You have to bring in top classes to have a chance to win national titles, but you have to develop that talent in to NFL calliaber talent in order to actually win titles. I mean the last few years Bama, Clemson, Ohio state, Florida state they dominated not only college football but also the NFL draft the last few seasons. Recruiting hasn't really been an issue at Texas. Our classes have been rated well under Mack, Stromg, and now Herrman. The development side of things has been an issue and why we are on our 3rd coach in 5 seasons. Hopefully Herman can correct those issues.
Recruiting Thread 2018
- Thread starter Iitbhorn3
- Start date
Supposedly some good news may be coming today or sometime this weekend. Don't know if it's '18 or '19 though
Under both Mack and Strong roster mismanagement was a huge issue. It's one thing to finish with highly ranked classes it's another thing to actually have a balanced roster so you don't have logjams at one spot and paper thin depth at another. I'd gladly trade recruiting ranking points for a balanced roster.
Thanks for the shout out. Things are going okay in Beaumont. Waiting for FEMA at the moment so not a lot of action.
Between that and work I haven't had much time to post updates. Will hopefully be more active after the new year. Though, if we can keep winning I think our class will be pretty set by then.
One thing to keep an eye on this weekend, 5 star CB Anthony Cook is in town for an official visit. Coming in with his parents.
Sounds like Cook has really liked what he has seen from the defense the past 3 weeks and Texas has some serious momentum right now.
Sounds like Cook has really liked what he has seen from the defense the past 3 weeks and Texas has some serious momentum right now.
LSU getting beat by Troy at home. Herman may be able to tip some of the UT/LSU recruiting battles his way. Programs look to be headed in two very different directions.
Per EJ @ 247-
Entering his official visit to Texas this weekend, Anthony Cook seemed like a lock to land at Ohio State.
But as everyone has come to learn this recruiting cycle, Tom Herman always seems to have some pixie dust in his back pocket. And he worked some magic with Cook this weekend.
“Texas really showed me something,” Cook said. “I would give the visit the highest grade possible. On a 1-10 scale, it was a 10. I saw a lot of things that I liked and how I would fit on and off the field. I like the alumni base and connections. I also got to talk to Michael Huff and Aaron Ross. It’s great to see those players come back and support.”
Cook arrived on the Forty Acres on Friday and spent the entire day with Texas cornerbacks coach Jason Washington. After getting back into town from a busy couple of days on the recruiting trail, Herman hosted Cook at his new home in Austin.
The five-star cornerback out of Houston Lamar said he built a stronger bond with both coaches throughout the weekend.
“I broke down film with Coach Washington and sat in on the DB meeting,” Cook said. “We had dinner with him all weekend. I felt comfortable with him. I like him a lot. I got to go to Coach Herman’s house and played basketball with them. We had a lot of fun.
“I had one last conversation with Coach Herman before I left, and we actually talked about recruiting. He asked me where they stand and if they have a real shot. And yes, they do have a real shot.”
Texas doesn’t just have a real shot. The Longhorns are now tied with Ohio State ahead of his Oct. 30 decision.
“I would say Ohio State and Texas are one now,” Cook said. “They are both tied at the top, so LSU is number two. I don’t know what it was about Texas. It was just one of those visits where you feel it. I loved everything about it.”
Cook will take his final visit to LSU on Oct. 14. But at this time, it looks like Texas and Ohio State will duke it out down the stretch.
At 6-foot, 168 pounds, Cook is ranked as the No. 2 cornerback in the country and No. 1 overall prospect in the state, per 247Sports Composite.
Entering his official visit to Texas this weekend, Anthony Cook seemed like a lock to land at Ohio State.
But as everyone has come to learn this recruiting cycle, Tom Herman always seems to have some pixie dust in his back pocket. And he worked some magic with Cook this weekend.
“Texas really showed me something,” Cook said. “I would give the visit the highest grade possible. On a 1-10 scale, it was a 10. I saw a lot of things that I liked and how I would fit on and off the field. I like the alumni base and connections. I also got to talk to Michael Huff and Aaron Ross. It’s great to see those players come back and support.”
Cook arrived on the Forty Acres on Friday and spent the entire day with Texas cornerbacks coach Jason Washington. After getting back into town from a busy couple of days on the recruiting trail, Herman hosted Cook at his new home in Austin.
The five-star cornerback out of Houston Lamar said he built a stronger bond with both coaches throughout the weekend.
“I broke down film with Coach Washington and sat in on the DB meeting,” Cook said. “We had dinner with him all weekend. I felt comfortable with him. I like him a lot. I got to go to Coach Herman’s house and played basketball with them. We had a lot of fun.
“I had one last conversation with Coach Herman before I left, and we actually talked about recruiting. He asked me where they stand and if they have a real shot. And yes, they do have a real shot.”
Texas doesn’t just have a real shot. The Longhorns are now tied with Ohio State ahead of his Oct. 30 decision.
