him as the 2nd tier of in-state backers. If Texas lands Baron Browning - they look great here - they probably get Anthony Hines, and look good here as well. Any indication otherwise and Sanogo becomes a priority. Until then, it's wait-and-see mode for Sanogo. - Justin Wells
Walker Little, Bellaire Episcopal - OT
Hudl: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2913981/walker-little
How he fits at Texas: At 6-foot-7, 305, as a high school junior with quick feet (size 18's) and some real power, Little is a fantastic tackle prospect. He's quick enough out of his stance to be intriguing as a left tackle and the way he absorbs contact while hardly budging against the pass-rush is very promising. He's also a very willing and effective run blocker who can find targets at the second level. Walker is probably your left tackle of the 2017 class and could still be a mauling RT if he doesn't pan out as the featured tackle. - IB
Coach Says: Little and the Austin Deculus kid from Cy-Fair are 1A and 1B for me this cycle for in-state offensive tackles. Recently locked up OL MVP honors at the Rivals camp in Dallas and Opening Regionals in Houston, he possesses the ideal measureables you look for when recruiting guys at the position. When I watched his sophomore film I wasn’t sure if he was going to stick at left tackle, but watching his junior tape convinced me otherwise. He moves very well and possesses adequate athleticism necessary to stick on the blindside. On top of that he has a nice punch and overwhelms his opponents at times as he should given the competition level (SPC) he goes against. He is going to make one offensive line coach a very happy camper come NSD.
How this affects Texas: We've gone in-depth about Little for almost two years now. He's a top target for a reason - a natural tackle for the left or right side. There are tons of positives for UT at the moment; proximity, relationship with the staff (notably Mattox), the ability to play early, and the new offense in which he feels most comfortable. Little will continue to take his time in his recruitment; he'll visit Ole Miss and Stanford, and LSU and Alabama will have a legit shot. He told me he'll have a Top 10 soon. But if Texas shows the slightest of on-field improvement, I feel good about the Horns chances. Protecting Ehlinger's blindside is just too enticing at this point. Strong's penchant for patience so play dividends in the end. - JW
Kary Vincent, Port Arthur Memorial - CB
Hudl: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3890503/kary-vincent-jr-
How he fits at Texas: This kid is a top shelf athlete and can project to do most anything you could want from a coverage player. He has recovery speedy to play press and good eyes and lateral range in zone. His frame is a tad slight when it comes to being a physical presence on the perimeter but the willingness is there, if he could get to 190 or so without losing his quickness he'd be an absolute prize for Texas. This isn't a guy that Texas wants anyone else in the Big 12 to get. - IB
Coach Says: Got him slated as the number one corner in the state as things sit right now. I didn’t have to watch his tape very long before he had me saying “OH SH**”. He can fly, he’s athletic, and for me I wouldn’t care how I got him, but I would have to have him on my team if I was a coach on a defensive staff. I’m not sure if he is 6-foot-0 as he is listed, but in this case I wouldn’t make a fuss about it because he can flat out ball.
How this affects Texas: UT wants to take two corners in 2017. Vincent is one of those. His speed and quickness are elite, his hips are good, he's just a tad on the small size. However, that won't deter major college programs. After Texas locked up Lake Dallas CB, Kobe Boyce, the Horns staff can afford to be picky and patient. Both of which will help in Vincent's recruitment. He's an A&M legacy and has Florida drooling over his potential. Running a 4.3 40 will do that sometimes. - JW
Mannie Netherly, Crosby - WR (A&M commit)
Hudl: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2850175/mannie-netherly
How he fits at Texas: Netherly is an explosive receiver who's a fluid route runner with great hands but also terrifying on screens or quick passes that just get the ball in his hands. He's already quite polished on his junior tape so he'll probably be a guy that teams build around by the time he's a junior in college. For Texas he's the perfect fit for the new offense as he excels in all the places where receivers are emphasized in this offense (deep routes, screens, and quick slants/crosses). - IB
Coach Says: One of his coaches down at Crosby has been singing this kid’s praises for some time now, and now he has blown up and holds 25 offers, including some from very heavy hitters. Started out at quarterback (he'll play there as senior) and then made his way to receiver and may have found a home at the position. He has good size (listed at 6-foot-3) and is plenty fast (4.5 speed) and when you watch his film, it is clear the kid can roll. Receivers who are tall, long, and fast will always be in demand and if he can add some weight to his frame and keep his speed, he is going to be a damn problem for college DCs at the collegiate level.
How this affects Texas: The in-state crop of wide receivers for 2017 is sick. Texas is well aware of this. You can land a difference maker from potentially 7-8 prospects. Netherly fits that mold. The staff wants to take three in this class, and would be willing to take four if the opportunity presents itself. With Damion Miller already in the fold, UT has a handful to choose from - Tyrell Shavers, Omar Manning, Jalen Reagor, and Netherly are at the top of its big board. And despite Mannie being pledged to the Aggies, I have a feeling that won't stick. Texas would happily flip the 21.7 200-meter athlete if given the chance. And I kinda like their chances. - JW
Wonder if Moses showing high interest will cause Anthony Hines or Baron Browning to go ahead and commit if they are serious?
