OB War Room
Notes on 2017 as well as a little blurb about possible Baylor 2016 and current players
After spending weeks on the road recruiting, the staff has been back in Austin this week.
Texas coach Charlie Strong had his staff on the road for nearly a month hitting every school in Texas, including select spots out of state. The staff’s main goal was to blanket this state and hit as many schools as possible during the evaluation period.
Not only did the staff hit schools with notable recruits, but it intentionally visited places without highly coveted athletes. Strong wanted his staff to strengthen UT’s relationships with the high school coaches in Texas. The coaches believe even if a program did not have a highly recruited player, establishing a good relationship with all coaches may pay off if that school ever lands a player Texas may want to sign.
In addition, the staff opened its doors to high school coaches. The coaches wanted high school coaches to know they are welcome to visit UT’s campus in the future, which was just another way of strengthening their relationships throughout the state. (Richardson)
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Hooks ATH Montrell Estell surprised a lot of people when he committed to Texas last Friday.
I caught up with Estell this week to get more details on his decision, and it sounds like even he was a bit surprised at how things turned out.
Early last week, a lot of people had Estell pegged as a likely Texas A&M commit, but it was the Longhorns who won out. Texas is recruiting Estell to play DB, and that's the biggest reason he's currently on UT's commitment list.
Key quote: "It flipped," Estell said, noting he had been leaning towards committing to A&M. "I thought, you know what, a lot of players play wide receiver that are as tall and as big as me. There aren't a lot of players at DB as big and fast as me. Texas offered me as a safety, and Texas was best for me. Texas puts safeties in the NFL. If I was going to play wide receiver, I was going to A&M. But I think I'll be better at safety."
Background on his commitment: Estell told me he knew during the day on Friday that he was going to commit to Texas, but he wasn't sure when.
"I was at lunch talking to my friend and he said 'What are you waiting for?' So I called coach Strong. I was nervous at first, what do I say, how do I say it? But I was just happy.
"I feel good, feel proud of myself for making my decision, the decision to go to UT."
Upcoming plans: Estell, who told me he's 6-1 1/2 and 180 pounds barefoot and runs in the low 4.4 range, said he's been in touch with UT assistant coach Jeff Traylor since his decision. He also spoke with Texas A&M wide receivers coach Aaron Morehead after making his decision.
"He asked what happened, how I changed my mind so fast. I told him if I was going to play wide receiver, I was going to him. But I've changed my mind to play safety," Estell said. "He said he understood, said to keep my head up, hit him up if I change my mind."
Estell will still visit Texas A&M, as previously planned, on June 11. He expects A&M will put a hard sell on him during that trip.
"They're going to try their hardest to recruit me. I'll give them a chance just like anybody else," Estell said.
What could change things?: With his recruitment having shifted quickly and Estell keeping the door open just a crack, I asked him what would have to happen for him to really give A&M a chance.
For starters, Estell said, the Aggies would have to convince him they're going to be good on defense next year and have good defensive backs.
"I'm 100 percent. It would be pretty tough," Estell said. "I don't want to play anything else (besides DB). There's not much of a chance for me to change my mind."
Thoughts on Texas: Estell is trying to get to Austin on June 5 for the Longhorns' first mini-camp. He's not planning to work out, but wants to get to town to see the UT coaches and other Texas targets. That trip, along with the stop at A&M, are the only ones on the calendar.
Along with the Horns' history of producing defensive backs, Estell said it's the mentality of the UT coaches, including Charlie Strong, that stands out the most.
"Coach strong doesn't play. He tells you how it is. He gets with his kids, doesn't sugarcoat anything," Estell said. "I liked that when we went to visit. He makes sure you take care of business and go to classes like men are supposed to do." (Suchomel)
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For the last few weeks, Texas recruiting fans were expecting big news to break this Friday night.
Temple defensive end Taquon Graham had been planned to announce his commitment after his team's spring game on May 27, with Texas a heavy favorite to land the four-star prospect. On Monday evening, Graham announced that he wasn't quite ready and was going to push things back a bit.
"I kind of felt a little pushed. Not by anybody else, I more pushed by myself," Graham said. "I need to try to make a decision for myself. I realize I need to take my time, be smart about the situation. It's one of the bigger choices I've ever made. I'm trying to be mature about that."