“I would say Ohio State and Texas are one now,” Cook said. “They are both tied at the top, so LSU is number two. I don’t know what it was about Texas. It was just one of those visits where you feel it. I loved everything about it.”
Cook will take his final visit to LSU on Oct. 14. But at this time, it looks like Texas and Ohio State will duke it out down the stretch.
At 6-foot, 168 pounds, Cook is ranked as the No. 2 cornerback in the country and No. 1 overall prospect in the state, per 247Sports Composite.
Everybody click the link above and go vote for Rafiti to get into the UA all-American game. You'll have to scroll towards the back, once you find his name click vote underneath it. He was at 25% yesterday and he's now up to 46%. Needs more votes!
Welcome to the 40! Four-star Houston Lamar cornerback D’shawn Jamison! Texas has arguably the best group of defensive backs committed in the country! He committed after the game yesterday.
Hook 'Em
Hook 'Em
Good player coming to Austin,has speed and more. But Texas still needs more beef on both lines.
Per EJ @ 247
— Elite tight end Mustapha Muhammad is set to make his decision this Friday. I checked in with Muhammad earlier tonight, and he told me he feels like the time is right. Muhammad invited me to his commitment ceremony, so I'm probably going to go since I'll be in the area. Don't read too much into it if I do decide to attend. Muhammad is one of the kids I'm closest to this cycle, and I want to be there regardless of who he picks. And to be completely honest, no Muhammad hasn't given me a heads up. In fact, he's keeping it extremely tight lipped.
— Muhammad hasn't informed schools of his decision, so Texas is going to keep fighting here. The timing is interesting, and Muhammad had a great visit to UT for Stars at Night this summer. I actually do think there is a chance the Longhorns can shock the world. Muhammad loves Herman, he hasn't been back to Michigan in a while, he's close to the commits and he knows there is an opportunity for early playing time. My head says Michigan but my gut says foggy after talking to sources for three hours tonight. We will continue to work on this throughout the week.
— When I was at D'shawn Jamison's commitment party this weekend, I spent a lot of time with Al'vonte Woodard talking about things I can't necessarily share at this time. But I can tell you that the one recruit Woodard was messaging non-stop throughout the day was Muhammad. Woodard and the rest of the commits are working hard on him and have a great relationship, considering he is a Houston native. Keep in mind that Malcolm Epps plays AAU basketball with him, and Epps' father is his coach.
— This is non-Muhammad related, but Texas is already putting together a nice visitors list for this coming weekend. We have some big names down and expect that list to grow with more key visitors. We will continue to update it throughout the week. Obviously, this weekend's game against Oklahoma State could be huge for recruiting.
— Elite tight end Mustapha Muhammad is set to make his decision this Friday. I checked in with Muhammad earlier tonight, and he told me he feels like the time is right. Muhammad invited me to his commitment ceremony, so I'm probably going to go since I'll be in the area. Don't read too much into it if I do decide to attend. Muhammad is one of the kids I'm closest to this cycle, and I want to be there regardless of who he picks. And to be completely honest, no Muhammad hasn't given me a heads up. In fact, he's keeping it extremely tight lipped.
— Muhammad hasn't informed schools of his decision, so Texas is going to keep fighting here. The timing is interesting, and Muhammad had a great visit to UT for Stars at Night this summer. I actually do think there is a chance the Longhorns can shock the world. Muhammad loves Herman, he hasn't been back to Michigan in a while, he's close to the commits and he knows there is an opportunity for early playing time. My head says Michigan but my gut says foggy after talking to sources for three hours tonight. We will continue to work on this throughout the week.
— When I was at D'shawn Jamison's commitment party this weekend, I spent a lot of time with Al'vonte Woodard talking about things I can't necessarily share at this time. But I can tell you that the one recruit Woodard was messaging non-stop throughout the day was Muhammad. Woodard and the rest of the commits are working hard on him and have a great relationship, considering he is a Houston native. Keep in mind that Malcolm Epps plays AAU basketball with him, and Epps' father is his coach.
— This is non-Muhammad related, but Texas is already putting together a nice visitors list for this coming weekend. We have some big names down and expect that list to grow with more key visitors. We will continue to update it throughout the week. Obviously, this weekend's game against Oklahoma State could be huge for recruiting.
HOUSTON, Tex. -- Try as he might to keep an air of mystery around his recruitment, one team more than any other had been linked to Rivals250 cornerback
D’Shawn Jamison
On Saturday evening among friends and family, Jamison put an end to the suspicion that he was headed anywhere other than Texas and announced his commitment to the Longhorns with a video shown at Beezy Fitness in Houston. Jamison adds yet another high profile in-state name to Texas' class, which looks to be its best since 2012.
Wearing a hat with the school's logo emblazoned in chrome and sporting a million-dollar smile to match - which he needed for the countless pictures with those that came out to congratulate him - he couldn't help but show his excitement over his decision.