Anyone wanna guess how many Linebackers we take this year...
Anyone wanna guess how many Linebackers we take this year...
I doubt if any of those 3 commits until the end. I read that we were looking to take 3 LBs this year and the class should be around 20 (assuming attrition of 5 or 6 which is normal).
I can see us getting 2 of the 3. I would love all 3 though
Moses will commit in Dec, he's an EE. And the other I can see announcing on NSD or at the UA game.
Some good news:
-We made Brownings top 10
-Little hammy CB'd Graham to UT (I love it when he makes CB's for us)
-We made Brownings top 10
-Little hammy CB'd Graham to UT (I love it when he makes CB's for us)
Per TFB:
– Grayson Reed: Cy-Creek (TX) OL Grayson Reed recently released his Top 10, but most know it is likely a 3 team race between Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma. There have been some rumblings that Reed could make a commitment this weekend, and if he does, I expect him to choose Texas A&M. Reed didn’t rule out a possible commitment this weekend but I’d be surprised.
Reed plans to visit Texas A&M this weekend for their spring game and plans to visit Texas on April 16th for their spring game. For Texas, they hope Reed leaves College Station uncommitted and visits Austin on the 16th. These situations change daily, but I just wanted to let everyone know what’s going on and regardless of what happens there is no doubt Texas will continue to recruit Reed hard and use his Texas connections to their advantage. – (Andrew)
– Baron Browning: In case you missed it, 2017 LB Baron Browning (Kennedale, TX) released his top 10 last night which included: Texas, TCU, Oklahoma, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, UCLA, Michigan and Alabama.
I’ve talked to a few sources and get the sense that Baron’s favorites are not necessarily the schools many expect. I’m told that Ohio State, UCLA, Notre Dame are pretty high on Baron’s list. I’m also told that Baron has a really strong relationship with the UCLA position coach. In fact Baron has visited UCLA in the past and they are apparently one of his favorites. My sense, contrary to popular belief, is that the local schools like Oklahoma, Texas and TCU have some work to do (though I’m not sure how much more “work” TCU can do…Baron’s father played there and he visits there regularly). Fortunately for all of the local program they have the advantage of proximity and as time goes on that tends to matter more and more with a lot of players. – (Super K)
– Could Texas have their Kicker for 2016?: As most know, Texas HC Charlie Strong recently said they’re on the lookout for a kicker as the two they have on campus right now have under-performed this spring. A name to keep an eye on is Chris Naggar from Arlington (TX), who made the 6A All-State team in 2015. Naggar turned down some lower offers after he was accepted into UT and plans to walk-on in 2016. I was also told that Naggar works with now former Texas kicker, Nick Rose and they plan to be in Austin this weekend working out. The Texas coaches have been made aware of Naggar and it’ll be interesting to see if they check him out this weekend.
One thing to remember is this is the exact path Nick Rose went down before eventually earning a scholarship at Texas… – (Andrew)
^^For all you people worried about a kicker hopefully that gives you a little ease.
– Grayson Reed: Cy-Creek (TX) OL Grayson Reed recently released his Top 10, but most know it is likely a 3 team race between Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma. There have been some rumblings that Reed could make a commitment this weekend, and if he does, I expect him to choose Texas A&M. Reed didn’t rule out a possible commitment this weekend but I’d be surprised.
Reed plans to visit Texas A&M this weekend for their spring game and plans to visit Texas on April 16th for their spring game. For Texas, they hope Reed leaves College Station uncommitted and visits Austin on the 16th. These situations change daily, but I just wanted to let everyone know what’s going on and regardless of what happens there is no doubt Texas will continue to recruit Reed hard and use his Texas connections to their advantage. – (Andrew)
– Baron Browning: In case you missed it, 2017 LB Baron Browning (Kennedale, TX) released his top 10 last night which included: Texas, TCU, Oklahoma, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, UCLA, Michigan and Alabama.
I’ve talked to a few sources and get the sense that Baron’s favorites are not necessarily the schools many expect. I’m told that Ohio State, UCLA, Notre Dame are pretty high on Baron’s list. I’m also told that Baron has a really strong relationship with the UCLA position coach. In fact Baron has visited UCLA in the past and they are apparently one of his favorites. My sense, contrary to popular belief, is that the local schools like Oklahoma, Texas and TCU have some work to do (though I’m not sure how much more “work” TCU can do…Baron’s father played there and he visits there regularly). Fortunately for all of the local program they have the advantage of proximity and as time goes on that tends to matter more and more with a lot of players. – (Super K)
– Could Texas have their Kicker for 2016?: As most know, Texas HC Charlie Strong recently said they’re on the lookout for a kicker as the two they have on campus right now have under-performed this spring. A name to keep an eye on is Chris Naggar from Arlington (TX), who made the 6A All-State team in 2015. Naggar turned down some lower offers after he was accepted into UT and plans to walk-on in 2016. I was also told that Naggar works with now former Texas kicker, Nick Rose and they plan to be in Austin this weekend working out. The Texas coaches have been made aware of Naggar and it’ll be interesting to see if they check him out this weekend.