Graham said he began having doubts about making a commitment a couple weeks ago. In talking to other coaches outside the state, the seed was planted that he should take his time and see some places. Graham agreed.
"I was just thinking about it. Some of the other schools recruiting me, as they were talking to me, I wasn't really listening to their recruiting pitch," Graham said. "I was listening to them saying I haven't gone anywhere else outside of Texas. I think I should explore more options, compare and contrast what all is out there."
Before pushing back his decision, Texas was believed to be the clear front-runner. TCU and Baylor were also being considered and Oklahoma was in the mix. Graham said this week that he had not yet completely settled on a school.
"I would say every school in Texas was under consideration. Oklahoma was. A couple others were under consideration too. It wasn't a solid 'Let's go with one team.' I always had some doubt. I wasn't 100 percent locked in," Graham said.
Graham said he's pretty sure he'd like to visit Oklahoma this summer. He doesn't have anything set up as far as camps or unofficial visit.
The 6-4, 240-pounder has talked to the coaches who have been recruiting him about his decision to delay his commitment. All of them were supportive, he said.
"I talked to some of them, especially Texas, TCU and Baylor," Graham said. "With me being so close and heavily recruited by them, they hit me up on a daily basis. They knew though. They were all cool about it, told me to take my time."
My thoughts: This one looked like it was all but locked in for Texas earlier in the week. Graham obviously has some hesitation about making a decision, which is never a good thing. Texas needs to hope that small hesitation doesn't grow into a bigger concern. If it doesn't, I'd still think the Longhorns are in a good spot to land him at some point. (Suchomel)
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In case you missed it, Rivals.com regional recruiting analyst Woody Womack confirmed for us on Thursday afternoon that highly sought-after linebacker Tyler Taylor will take an unofficial visit to Texas this weekend. Taylor, out of Sugar Hill (GA) Lanier, was at Oklahoma State on Thursday for a visit.
The 6-3, 220-pound Taylor is ranked as only a three-star prospect, but he has a lengthy offer list from schools all over the country, including Texas.
I checked with a source with some knowledge of Taylor's status and was told the following: "Probably staying in the Southeast although he is out taking visits."
The source went on to note that while Taylor is expected to stay closer to home, he is keeping an open mind and his family has the types of resources that would make traveling to an out-of-the-region school less of a hurdle.
For a little more background, here's what we were told when we checked on Taylor a few weeks ago ...
"It's interesting, they play in Texas' uniforms. You'll see him walking around in Longhorn gear, but it's rip-off of Texas' gear. He kind of came out of nowhere. Schools wereslow to get on him. If they (Texas) can get him to come down and visit they have a chance. But his mom is from the country in south Georgia. He feels like the classic Auburn/Georgia type guy."
Getting him on campus is the first step for the Longhorns to have any chance at all. That will happen this weekend, and we'll be following up to see how the trip goes. (Suchomel)
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Nothing new to report on potential walk-on kicker Chris Naggar's situation. As of Thursday afternoon, Naggar was still waiting to get more info on his status as a possible early enrollee.
Naggar fully plans to attempt to make the team, but at this point it's looking more and more like he won't be enrolling until the falls semester and will have to make the team via tryout. (Suchomel)
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As luck would have it, my timing in connecting with Missouri City Elkins LB Kenneth Murray was one day too early. I spoke with Murray this week and he things were fairly quiet between him and Texas in terms of direct contact. The next day, he picked up a UT offer.
Vance Bedford stopped by to evaluate Murray in the spring and Brick Haley had been in contact as well, but Murray wasn't sure early in the week if Texas would be offering. That changed on Wednesday, with Murray picking up what he called a "HUGE" offer from the Longhorns.
Murray told me he doesn't have any camps or visits set up for this summer, but mentioned that he'd like to take trips to Oklahoma, A&M and Baylor. You can probably add Texas into that mix as well.
As it stands right now, Murray says he's keeping an open mind and not looking to rush into a decision.
"I'm pretty open to everybody right now. I'm just trying to stay focused, go see the schools I need to see and go from there," he said. "I'm just taking it slowly."