“What stood out was Coach (Jason) Washington, Bryan (Carrington) and Coach (Tom) Herman, Coach (Craig) Naivar, they all came together and showed me how they play defense on the team,” he said. “Also with Herman, he’s a real coach. He’s been real with me; he told me that he doesn’t just put out freshman - If I want to play, learn how to play, touch the football, then I have a chance to play as a true freshman.”
D'Shawn Jamison
Cornerback, RR: 5.8, Lamar, Houston, TX, 5'10" 174 lbs Class of 2018
VERBAL COMMIT - TEXAS
For all the attention that the Longhorns class has received so far this year - and rightfully so - the meat of it lies with its defensive backs. Jamison is the fifth commitment in 2018 headed to the secondary and the fourth within the Rivals250. He's one of the country’s top ball-hawking defensive backs, capable of playing anywhere in the defensive backfield and creating big special teams plays.
“I see myself replacing P.J. (Locke III) and Hollywood [Holton Hill],” he said. “They think that I can play all three positions [in the secondary] and they also want me on kick return and punt return so I plan on doing all that stuff just to help out the team.”
Judging from the feedback that Herman and company have given him, he should have every opportunity to fill the cleats those players will eventually leave behind.
“Texas says that I'm very versatile,” he said. “They told me that the way I play on the field, I can play any and every position. They told me I'm a great runner, I know how to attack the ball, I know how to blitz, I can do all kinds of things out there on the field.”
If there was one team that seemed to pose a major threat in luring Jamison away from the Longhorns, it was TCU. Prior to his announcement, he wouldn’t allow for the Horned Frogs, or even a team like Oregon, to be counted out. Even now, he expects the Frogs to continue keeping up their interest in him.
“I do expect TCU to keep coming hard,” he said. “The way they're playing right now, they're undefeated. I still want to take my official, I'm just going to watch them play, still talk to the coaches and be real with them and tell them how I feel about the team.”
Jamison’s Houston-Lamar teammate and Rivals100 wide receiver
Al’Vonte Woodard
committed to Texas over the summer, and was in attendance for the announcement. With the two now looking towards their careers at Texas, he expects their friendship will continue to help them both improve as players.
“Right now it’s good going against each other in practice and one-on-ones, because everything we do is very competitive,” he said. “It’s a weight off my shoulders that we can keep this going on at the college level. Our friendship is very close and has a lot to do with our competitiveness. We run on two different teams for our track team but we’re competitive in every sport.”
With his announcement wrapped up, Jamison is focused on a strong finish to his senior season, but it’s clear he’s looking forward to a bright career with the Longhorns.
“For me and the rest of the 2018 class, we're going to do something great at UT,” he said. “We all said that we're going to change the program with Coach Herman. We all came together said we're going to do this together, take this in, and be positive and be humble about it.”
D’Shawn Jamison
On Saturday evening among friends and family, Jamison put an end to the suspicion that he was headed anywhere other than Texas and announced his commitment to the Longhorns with a video shown at Beezy Fitness in Houston. Jamison adds yet another high profile in-state name to Texas' class, which looks to be its best since 2012.
Wearing a hat with the school's logo emblazoned in chrome and sporting a million-dollar smile to match - which he needed for the countless pictures with those that came out to congratulate him - he couldn't help but show his excitement over his decision.
“What stood out was Coach (Jason) Washington, Bryan (Carrington) and Coach (Tom) Herman, Coach (Craig) Naivar, they all came together and showed me how they play defense on the team,” he said. “Also with Herman, he’s a real coach. He’s been real with me; he told me that he doesn’t just put out freshman - If I want to play, learn how to play, touch the football, then I have a chance to play as a true freshman.”
D'Shawn Jamison
Cornerback, RR: 5.8, Lamar, Houston, TX, 5'10" 174 lbs Class of 2018
VERBAL COMMIT - TEXAS
For all the attention that the Longhorns class has received so far this year - and rightfully so - the meat of it lies with its defensive backs. Jamison is the fifth commitment in 2018 headed to the secondary and the fourth within the Rivals250. He's one of the country’s top ball-hawking defensive backs, capable of playing anywhere in the defensive backfield and creating big special teams plays.
“I see myself replacing P.J. (Locke III) and Hollywood [Holton Hill],” he said. “They think that I can play all three positions [in the secondary] and they also want me on kick return and punt return so I plan on doing all that stuff just to help out the team.”
Judging from the feedback that Herman and company have given him, he should have every opportunity to fill the cleats those players will eventually leave behind.
“Texas says that I'm very versatile,” he said. “They told me that the way I play on the field, I can play any and every position. They told me I'm a great runner, I know how to attack the ball, I know how to blitz, I can do all kinds of things out there on the field.”
If there was one team that seemed to pose a major threat in luring Jamison away from the Longhorns, it was TCU. Prior to his announcement, he wouldn’t allow for the Horned Frogs, or even a team like Oregon, to be counted out. Even now, he expects the Frogs to continue keeping up their interest in him.
“I do expect TCU to keep coming hard,” he said. “The way they're playing right now, they're undefeated. I still want to take my official, I'm just going to watch them play, still talk to the coaches and be real with them and tell them how I feel about the team.”