One thing to remember is this is the exact path Nick Rose went down before eventually earning a scholarship at Texas… – (Andrew)
^^For all you people worried about a kicker hopefully that gives you a little ease.
OB War Room:
The big recruiting development this week was the offer and quick commitment from Lake Dallas defensive back Kobe Boyce.
For those who weren't around last weekend, it was an eventful 48 hours for Boyce. Texas A&M offered on Friday. Texas offered on Saturday afternoon during Boyce's unofficial visit to the Forty Acres. On Sunday morning, he called Charlie Strong to commit.
The fact that Boyce nearly committed the second he was offered, and waited less than 24 hours to go ahead with his pledge, is a pretty good indicator of how he feels about the Longhorns. Texas was always the team to beat if UT offered and Boyce didn't play games once he got the scholarship offer.
Boyce did tell me on Sunday, shortly after he committed, that he does still plan to take other visits. In fact, there's a chance he shows up at Texas A&M this weekend for the Aggies' spring game.
Normally, a commit taking other visits is a pretty big red flag, but Boyce said he simply wants to enjoy the process a bit and he has no intentions on wavering on his commitment. I'm inclined to believe him based on how quickly his commitment went down and the excitement in his voice after he committed to Texas. (Suchomel)
******
The other big development of the week came from five-star LB Dylan Moses, with the IMG Academy product listing the Longhorns as his leader after visiting Texas on Saturday.
That's obviously huge news for the Longhorns considering Texas was considered an extreme longshot coming into the visit. Moses had previously listed Alabama as his leader after a visit earlier in the spring, but the Longhorns were able to do enough last weekend to close that gap and overtake the Tide.
Will it hold up?
I fully expect this one to bounce back and forth over the course of the summer and next fall, and everyone I've talked to this week seems to think it's going to be awfully tough to hold off other schools, primarily Bama and LSU.
Texas put itself squarely in the mix, and now the coaches will have to fend off the other programs on Moses's list. If the Longhorns turn in a successful 2016 season on the field, UT has a fighting chance. If not, the guess here is that the Longhorns will quickly fall back to the pack.
Bottom line ... it was an extremely productive weekend for Texas on the Moses recruitment, but I wouldn't celebrate just yet. (Suchomel)
******
A few weeks ago, Texas was the clear leader for Cy-Creek OL Grayson Reed. Things have changed quite a bit.
Reed, who visited UT on Saturday, still likes the Longhorns very much. However, he'll visit A&M on Saturday and there's a very real chance he could commit to the Aggies while on campus.
Key quote: Reed talked to UT OL coach Matt Mattox on Wednesday night and the possibility of Reed committing was one of the topics discussed.
"That's what we were talking about," Reed told us shortly after he talked to Mattox. "A lot of people are saying I'm going to commit this Saturday to A&M. If it happens, it happens. A&M has been up there at the top with Texas and Oklahoma and Tennessee for a while. I think really highly of them. If it happens, it happens. But I still like all those other schools. A lot of people think it's going to happen. I'm not going in with any intentions. Like I said, if it happens it happens."
Reed didn't exactly shoot down the possibility of him committing during the visit and while it's hard to get a good feel on what he's going to do, my gut tells me he will go ahead and give A&M a pledge this weekend.
Texas not going away: Regardless of what happens on Saturday, Mattox told Reed Texas isn't going to throw in the towel.
"We just had a real conversation. He was like, 'If you end up committing to another school, we're not going to stop pursuing you. I'm going to hit you up every day, we still want you and I'm going to show that.' It's a long way to National Signing Day, but I really don't want to do the commit/decommit thing either."
Saturday visit to Texas: Reed was in town for last weekend's UT scrimmage and said one of his biggest takeaways was how quickly the offense was moving and how much it has changed.
"It seemed like they ran 100-plus plays in under an hour," Reed said, also noting that his high school runs a similar tempo so he feels he could fit in well should he wind up at Texas.
During the visit, he talked to Charlie Strong, Matt Mattox and his cousin, former UT DE Ced Reed, who was in town for the scrimmage.
"We talked to coach Strong, had some good talks. It was a fun weekend," Reed said.
No list of favorites, but ... Reed said he didn't have a formal list of favorites, but did say Tennessee, Texas, OU and A&M are schools of which he has a high opinion. He has visited all four of those programs.
Reports of Texas' demise are exaggerated: Obviously, if Reed is considering committing to A&M this weekend, the Longhorns aren't in the greatest of position on this one. But Reed said the reports that came out last week with him no longer having Texas in contention were taken out of context. He wasn't even aware of the reports until Jeff Traylor reached out to him, and Reed assured Traylor that Texas is still very much in the mix.
UT spring game visit?: As of this week, Reed does not have plans to attend the Texas spring game. He said he'd like to go but has not talked to his parents about it yet. (Suchomel)
******
A quick update on Texas tight end commitment Major Tennison, whose visit to Michigan last weekend has kind of flown under the radar.
I exchanged a couple quick texts with Tennison about the visit. In a nutshell, he enjoyed the visit but is still committed to Texas.
"The visit went great and I really enjoyed everything and really enjoyed getting to meet the coaches and getting to know a couple players," Tennison said. "The highlight of the visit was getting to spend one-on-one time with Jim Harbaugh and some of the players."