We haven't reconnected with Murray since the UT offer but we'll try to catch up with the three-star prospect this weekend for a follow-up. (Suchomel)
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A quick note on Shawnee (OK) center Creed Humphrey, who holds a Texas offer.
Humphrey doesn't say much, but there's some chatter behind the scenes that he could be ready to make a decision as early as next week. The Longhorns, from what we're told, are one of the teams drawing strong consideration but Creed will likely wind up elsewhere. A&M and Oklahoma are heavily involved, as is Alabama. (Suchomel)
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Last on the football recruiting front, but certainly not least, are a few notes of interest from the Baylor bombshell that dropped on Thursday.
I'm hearing from my contacts that numerous Baylor 2016 signees are interested in testing the waters for potential transfers. In fact, I have it on good authority that one recruit has already sent in an appeal of his LOI to the NCAA.
From what I'm hearing in talking to numerous people, it's not a case that players are looking to automatically jump ship, but several are, at the very least, wanting to explore their options.
The same goes for current team members. I've heard today that a number of Baylor players are exploring the idea of requesting a release from their scholarship. Texas has been rumored as a potential option for at least one of those players.
We'll dive a little deeper into this story when the time is appropriate, or if things heat up between any players and Texas, but I can say with confidence that a handful of Baylor signees and current players are already exploring other options, and Texas is one of the schools being discussed by a few players. (Suchomel)
EJ Holland: Where Texas stands with K'Lavon Chaisson
To say Galena Park North Shore defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson is quiet would be an understatement. The four-star prospect likes to keep to himself when it comes to recruiting. In fact, Chaisson hardly does interviews and won’t even respond to coaches on a regular basis. “Recruiting is going well,” Chaisson said. “I try to keep things on the low and stay out of the media. I don’t really like all the attention like that. I just play ball and do what I do.”
It’s not that Chaisson doesn’t take recruiting seriously. He simply walks to the beat of his own drum. And there is no denying his talent. One of the state’s top overall recruits, Chaisson has reported more than 20 offers — he might actually have more but doesn’t really put all of them out in public. Texas extended an offer in early January, shortly after Chaisson helped Galena Park North Shore capture a state title and took home Defensive MVP honors. His talks with UT have been off and on, but he recently had an opportunity to meet his new area recruiter.
“Coach (Anthony) Johnson came by and introduced himself,” Chaisson said. “He’s the new running backs coach, and he’s going to start to recruit me. I don’t really respond to people, so it’s my fault. But I want to keep in touch with him and build a better relationship.” Chaisson added that he has a ‘good’ existing relationship with Brick Haley, who coached his father in college.
Chaisson plans to release his Top 10 schools early this summer. He said Texas is definitely in the mix, mostly because of its defensive scheme. “I like the Fox end position," he said. "That’s what’s really interesting about it. I think it fits me well. I want to make a visit down there this summer to see exactly how I would be used, how they can help me and things like that.” Baylor, LSU and Texas A&M are some of the other schools Chaisson wants to visit in coming months. He does not plan on making any kind of decision until National Signing Day. At 6-foot-4, 211 pounds, Chaisson is ranked as the No. 7 weak-side defensive end in the country and No. 13 overall prospect in the state, according to 247Sports Composite.
Da scoop - By: Eric Nahlin, Tim Preston, and Justin Wells
We dive straight into the deep waters that are Baylor Football and how it affects Texas moving forward. We add recruiting notes/quotes on future visitors and new offers. We also drop the news that a current Texas coach is on BU's radar to replace Art Briles. The Inside Scoop never disappoints.
From: Eric Nahlin
Has this been a wild offseason or what? Since the second the final whistle blew at Baylor this has been a whirlwind. My goodness. Speaking of Baylor, we'll get to that in a bit.
TYLER TAYLOR TO VISIT
Who? We've only talked about the Buford, Georgia native long enough for me to coin him Buford T. Justice. That alone makes me want him in the class but that's a long ways off.
I don't know much about him to be honest. I usually don't get serious about OOS players until they show genuine interest in Texas. That starts now.
Taylor is a big (6-foot-3, 220 pound linebacker) Mike 'backer who my guy Andrew Spivey says is leaning to Georgia or Tennessee. Spivey also says Taylor's a good player but a bit stiff. Most big Mike's are a bit stiff but Taylor moves well enough.