Jamison’s Houston-Lamar teammate and Rivals100 wide receiver
Al’Vonte Woodard
committed to Texas over the summer, and was in attendance for the announcement. With the two now looking towards their careers at Texas, he expects their friendship will continue to help them both improve as players.
“Right now it’s good going against each other in practice and one-on-ones, because everything we do is very competitive,” he said. “It’s a weight off my shoulders that we can keep this going on at the college level. Our friendship is very close and has a lot to do with our competitiveness. We run on two different teams for our track team but we’re competitive in every sport.”
With his announcement wrapped up, Jamison is focused on a strong finish to his senior season, but it’s clear he’s looking forward to a bright career with the Longhorns.
“For me and the rest of the 2018 class, we're going to do something great at UT,” he said. “We all said that we're going to change the program with Coach Herman. We all came together said we're going to do this together, take this in, and be positive and be humble about it.”
Sounds like Texas had pulled away from Ohio State and we now lead for 5* Anthony Cook!!! Again anything can happen in the next two weeks until his commit but he's already getting a lot of CB's flipped to UT on 247. This would be huge!!!
3 crystal balls for Cook to UT today.
Anthony Cook is exactly two weeks away from making a decision.
The five-star cornerback out of Houston Lamar is down to Ohio State, LSU and Texas and is carefully considering all three options. Last time we had an update, Texas moved past LSU and tied Ohio State for the lead in his recruitment.
So has anything changed over the last couple of weeks?
Most definitely. From speaking to various sources, Texas seems to have the outright advantage as of today. As we reported, the Longhorns blew him away on his official visit and won over his family.
Texas has continued to build momentum on the recruiting trail by landing elite defensive back and teammate D’shawn Jamison and has done enough on the field with a key win over Kansas State and a valiant effort against OU in the Red River Showdown.
If Cook made a decision today, we would expect it to be Texas. Both Tom Herman and Jason Washington have done a tremendous job in his recruitment and as long as there isn’t a complete train wreck on the field against Oklahoma State and Baylor, we expect the pick to be Texas. And therefore, I made my Crystal Ball switch today.
One of the more interesting things I heard from more than one person this weekend was that Ohio State has dropped off a bit in his recruitment. According to sources, the Buckeyes now have some ground to make up.
As BuckNuts reported, Ohio State will make a visit to see Cook today and is sure to make a full court press over the next two weeks. According to a source close to the Ohio State program, the Buckeyes still feel like they are in good shape. But again, we don’t exactly feel that way based on what we’ve heard from other sources.
LSU hosted Cook for an official visit this weekend, and I’m told the Tigers really made a huge impression on him and his family and of course, the upset of Auburn definitely helped. In fact, I’m not afraid to say LSU might be the bigger threat to Texas as of today.
However, I don’t believe LSU did enough to leapfrog Texas at this time.
This one seems to be taking plenty of twists and turns as his decision nears, but things are definitely looking positive for the Longhorns.
Also, if you're into aggy tears, there are plenty on this topic.
https://247sports.com/college/texas...y-Cook-no-longer-leaning-to-Ohio-St-109040176
Anthony Cook is exactly two weeks away from making a decision.
The five-star cornerback out of Houston Lamar is down to Ohio State, LSU and Texas and is carefully considering all three options. Last time we had an update, Texas moved past LSU and tied Ohio State for the lead in his recruitment.
So has anything changed over the last couple of weeks?
Most definitely. From speaking to various sources, Texas seems to have the outright advantage as of today. As we reported, the Longhorns blew him away on his official visit and won over his family.
Texas has continued to build momentum on the recruiting trail by landing elite defensive back and teammate D’shawn Jamison and has done enough on the field with a key win over Kansas State and a valiant effort against OU in the Red River Showdown.
If Cook made a decision today, we would expect it to be Texas. Both Tom Herman and Jason Washington have done a tremendous job in his recruitment and as long as there isn’t a complete train wreck on the field against Oklahoma State and Baylor, we expect the pick to be Texas. And therefore, I made my Crystal Ball switch today.
One of the more interesting things I heard from more than one person this weekend was that Ohio State has dropped off a bit in his recruitment. According to sources, the Buckeyes now have some ground to make up.
As BuckNuts reported, Ohio State will make a visit to see Cook today and is sure to make a full court press over the next two weeks. According to a source close to the Ohio State program, the Buckeyes still feel like they are in good shape. But again, we don’t exactly feel that way based on what we’ve heard from other sources.
LSU hosted Cook for an official visit this weekend, and I’m told the Tigers really made a huge impression on him and his family and of course, the upset of Auburn definitely helped. In fact, I’m not afraid to say LSU might be the bigger threat to Texas as of today.
However, I don’t believe LSU did enough to leapfrog Texas at this time.
This one seems to be taking plenty of twists and turns as his decision nears, but things are definitely looking positive for the Longhorns.