Tennison went on to say nothing has changed with his pledge ... he's still committed to Texas but wants to see the Longhorns in action in the fall before finalizing any decisions. (Suchomel)
******
Texas 2016 wide receiver signee Reggie Hemphill was in Austin last weekend for the Texas Relays. While in town, he swung by the football offices and took in the Horns' Saturday scrimmage.
"It's really quick tempo. Fast-paced, pretty much like my high school is," Hemphill said. "To me, we were a little faster (at Manvel). They're still learning it, but we've been doing it since the school was open.
"If we go like that in practice, it doesn't seem like that fast in the game. For me, its' all about learning the playbook and the signs."
Hemphill has had most of his focus on track, but said he has done some football workouts. To help learn the playbook, he's been picking the brain of fellow receiver signee Davion Curtis, who is familiar with the offense from OC Sterlin Gilbert's days as a coach at Temple.
Hemphill has been told by the UT coaches he'll play at both outside receiver and inside receiver. He still needs to put the finishing touches before he's formally admitted, but plans to move to Austin on May 29.
"Man, I just can't wait to start the new journey in life. I get to start over," Hemphill said.
******
Speaking of Davion Curtis, he also was in Austin last weekend for Texas Relays, and he also made his way across the street to talk to the football coaches and take in the scrimmage.
The thing that stood out most to Curtis was the fact that he pretty much knows all the plays and hand signals already. Sterlin Gilbert coached at Temple in 2011, and the basics of his offense have remained consistent.
"Just me knowing all the plays, all the hand signals, I knew what was going on. Some of the players looked kind of confused, but you can see they're getting better each day," Curtis said. "They're trying to get better as a team and unit. Overall it was a good scrimmage.
"At my school, we ran the same things since coach Gilbert used to be my coach. We have been running the same offense, the same hand signals and everything."
And who stood out at the scrimmage from Curtis's viewpoint?
"Collin Johnson. His season so far has been going excellent," Curtis said. "I think he's going to shock a lot of people. With our class, we're going to shock a lot of people. (Johnson) made plays, got off the ball well. He's very explosive, very tall, all of it."
Curtis has been told he'll spend most of his time working out of the slot, but he'll also get some time as an outside receiver. He's hoping his familiarity with the UT offense will help him get on the field early.
"Coach (Charlie) Williams was excited to see me for the first time. He said he can't wait to get me on the field. Coach Gilbert said the same thing," Curtis said. "He said I should be out there the first day of practice with the ones and twos. That gets me more motivated to get out there and prove to them that stars done' matter." (Suchomel)
The big recruiting development this week was the offer and quick commitment from Lake Dallas defensive back Kobe Boyce.
For those who weren't around last weekend, it was an eventful 48 hours for Boyce. Texas A&M offered on Friday. Texas offered on Saturday afternoon during Boyce's unofficial visit to the Forty Acres. On Sunday morning, he called Charlie Strong to commit.
The fact that Boyce nearly committed the second he was offered, and waited less than 24 hours to go ahead with his pledge, is a pretty good indicator of how he feels about the Longhorns. Texas was always the team to beat if UT offered and Boyce didn't play games once he got the scholarship offer.
Boyce did tell me on Sunday, shortly after he committed, that he does still plan to take other visits. In fact, there's a chance he shows up at Texas A&M this weekend for the Aggies' spring game.
Normally, a commit taking other visits is a pretty big red flag, but Boyce said he simply wants to enjoy the process a bit and he has no intentions on wavering on his commitment. I'm inclined to believe him based on how quickly his commitment went down and the excitement in his voice after he committed to Texas. (Suchomel)
******
The other big development of the week came from five-star LB Dylan Moses, with the IMG Academy product listing the Longhorns as his leader after visiting Texas on Saturday.
That's obviously huge news for the Longhorns considering Texas was considered an extreme longshot coming into the visit. Moses had previously listed Alabama as his leader after a visit earlier in the spring, but the Longhorns were able to do enough last weekend to close that gap and overtake the Tide.
Will it hold up?
I fully expect this one to bounce back and forth over the course of the summer and next fall, and everyone I've talked to this week seems to think it's going to be awfully tough to hold off other schools, primarily Bama and LSU.
Texas put itself squarely in the mix, and now the coaches will have to fend off the other programs on Moses's list. If the Longhorns turn in a successful 2016 season on the field, UT has a fighting chance. If not, the guess here is that the Longhorns will quickly fall back to the pack.
Bottom line ... it was an extremely productive weekend for Texas on the Moses recruitment, but I wouldn't celebrate just yet. (Suchomel)
******
A few weeks ago, Texas was the clear leader for Cy-Creek OL Grayson Reed. Things have changed quite a bit.
Reed, who visited UT on Saturday, still likes the Longhorns very much. However, he'll visit A&M on Saturday and there's a very real chance he could commit to the Aggies while on campus.
Key quote: Reed talked to UT OL coach Matt Mattox on Wednesday night and the possibility of Reed committing was one of the topics discussed.