He visited Oklahoma on Thursday, and hitting up Stillwater (OSU) today so he's making the rounds. OU already dipped into Georgia this cycle with 4-star running back, Trey Sermon from Marietta.
He says he and his mother will be in Austin on Saturday.
"I've been talking to Texas a lot recently," said Taylor. "I had a good time in Norman, but am looking forward to seeing Austin."
The fact that Taylor will be a tough pull is ideal. Texas has three slots and will hold spots for Baron Browning and Anthony Hines until the end so what you want is a group of 4-5 guys down the stretch you've built strong relationships with. That's where Kenneth Murray comes in as well.
KENNETH MURRAY
The Elkins linebacker was offered this week. We wrote about him a couple of weeks ago after Vance Bedford went to watch him practice. Bedford was heard on the phone talking to someone at Texas trying to figure out why they haven't offered Murray yet. That's a good sign.
I caught up with Murray on Wednesday and it went like this:
IT: Congrats, man. I know that's one you wanted along with OU which you already had. I'm guessing it didn't come as a surprise?
KM: It was kind of a surprise that it happened when it did but I thought it was coming. Coach Haley called me and said he had some news for me and then he handed the phone to Coach Strong who offered. Then I talked to Coach BJ and Bedford as well. I talked to them for a while.
IT: Nice. Any plans to visit?
KM: Nothing is set but I'll definitely try to get up there soon.
IT: What about a timeline for a decision?
KM: I might try and decide before the season if I'm comfortable with my choice but it could go longer.
This is where it gets interesting. I think Murray is UT's to lose at this point. His closet must look like the UT equipment room because every time I see him he's in burnt orange. Normally I don't put that much stock in it but he's different. Murray knows Texas is holding spots for Browning and Hines and that he can't afford to wait too long if Texas is his choice for fear of losing his spot. His recruitment should be an interesting one to watch.
ANOTHER LONGHORN AT THE OPENING
If you could send anyone to represent the school at the highly publicized July event who would it be? No, I mean ANYONE.
Keeping in mind the amount of targets who will be participating I'd want a known recruiter whose name carries a lot of sway with prospects. Yep, Malik Jefferson will be a camp counselor. I'm not saying it's a game changer with any recruits - by no means am I saying that - but I am saying it won't suck having him work with Baron Browning, Anthony Hines, and others in drills. He's just a great ambassador in general.
WACO: THE DAY AFTER - PART I
You could probably tell IT kept a low profile on the Baylor stuff. The whole ordeal was so unseemly and had nothing to do with Texas we took a pass on it other than trying to hint a little here and there and point some journalists in the right direction. You could probably tell we were hearing stuff last Thursday when we started a thread wondering who would be a good hire to replace Art Briles. I'll unwind that a little bit.
Last Thursday within an hour of each other Justin and I started hearing from entirely different people that Briles would be out. Earlier this week Justin heard Ken Starr would be redeployed in a new position, that Ian McCaw would be publicly reprimanded and that Phil Bennett would be named interim head coach. Basically Justin's information was better than the entire Waco market's combined over the last year. Better in that it was honest, and better in that it was accurate. Good job, Justin.
Hopefully the entirety of Briles' misdeeds come out, and I don't just mean while in Waco. There are skeletons in Houston and Stephenville. Knowing this is why it's sickening to see people come to his defense, especially members of the media.
With that said, we'll get back to covering the very minor football aspects of these circumstances.
Justin has stated names he's heard to replace Briles are Sonny Dykes as well as David Bailiff. There's a third but I'll let Wells crack open that chestnut if he wishes.
The biggest crossover news between Baylor and Texas is what will happen with Baylor's 2016 signees. We've hard those signees will be able to get out of their letters of intent and one parent I talked to said they fully expect to be able to go where they wish. Said he, "I'm at work now but the second the news hit (Briles being fired) my phone was ringing with college coaches." Now, I'm not even sure if that's legal until the players get an official release. The parent said they hadn't heard from Texas yet but we expect they will.
Texas would welcome four Baylor refugees but wouldn't have room for all of them. That works out well because it doesn't have a chance for one of them.
The big name of course is Patrick Hudson. I steadfastly denied UT had a chance to get him before NSD. If he does in fact get out of his LOI, I'll be altering my stance on him.