Also, if you're into aggy tears, there are plenty on this topic.
https://247sports.com/college/texas...y-Cook-no-longer-leaning-to-Ohio-St-109040176
Herman is killing it on the trail. Not sure wins and losses matter much this year. He is selling the future and all the big guys are pulling together.
I think it's how we win or lose that does make a difference. If we were getting blown out every single loss we probably wouldn't see some of the recruits we're getting.
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I think Herman needs a win here this weekend. The program looks to be headed in a postive direction,but this team has been close the last couple years to getting thst big win. Hasn’t been able to get over the hump. Been similar so far this year. Would like to see Herman get one this week. It would send a strong message to recruits, boosters, etc that it’s more than just hope he’s selling.
Per IT:
Exiting the Spring, Texas had 18 bodies on the offensive line. That's enough for a three-deep and three red-shirts. 18-20 is typically what I've stated needs to be the rolling average. Between injuries, transfers, retirement, and the steadfastness of red-shirting Sam Cosmi, the current number is 11.
This has not only served as a spike-strip on the season, it has further exacerbated fears regarding recruiting across the offensive line, though not much has changed since July, other than Texas received the commitment of one of its top priorities in guard/tackle Rafiti Ghirmai.
Here's the opening from that offering:
Where are the linemen???
This is a tie with Malik talk for the most tiresome of the off season but at least we're not talking quarterbacks!
It's not that the question is irrelevant, it's that it's been explained ad nauseam and the reasonable thing to do is simply let it play out. The staff isn't going to recruit at a high level at every position except offensive and defensive line. There may be a drop-off but it'll be marginal.
Tom Herman is not Mack Brown content to take Terrell Cuney and shut down 2014 o-line recruiting. I voiced concerns for months over that. I couldn't be less concerned with current recruiting across the lines.
Since the moment we started to focus on this class we wrote about the tremendous imbalance between smaller and larger players. There just aren't many Texas level prospects with size in this class. The best player instate over 6-foot-4, 230 pounds is a tight end.
This left Texas with a very clear choice; focus on the few instate 'championship level' players while also looking aggressively out-of-state.
When I read the same concerns over and over I wonder, do you wish Texas had TCU's offensive line class? They have a good Juco, and then three players rated in the .8500 range. Wouldn't that look out of place in a class with a .9254 average? .8500s can be added down the road if need be. Now isn't the time to reach; not even close. It's also not the time for morose bleating.
Numbers are going to intentionally be kept low across each line. This helps you load up on the bumper crop of receivers and defensive backs, and also allows you to #savetheship for 2019 where "bigs" are more numerous.
The only thing I would change from July is to take bigger numbers across the offensive line (4-5 with the Delance departure) and possibly more on the defensive line, but certainly with no reaches.
TEAM
Are things really that dire on the offensive line? Let's look at what's returning compared to what Texas started in one of the biggest rivalries in the sport.
Versus Oklahoma: Denzel Okafor-Patrick Vahe-Zach Shackelford-Terrrell Cuney-Derek Kerstetter.
Having long-term opinions based on this starting line up would be foolhardy. Assuming Connor Williams leaves early (not that he's guaranteed to), your starting offensive line depth chart going into next year might look something like this:
Elijah Rodriguez-Patrick Vahe-Zach Shackelford-Jake McMillon-Denzel Okafor
That may not be inspiring to you, but the good thing is it could also look like this:
Sam Cosmi-Patrick Vahe-Zach Shackelford-Patrick Hudson-Elijah Rodriguez
By now you're gleaning the depth next year will be much better if people return healthy. Not mentioned above but deserving is Derek Kerstetter.
What about this:
E-Rod-Kerstetter-Shack-Hudson-Rodriguez?
Not only will there be plenty of combinations to work with, there is much more versatility, especially if Cosmi can play early. Competition at guard becomes the most heated it's been in years at that point.
Here's what the main pieces can do:
E-Rod: Would have been your day-1 starter at right tackle, can also play guard. Might be the 'safe' pick for left tackle.
Vahe: He's a guard and we pretty much know what he is. If Texas can upgrade him - especially in pass pro - it's a big win.
McMillon: Texas can win games with McMillon but he doesn't have a tenth of the upside of Hudson and like Vahe he's entirely guard specific.
Shack: They should have put him at guard instead of Terrell Cuney on Saturday. His upside for next year is solely at center.
Okafor: He's miscast at left tackle but could play right tackle. The book on him coming out was he could be a tackle but guard might be his ceiling. This season will be great for his development. Obviously he'd be a very athletic guard if he ends up there.
Hudson: Has the size and athleticism to play tackle but not the technical ability, at least not yet. Is it impossible that he ends up at right tackle and Denzel Okafor swings inside? No.
Kerstetter: Similar to Okafor as a guard-ceiling/tackle-floor player. He could also play center if they groomed him for it, but assuming the edges are smoothed over he's likely a guard.