"That's what we were talking about," Reed told us shortly after he talked to Mattox. "A lot of people are saying I'm going to commit this Saturday to A&M. If it happens, it happens. A&M has been up there at the top with Texas and Oklahoma and Tennessee for a while. I think really highly of them. If it happens, it happens. But I still like all those other schools. A lot of people think it's going to happen. I'm not going in with any intentions. Like I said, if it happens it happens."
Reed didn't exactly shoot down the possibility of him committing during the visit and while it's hard to get a good feel on what he's going to do, my gut tells me he will go ahead and give A&M a pledge this weekend.
Texas not going away: Regardless of what happens on Saturday, Mattox told Reed Texas isn't going to throw in the towel.
"We just had a real conversation. He was like, 'If you end up committing to another school, we're not going to stop pursuing you. I'm going to hit you up every day, we still want you and I'm going to show that.' It's a long way to National Signing Day, but I really don't want to do the commit/decommit thing either."
Saturday visit to Texas: Reed was in town for last weekend's UT scrimmage and said one of his biggest takeaways was how quickly the offense was moving and how much it has changed.
"It seemed like they ran 100-plus plays in under an hour," Reed said, also noting that his high school runs a similar tempo so he feels he could fit in well should he wind up at Texas.
During the visit, he talked to Charlie Strong, Matt Mattox and his cousin, former UT DE Ced Reed, who was in town for the scrimmage.
"We talked to coach Strong, had some good talks. It was a fun weekend," Reed said.
No list of favorites, but ... Reed said he didn't have a formal list of favorites, but did say Tennessee, Texas, OU and A&M are schools of which he has a high opinion. He has visited all four of those programs.
Reports of Texas' demise are exaggerated: Obviously, if Reed is considering committing to A&M this weekend, the Longhorns aren't in the greatest of position on this one. But Reed said the reports that came out last week with him no longer having Texas in contention were taken out of context. He wasn't even aware of the reports until Jeff Traylor reached out to him, and Reed assured Traylor that Texas is still very much in the mix.
UT spring game visit?: As of this week, Reed does not have plans to attend the Texas spring game. He said he'd like to go but has not talked to his parents about it yet. (Suchomel)
******
A quick update on Texas tight end commitment Major Tennison, whose visit to Michigan last weekend has kind of flown under the radar.
I exchanged a couple quick texts with Tennison about the visit. In a nutshell, he enjoyed the visit but is still committed to Texas.
"The visit went great and I really enjoyed everything and really enjoyed getting to meet the coaches and getting to know a couple players," Tennison said. "The highlight of the visit was getting to spend one-on-one time with Jim Harbaugh and some of the players."
Tennison went on to say nothing has changed with his pledge ... he's still committed to Texas but wants to see the Longhorns in action in the fall before finalizing any decisions. (Suchomel)
******
Texas 2016 wide receiver signee Reggie Hemphill was in Austin last weekend for the Texas Relays. While in town, he swung by the football offices and took in the Horns' Saturday scrimmage.
"It's really quick tempo. Fast-paced, pretty much like my high school is," Hemphill said. "To me, we were a little faster (at Manvel). They're still learning it, but we've been doing it since the school was open.
"If we go like that in practice, it doesn't seem like that fast in the game. For me, its' all about learning the playbook and the signs."
Hemphill has had most of his focus on track, but said he has done some football workouts. To help learn the playbook, he's been picking the brain of fellow receiver signee Davion Curtis, who is familiar with the offense from OC Sterlin Gilbert's days as a coach at Temple.
Hemphill has been told by the UT coaches he'll play at both outside receiver and inside receiver. He still needs to put the finishing touches before he's formally admitted, but plans to move to Austin on May 29.
"Man, I just can't wait to start the new journey in life. I get to start over," Hemphill said.
******
Speaking of Davion Curtis, he also was in Austin last weekend for Texas Relays, and he also made his way across the street to talk to the football coaches and take in the scrimmage.
The thing that stood out most to Curtis was the fact that he pretty much knows all the plays and hand signals already. Sterlin Gilbert coached at Temple in 2011, and the basics of his offense have remained consistent.
"Just me knowing all the plays, all the hand signals, I knew what was going on. Some of the players looked kind of confused, but you can see they're getting better each day," Curtis said. "They're trying to get better as a team and unit. Overall it was a good scrimmage.
"At my school, we ran the same things since coach Gilbert used to be my coach. We have been running the same offense, the same hand signals and everything."
And who stood out at the scrimmage from Curtis's viewpoint?
"Collin Johnson. His season so far has been going excellent," Curtis said. "I think he's going to shock a lot of people. With our class, we're going to shock a lot of people. (Johnson) made plays, got off the ball well. He's very explosive, very tall, all of it."
Curtis has been told he'll spend most of his time working out of the slot, but he'll also get some time as an outside receiver. He's hoping his familiarity with the UT offense will help him get on the field early.