UT has been watching this situation intently for a week.
WACO: THE DAY AFTER - PART II
Eric laid the foundation, now here's a little more. College coaches fully expect BU's Class of 2016 to be released from their LOI. The NCAA will get involved at some point, but to expedite the process, I think Baylor releases them on its own since it's time sensitive. These players were moving to Waco in a week. Talk about timing.
Texas has two, maybe three scholarships saved just in case this outcome occurred. They were informed of the possibility last week and have been putting contingencies in place. There are four guys they'd consider:
Patrick Hudson. Brandon Bowen. Parrish Cobb. Devin Duvernay.
A source close to the staff said this about each:
Hudson: They feel really good about Patrick. Thought they had him a week before NSD, and might still grab one of the nation's top OL. Percentages: 75%.
Bowen: They were first told Brandon might stick with Baylor. He also wants to run track and BU's T&F program is one of the best. But this morning, they were informed the Bowen's maybe more interested now. Percentages: 45%.
Cobb: Eric told me the best way to land Parrish is using the Cuffee angle, Jennings closeness, and his father's affection for Strong. Eric might get the hat trick. I'm told all three will be factors. Percentages: 65%.
Duvernay: Devin was adamant about playing college ball with his brother, Donovan. Texas wouldn't take both, so they ultimately chose Baylor. It seems the Duvernays still want to play together, and if UT barely has room for one, they definitely don't have room for two. There's still a chance, but my guess would be they land in Fort Worth with the Horny Frogs. Percentages: 25%.
And the damage in Waco might not be over just yet. Don't be surprised to see a few players dismissed, and a few more coaches. KD Cannon is name I'm hearing, as well as OC Kendal Briles. As of right now, both are still Baylor Bears. But that might change very soon.
That Pepper Hamilton Report exposed more than just the covering up of sexual assaults at BU. The corruption could go deeper including bag men in ETX. When I can confirm more, I'll post more.
One more tidbit is besides the names we've heard as new head coaching possibilities at BU down the line; Dykes, Bailiff, Montgomery (Tulsa), and Dino Babers (Syracuse), the name Jeff Traylor is being mentioned. Yes, the Texas TE/ST coach with zero head coaching experience is on their radar.
The BOR see Traylor as the up-and-coming coach in all of CFB. They love his background (TX HS football), his insane ability to recruit, his knowledge in running a spread offense, and his overall demeanor. He's the good ol' boy in boots without the heinous crimes and cover ups attached.
Traylor would be a home run for Baylor, and I think he'd interview for the position, just for the practice. But I also think the BOR would ultimately go with a more experienced coach. Still, it shows how popular UT's recruiting guru is and how it's only a matter of time before he's a head coach at this level.
NOBODY KNOWS MORE THAN MOMMA
2. It goes without saying, but I wouldn't worry about losing John Tyler's Damion Miller anymore. I mentioned this was trending nicely after his ETSN Combine interview, but after speaking to his mom, I'm even more convinced.
Mrs. Shemekia Miller (Damion's mom) loves talking about her son. She beams with pride whenever he's discussed.
"I'm very proud of him," said Miller. He's my heartbeat."
She's a big fan of Charlie Strong and what he's trying to accomplish in Austin. Baylor and A&M have been diligent in their pursuit of her 4-star son, but I think it's safe to say the Bears are no longer an option. She didn't come out and say it, but sometimes body language is everything. And this was before yesterday's nuclear bomb in Waco.
Damion loves Texas, his future teammates - especially Sam, Major, and Montrell, and is excited about the new offense in Austin. Texas will continue to recruit Miller as if he's not committed , and that's exactly what you're supposed to do. Plant the seed with the player and parent, and harvest on NSD.
He and newly pledged Montrell Estell (Hooks 4-star safety) might visit A&M this summer and I wouldn't worry about it one bit.
QUOTABLE QUOTE:
"It’s like a childhood dream. Being so close, you walk into the store and there is Cowboys stuff and Longhorns stuff. That’s everything you see around here. I grew up watching it at my house. Also, the coaches. When they recruit you, it’s an all in effort.” - Taquon Graham, Temple 4-star DE, on Texas