Cosmi: It's clear to me Cosmi is being groomed to replace Connor Williams, though it's not clear to me if he'll be immediately ready. That's where E-Rod's return has incredible value.
That should be eight players the staff can depend on. You'd like it to be higher, but the rest of the bench doesn't project very favorably, though I haven't given up on anyone, especially Tope Imade.
If anything stands out it's the lack of true tackles. You don't make those in a program, you find them through evaluation.
RECRUITING
Not counting the current recruiting class, Texas will enter next season with 13 scholarship offensive lineman. Not ideal and a long way from my comfort level of 18-20. Given the importance of development and the time it takes at the position, Texas can't wait until next cycle to land some bigs (though there will be room in that class too). Previously it was possible this class would only be three, maybe four members, it's clear the class will be four at a minimum but maybe five.
Given the absence of tackles, Texas is pushing hard for JUCO Badara Traore who will be visiting this weekend. He's likely slotted for right tackle, but more because he's raw. He looks like he can move and bend like a left tackle to me. He likes LSU, but any time a player and school meet for the first time there can be fireworks. I'm going to try and research him some more, but Texas has done well with basketball prospects from back east. Would you be more likely to go from Brooklyn to Baton Rouge or Brooklyn to Austin? Depends on the kid. Hopefully I can find out more about him. He would give the above combinations even more flexibility, or you just red-shirt him and wait for E-Rod to depart.
As far as high school prospects here's what I wrote less than a month ago on some instate offensive linemen:
Texas is looking at all available options and there's no telling how this offensive line haul finishes up. You could see a Juco, a transfer, an unknown, or one of the guys below. Texas is also working on some elite players but they'll be very difficult pulls unless Texas finishes the season incredibly strong, and even then they'll be tough.
Committed are Reese Moore and Rafiti Ghirmai. That's a potential stud LT and a G/T.
OL Trey Stratford, Allen - UCLA: At 6-4, 270, he's never had ideal size. Not a big problem because he'll add the weight, but then the question is does he continue to move well? He does move pretty well and he looks nastier than I recall. I particularly like the devastation on the pull before he climbs to the second level. He's probably a center and I'm not sure Texas needs one in this class because I think Kerstetter ends up there and Texas will land Branson Bragg in 2019.
OL Kaitori Leveston, Waco Midway - Kansas State: He might be a take. He has size at 6-5, 290, plus versatility. He could potentially play all five positions. He shows the ability in a variety of blocks as left tackle for a talented Midway squad. He's also an intelligent kid.
OL Victor Curne, Houston Second Baptist - Washington: I liked him before I knew Chris Petersen did. Curne has the athleticism for right tackle perhaps, but his upside and butt-projection has me thinking guard. He's a big kid, 6-5, 320 pounds. That's the same size with better tape than Caleb Benenoch, who also headed West (UCLA) and is now in Tampa Bay.
OT Jarrett Patterson, Mission Viejo (CA) - Arizona State: I liked his junior film and love his senior film. If he's as big as his listed 6-5, 285, I'm not sure why he isn't more highly rated. He moves well for the position, plays with a flat back and good feet. Quick in his kick step. He lacks punch but that's what S&C is for. Looks to finish blocks. Should be a LT in college. Todd Graham is on the hot seat. Patterson may be worth a late push.
I also looked for senior Hudl of Katy's Connor Galvin but didn't see any. Texas likes him but has significant concerns over his ability to gain weight. I think he can get to 290-295 but it will take time.
Memorial's Joe Bissinger (Virginia) and New Braunfels' Weston Wright (Texas Tech) also need senior evals.
The day after I wrote this, Frank Filip from Clear Lake was brought to my attention and he still has it. He is on a great growth curve, having gained 30 good pounds of weight since January (240-270) while maintaining his movement ability. He's committed to Colorado. Would be kind of funny if Texas swooped in late like it did for E-Rod.
Along with all these guys, Texas is still trying to flip Chasen Hines (he claims he wants to play d-line; just take him) and Cameron Wire from LSU. Texas needs tackles but you'd still take Hines and figure it out later. Wire could be a left tackle and the staff loves him, though you can't count on flipping a Louisiana kid from LSU. Still, I bet he visits.
Other targets will emerge, but if I'm dreaming, Texas finishes with:
Reese Moore: LT, RT
Rafiti Ghirmai: RT, OG
Badara Traore: RT, LT
Chasen Hines: DT, OG
Frank Filip: LT, RT (he's an offer to me)
The exciting thing about Hines is if you allocate him on defense you can potentially add another offensive lineman, at which point you just go BPA.
SUMMATION
We've written a lot of words about the overall offensive line situation and I still feel the same about all of it. This is no time to panic in recruiting. It is time to panic this season but there's nothing you can do about injuries. The right amount of bodies were in place during the Spring, and even into August Texas was in okay shape. Those injuries, however, have given snaps to young players that will benefit their development while underscoring needs within this current class; needs the staff already knew about.
Texas will be a little thin on the edges next season, at least with ideal fits, but the overall depth will be much improved. The o-line will be much improved. The offense will be much improved.