"Coach (Charlie) Williams was excited to see me for the first time. He said he can't wait to get me on the field. Coach Gilbert said the same thing," Curtis said. "He said I should be out there the first day of practice with the ones and twos. That gets me more motivated to get out there and prove to them that stars done' matter." (Suchomel)
Holland-Texas has extended an offer to #DeSotoU OG Xavier Newman (@XavierNewman55) #HookEm
Supposedly tremendous at the camps, got invited to the Opening, super raw.
http://247sports.com/Player/Xavier-Newman-88677
From: Justin Wells
1. THE NEXT COMMIT?
After Eric looked through his crystal ball and told us Lake Dallas CB Kobe Boyce and Texas makes too much sense last Friday, the conversation quickly turned to "Who's Next?"
My guess... Temple's Taquon Graham. The 4-star DE/OLB visited Texas last weekend for its scrimmage, and if they weren't his leader going in, they might as well be going out. He's been building a relationship with Vance Bedford for some time now, and with former HS teammate Davion Curtis set to enroll this August, the Horns are starting to make a lot of sense to Graham.
"It was great and gave me some insight on how it goes on around there in Austin," said Graham.
So what makes UT stand out for Graham's services? Two things, according to Taquon: "How Texas recruits is much different than the other schools and the appeal of playing for a school you've watched ever since you starting playing the game itself."
Graham, 6-foot-4, 240 pounds fits that edge rusher role the defense sorely needs. He also boasts an impressive offer list - Oregon, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Georgia, A&M, and Cal to name a few. Is an early commitment from Graham in the works? Only he knows that.
"I'm really enjoying it all right now," Graham said, of the recruiting process. "I'm certainly thinking about it though."
I'm certainly thinking about how formidable the d-line would be with "My Wayward" Carson playing inside and Graham coming off the edge. He'll attend the Orange-White scrimmage next Saturday. Stay tuned to this one.
2. BUECHELE TURNING THE CORNER
If you've read our practice reports this Spring, you know its basically a Tyrone Swoopes-Shane Buechele battle for QB supremacy in Austin. And as we've noted, with each practice, Buechele continues to make strides in running Gilbert's version of the veer and shoot offense. At this rate, Shane opening the season vs Notre Dame isn't out of the question. I'd say it's 50/50 at this point.
"Shane had a couple of nice TD tosses in the 1st session," said my source after practice. "Swoopes had several good runs, but overthrew a few wide receivers he had open. Then in 7-on-7, they both made quality throws but Shane was able to connect on his deep balls better. Tyrone definitely has the better arm, but Shane's accuracy is uncanny."
Then Buechele hit a few bumps.
"Shane wasn't as sharp during the 2nd session," the source said. "But it seemed like the OL was struggling to keep the pressure off of the QBs during that portion. Overall, the tempo was good and seems to improve each practice. The defense is just trying to keep up. But seeing Shane come back after bad throws, shake them off, and connect on a few big strikes tells me so much about his intangibles. Shane wants to start Week 1 vs Notre Dame. He's determined. Even if he doesn't, he's going to work like he is."
The expression 'you can lose a QB in his freshman year' certainly applies in college football. Not only physically, but mentally. You can set a quarterback back years with poor play and lost confidence. The fact Buechele is mentally tougher than your average 4-star signal-caller might be the blessing that keeps Strong in Austin longer. He's turning the corner each time he hits the field. Add that to his immense work in the film room, and you can understand why Strong calls me a 'gym rat'.
3. TEVIN MACK LOOKING AROUND?
Well, not exactly.
It was reported yesterday by Chip Brown that Mack was looking around at the possibility of transferring from UT. So I inquired with two sources close to the team and Mack. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
First of all, it's not uncommon for a prospects AAU coach to continue to discuss his players after signing with a program. A college coach may ask," How is Tevin enjoying Austin?" The AAU coach responds with whatever information he has at that time, real or not.
One source told me it's, "highly, highly doubtful Tevin leaves Texas. That kid bleeds burnt orange and has gotten close to teammates, Kerwin Roach and Eric Davis." Would Tevin like more playing time? Of course, all competitive athletes would. But he's also got an understanding that the 6-foot-6 small forwards time will come."
Another source mentioned that the UT staff would be," very surprised if Tevin left." I'm not saying it's impossible, but Mack leaving Austin just seems very unlikely at this point. And that's a good thing. He'll be needed next year.
4. ONE TO WATCH: Tyquez Hampton, WR - El Paso El Dorado
Pure speed. That's what Hampton provides. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound burner and SMU pledge from West Texas has posted 4.4 and 4.5 40's during the camp scene this Spring. He's somewhat of an unknown with only a handful of offers - SMU, North Texas, Louisiana Monroe, and UTSA, but Texas has interest.
It's a little surprising given the amount of talented WRs in-state for 2017, but that doesn't mean he's not worthy. A little raw in his route running, but his hands, body control, and quickness are apparent. Also, Texas isn't the only school to give him a call. Florida State, Oregon, Tech, and TCU have all inquired about the underrated prospect.
He told me he's being hearing from Texas a lot as of late. He's certainly one to watch and don't be surprised if he camps in Austin this summer.
5. FINDING A KICKER
Strong confirmed our worst nightmare during his availability this week; Texas needs a kicker. And while walk-on Evan Moore is currently the lead candidate, the staff has been on the hunt and might have come across one. His name is Chris Naggar (NUH-gar), and he's the 6-foot-0, 200-pound placekicker from Arlington High, who was already going to attend UT this fall as a student. Might as well add athlete to that title.
"I have briefly spoken to Coach Traylor," said Naggar. "I 100% agree (UT needs a kicker) and that is what I hope I can fix."
He had a few options after his senior year. He received three offers - Toledo (D1), Sam Houston State (D1-AA), and Southwest Baptist (D2). But attending Texas was a lifelong dream, even if it was as a student. As for a timetable, it'll have to be early this summer before he knows anything.
"I don't know yet," Naggar said. "I haven't been able to talk to the coaches long enough. I really wanted to be able to get a preferred walk-on so I can come workout with the team over the summer, but if not, I'll be down there Day 1 of school ready to work."
He is being proactive, working hard with a trainer, and taking the extra steps to ensure he's got a good shot at making the UT roster.
"I'll be in Austin next Saturday to work out with Nick Rose," said Naggar.
Cross you fingers, Texas fans.
Supposedly tremendous at the camps, got invited to the Opening, super raw.
http://247sports.com/Player/Xavier-Newman-88677
From: Justin Wells
1. THE NEXT COMMIT?
After Eric looked through his crystal ball and told us Lake Dallas CB Kobe Boyce and Texas makes too much sense last Friday, the conversation quickly turned to "Who's Next?"
My guess... Temple's Taquon Graham. The 4-star DE/OLB visited Texas last weekend for its scrimmage, and if they weren't his leader going in, they might as well be going out. He's been building a relationship with Vance Bedford for some time now, and with former HS teammate Davion Curtis set to enroll this August, the Horns are starting to make a lot of sense to Graham.
"It was great and gave me some insight on how it goes on around there in Austin," said Graham.
So what makes UT stand out for Graham's services? Two things, according to Taquon: "How Texas recruits is much different than the other schools and the appeal of playing for a school you've watched ever since you starting playing the game itself."
Graham, 6-foot-4, 240 pounds fits that edge rusher role the defense sorely needs. He also boasts an impressive offer list - Oregon, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Georgia, A&M, and Cal to name a few. Is an early commitment from Graham in the works? Only he knows that.
"I'm really enjoying it all right now," Graham said, of the recruiting process. "I'm certainly thinking about it though."
I'm certainly thinking about how formidable the d-line would be with "My Wayward" Carson playing inside and Graham coming off the edge. He'll attend the Orange-White scrimmage next Saturday. Stay tuned to this one.
2. BUECHELE TURNING THE CORNER
If you've read our practice reports this Spring, you know its basically a Tyrone Swoopes-Shane Buechele battle for QB supremacy in Austin. And as we've noted, with each practice, Buechele continues to make strides in running Gilbert's version of the veer and shoot offense. At this rate, Shane opening the season vs Notre Dame isn't out of the question. I'd say it's 50/50 at this point.
"Shane had a couple of nice TD tosses in the 1st session," said my source after practice. "Swoopes had several good runs, but overthrew a few wide receivers he had open. Then in 7-on-7, they both made quality throws but Shane was able to connect on his deep balls better. Tyrone definitely has the better arm, but Shane's accuracy is uncanny."
Then Buechele hit a few bumps.
"Shane wasn't as sharp during the 2nd session," the source said. "But it seemed like the OL was struggling to keep the pressure off of the QBs during that portion. Overall, the tempo was good and seems to improve each practice. The defense is just trying to keep up. But seeing Shane come back after bad throws, shake them off, and connect on a few big strikes tells me so much about his intangibles. Shane wants to start Week 1 vs Notre Dame. He's determined. Even if he doesn't, he's going to work like he is."
The expression 'you can lose a QB in his freshman year' certainly applies in college football. Not only physically, but mentally. You can set a quarterback back years with poor play and lost confidence. The fact Buechele is mentally tougher than your average 4-star signal-caller might be the blessing that keeps Strong in Austin longer. He's turning the corner each time he hits the field. Add that to his immense work in the film room, and you can understand why Strong calls me a 'gym rat'.
3. TEVIN MACK LOOKING AROUND?
Well, not exactly.
It was reported yesterday by Chip Brown that Mack was looking around at the possibility of transferring from UT. So I inquired with two sources close to the team and Mack. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
First of all, it's not uncommon for a prospects AAU coach to continue to discuss his players after signing with a program. A college coach may ask," How is Tevin enjoying Austin?" The AAU coach responds with whatever information he has at that time, real or not.
One source told me it's, "highly, highly doubtful Tevin leaves Texas. That kid bleeds burnt orange and has gotten close to teammates, Kerwin Roach and Eric Davis." Would Tevin like more playing time? Of course, all competitive athletes would. But he's also got an understanding that the 6-foot-6 small forwards time will come."
Another source mentioned that the UT staff would be," very surprised if Tevin left." I'm not saying it's impossible, but Mack leaving Austin just seems very unlikely at this point. And that's a good thing. He'll be needed next year.
4. ONE TO WATCH: Tyquez Hampton, WR - El Paso El Dorado
Pure speed. That's what Hampton provides. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound burner and SMU pledge from West Texas has posted 4.4 and 4.5 40's during the camp scene this Spring. He's somewhat of an unknown with only a handful of offers - SMU, North Texas, Louisiana Monroe, and UTSA, but Texas has interest.