If you feel the need here's your thread to worry about the offensive line and offensive line recruiting
Exiting the Spring, Texas had 18 bodies on the offensive line. That's enough for a three-deep and three red-shirts. 18-20 is typically what I've stated needs to be the rolling average. Between injuries, transfers, retirement, and the steadfastness of red-shirting Sam Cosmi, the current number is 11.
This has not only served as a spike-strip on the season, it has further exacerbated fears regarding recruiting across the offensive line, though not much has changed since July, other than Texas received the commitment of one of its top priorities in guard/tackle Rafiti Ghirmai.
Here's the opening from that offering:
Where are the linemen???
This is a tie with Malik talk for the most tiresome of the off season but at least we're not talking quarterbacks!
It's not that the question is irrelevant, it's that it's been explained ad nauseam and the reasonable thing to do is simply let it play out. The staff isn't going to recruit at a high level at every position except offensive and defensive line. There may be a drop-off but it'll be marginal.
Tom Herman is not Mack Brown content to take Terrell Cuney and shut down 2014 o-line recruiting. I voiced concerns for months over that. I couldn't be less concerned with current recruiting across the lines.
Since the moment we started to focus on this class we wrote about the tremendous imbalance between smaller and larger players. There just aren't many Texas level prospects with size in this class. The best player instate over 6-foot-4, 230 pounds is a tight end.
This left Texas with a very clear choice; focus on the few instate 'championship level' players while also looking aggressively out-of-state.
When I read the same concerns over and over I wonder, do you wish Texas had TCU's offensive line class? They have a good Juco, and then three players rated in the .8500 range. Wouldn't that look out of place in a class with a .9254 average? .8500s can be added down the road if need be. Now isn't the time to reach; not even close. It's also not the time for morose bleating.
Numbers are going to intentionally be kept low across each line. This helps you load up on the bumper crop of receivers and defensive backs, and also allows you to #savetheship for 2019 where "bigs" are more numerous.
The only thing I would change from July is to take bigger numbers across the offensive line (4-5 with the Delance departure) and possibly more on the defensive line, but certainly with no reaches.
TEAM
Are things really that dire on the offensive line? Let's look at what's returning compared to what Texas started in one of the biggest rivalries in the sport.
Versus Oklahoma: Denzel Okafor-Patrick Vahe-Zach Shackelford-Terrrell Cuney-Derek Kerstetter.
Having long-term opinions based on this starting line up would be foolhardy. Assuming Connor Williams leaves early (not that he's guaranteed to), your starting offensive line depth chart going into next year might look something like this:
Elijah Rodriguez-Patrick Vahe-Zach Shackelford-Jake McMillon-Denzel Okafor
That may not be inspiring to you, but the good thing is it could also look like this:
Sam Cosmi-Patrick Vahe-Zach Shackelford-Patrick Hudson-Elijah Rodriguez
By now you're gleaning the depth next year will be much better if people return healthy. Not mentioned above but deserving is Derek Kerstetter.
What about this:
E-Rod-Kerstetter-Shack-Hudson-Rodriguez?
Not only will there be plenty of combinations to work with, there is much more versatility, especially if Cosmi can play early. Competition at guard becomes the most heated it's been in years at that point.
Here's what the main pieces can do:
E-Rod: Would have been your day-1 starter at right tackle, can also play guard. Might be the 'safe' pick for left tackle.
Vahe: He's a guard and we pretty much know what he is. If Texas can upgrade him - especially in pass pro - it's a big win.
McMillon: Texas can win games with McMillon but he doesn't have a tenth of the upside of Hudson and like Vahe he's entirely guard specific.
Shack: They should have put him at guard instead of Terrell Cuney on Saturday. His upside for next year is solely at center.
Okafor: He's miscast at left tackle but could play right tackle. The book on him coming out was he could be a tackle but guard might be his ceiling. This season will be great for his development. Obviously he'd be a very athletic guard if he ends up there.
Hudson: Has the size and athleticism to play tackle but not the technical ability, at least not yet. Is it impossible that he ends up at right tackle and Denzel Okafor swings inside? No.
Kerstetter: Similar to Okafor as a guard-ceiling/tackle-floor player. He could also play center if they groomed him for it, but assuming the edges are smoothed over he's likely a guard.
Cosmi: It's clear to me Cosmi is being groomed to replace Connor Williams, though it's not clear to me if he'll be immediately ready. That's where E-Rod's return has incredible value.
That should be eight players the staff can depend on. You'd like it to be higher, but the rest of the bench doesn't project very favorably, though I haven't given up on anyone, especially Tope Imade.
If anything stands out it's the lack of true tackles. You don't make those in a program, you find them through evaluation.
RECRUITING
Not counting the current recruiting class, Texas will enter next season with 13 scholarship offensive lineman. Not ideal and a long way from my comfort level of 18-20. Given the importance of development and the time it takes at the position, Texas can't wait until next cycle to land some bigs (though there will be room in that class too). Previously it was possible this class would only be three, maybe four members, it's clear the class will be four at a minimum but maybe five.