It's a little surprising given the amount of talented WRs in-state for 2017, but that doesn't mean he's not worthy. A little raw in his route running, but his hands, body control, and quickness are apparent. Also, Texas isn't the only school to give him a call. Florida State, Oregon, Tech, and TCU have all inquired about the underrated prospect.
He told me he's being hearing from Texas a lot as of late. He's certainly one to watch and don't be surprised if he camps in Austin this summer.
5. FINDING A KICKER
Strong confirmed our worst nightmare during his availability this week; Texas needs a kicker. And while walk-on Evan Moore is currently the lead candidate, the staff has been on the hunt and might have come across one. His name is Chris Naggar (NUH-gar), and he's the 6-foot-0, 200-pound placekicker from Arlington High, who was already going to attend UT this fall as a student. Might as well add athlete to that title.
"I have briefly spoken to Coach Traylor," said Naggar. "I 100% agree (UT needs a kicker) and that is what I hope I can fix."
He had a few options after his senior year. He received three offers - Toledo (D1), Sam Houston State (D1-AA), and Southwest Baptist (D2). But attending Texas was a lifelong dream, even if it was as a student. As for a timetable, it'll have to be early this summer before he knows anything.
"I don't know yet," Naggar said. "I haven't been able to talk to the coaches long enough. I really wanted to be able to get a preferred walk-on so I can come workout with the team over the summer, but if not, I'll be down there Day 1 of school ready to work."
He is being proactive, working hard with a trainer, and taking the extra steps to ensure he's got a good shot at making the UT roster.
"I'll be in Austin next Saturday to work out with Nick Rose," said Naggar.
Cross you fingers, Texas fans.
Slight change of plans, per 24/7. Wilson will be on campus Tuesday, but Little will come in on Saturday with his family for the spring game.
OL Will Farrar of Fort Bend Travis has de-committed from UCLA.
24/7 says he's had a lot of contact with Coach Mattox lately.
http://247sports.com/Player/Will-Farrar-77100
OL Creed Humphrey of Shawnee, OK talks UT (24/7):
“I was really excited,” Humphrey said. “My overall interest level in Texas is high. It seems like they are going to be really good in the future. I like how they are building things up and how they are getting some recruits in.”
“Coach Mattox offered me back when he was at Tulsa, so I’ve known him for a while,” Humphrey said. “He’s a really cool guy. I like the way he coaches. He said that they like me as a center or a guard.”
“I got to see all the facilities and everything,” Humphrey said. “The city of Austin is great. The campus was beautiful. I had a lot of fun watching the scrimmage. It was a good visit.”
Katy TE Parker Eichenberger will be at UT's spring game next weekend, per 24/7.
http://247sports.com/Player/Parker-Eichenberger-87791
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/5093831/parker-eichenberger
Loaded weekend for Texas. Ton of 4 and 5 star players will be in Austin.
Visitors to the 40 this week
Tuesday:
DT Marvin Wilson
Saturday for Spring game:
OLB Baron Browning
OT Walker Little
WR Damion Miller
WR Omar Manning
WR Montrell Estell
TE Parker Eichenberger
Tuesday:
DT Marvin Wilson
Saturday for Spring game:
OLB Baron Browning
OT Walker Little
WR Damion Miller
WR Omar Manning
WR Montrell Estell
TE Parker Eichenberger
Add some big names to the visitors list this week:
ILB Anthony Hines (Plano East)
WDE Taquon Graham (Temple) - Commitment Watch
OG Will Farrar (Ft Bend Travis) will be on campus Wednesday or Thursday (conflicting dates).
OG Xavier Newman (DeSoto)
QB Jalen Mayden (Sachse) 2018
ILB Anthony Hines (Plano East)
WDE Taquon Graham (Temple) - Commitment Watch
OG Will Farrar (Ft Bend Travis) will be on campus Wednesday or Thursday (conflicting dates).
OG Xavier Newman (DeSoto)
QB Jalen Mayden (Sachse) 2018
DT Marvin Wilson at UT practice yesterday:
24/7 reporting LB Baron Browning of Kennedale has decided to be an early enrollee. He joins other LBs Anthony Hines and Dylan Moses who will do the same.
No visit from OL Will Farrar yesterday. Per 24/7, he will be in Austin on Thursday.
Bama commit TE Malcolm Epps will be in the conversation for top TE in the country in 2018.
http://247sports.com/Player/Malcolm-Epps-87922
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/6429146/malcom-epps
24/7 reporting LB Baron Browning of Kennedale has decided to be an early enrollee. He joins other LBs Anthony Hines and Dylan Moses who will do the same.
No visit from OL Will Farrar yesterday. Per 24/7, he will be in Austin on Thursday.
Bama commit TE Malcolm Epps will be in the conversation for top TE in the country in 2018.
http://247sports.com/Player/Malcolm-Epps-87922
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/6429146/malcom-epps
Marvin Wilson is huge!!! From that video he looks like he waddles instead of walks, but when those pads come on its a different story!