Given the absence of tackles, Texas is pushing hard for JUCO Badara Traore who will be visiting this weekend. He's likely slotted for right tackle, but more because he's raw. He looks like he can move and bend like a left tackle to me. He likes LSU, but any time a player and school meet for the first time there can be fireworks. I'm going to try and research him some more, but Texas has done well with basketball prospects from back east. Would you be more likely to go from Brooklyn to Baton Rouge or Brooklyn to Austin? Depends on the kid. Hopefully I can find out more about him. He would give the above combinations even more flexibility, or you just red-shirt him and wait for E-Rod to depart.
As far as high school prospects here's what I wrote less than a month ago on some instate offensive linemen:
Texas is looking at all available options and there's no telling how this offensive line haul finishes up. You could see a Juco, a transfer, an unknown, or one of the guys below. Texas is also working on some elite players but they'll be very difficult pulls unless Texas finishes the season incredibly strong, and even then they'll be tough.
Committed are Reese Moore and Rafiti Ghirmai. That's a potential stud LT and a G/T.
OL Trey Stratford, Allen - UCLA: At 6-4, 270, he's never had ideal size. Not a big problem because he'll add the weight, but then the question is does he continue to move well? He does move pretty well and he looks nastier than I recall. I particularly like the devastation on the pull before he climbs to the second level. He's probably a center and I'm not sure Texas needs one in this class because I think Kerstetter ends up there and Texas will land Branson Bragg in 2019.
OL Kaitori Leveston, Waco Midway - Kansas State: He might be a take. He has size at 6-5, 290, plus versatility. He could potentially play all five positions. He shows the ability in a variety of blocks as left tackle for a talented Midway squad. He's also an intelligent kid.
OL Victor Curne, Houston Second Baptist - Washington: I liked him before I knew Chris Petersen did. Curne has the athleticism for right tackle perhaps, but his upside and butt-projection has me thinking guard. He's a big kid, 6-5, 320 pounds. That's the same size with better tape than Caleb Benenoch, who also headed West (UCLA) and is now in Tampa Bay.
OT Jarrett Patterson, Mission Viejo (CA) - Arizona State: I liked his junior film and love his senior film. If he's as big as his listed 6-5, 285, I'm not sure why he isn't more highly rated. He moves well for the position, plays with a flat back and good feet. Quick in his kick step. He lacks punch but that's what S&C is for. Looks to finish blocks. Should be a LT in college. Todd Graham is on the hot seat. Patterson may be worth a late push.
I also looked for senior Hudl of Katy's Connor Galvin but didn't see any. Texas likes him but has significant concerns over his ability to gain weight. I think he can get to 290-295 but it will take time.
Memorial's Joe Bissinger (Virginia) and New Braunfels' Weston Wright (Texas Tech) also need senior evals.
The day after I wrote this, Frank Filip from Clear Lake was brought to my attention and he still has it. He is on a great growth curve, having gained 30 good pounds of weight since January (240-270) while maintaining his movement ability. He's committed to Colorado. Would be kind of funny if Texas swooped in late like it did for E-Rod.
Along with all these guys, Texas is still trying to flip Chasen Hines (he claims he wants to play d-line; just take him) and Cameron Wire from LSU. Texas needs tackles but you'd still take Hines and figure it out later. Wire could be a left tackle and the staff loves him, though you can't count on flipping a Louisiana kid from LSU. Still, I bet he visits.
Other targets will emerge, but if I'm dreaming, Texas finishes with:
Reese Moore: LT, RT
Rafiti Ghirmai: RT, OG
Badara Traore: RT, LT
Chasen Hines: DT, OG
Frank Filip: LT, RT (he's an offer to me)
The exciting thing about Hines is if you allocate him on defense you can potentially add another offensive lineman, at which point you just go BPA.
SUMMATION
We've written a lot of words about the overall offensive line situation and I still feel the same about all of it. This is no time to panic in recruiting. It is time to panic this season but there's nothing you can do about injuries. The right amount of bodies were in place during the Spring, and even into August Texas was in okay shape. Those injuries, however, have given snaps to young players that will benefit their development while underscoring needs within this current class; needs the staff already knew about.
Texas will be a little thin on the edges next season, at least with ideal fits, but the overall depth will be much improved. The o-line will be much improved. The offense will be much improved.
If you feel the need here's your thread to worry about the offensive line and offensive line recruiting
war room and other nuggets
With Texas playing at 11 a.m. on Saturday, it may not be a huge number of recruiting visitors, but there will be some important targets on campus, including four official visitors. A quick look at some of the bigger names we’ll be tracking …
Official visits
QB Cameron Rising – The UT commitment will take his official visit this weekend. Rising has always said the right things when I’ve talked to him and sounds very happy with his Texas commitment, but there continues to be speculation that he could take another visit or two. This weekend could be a good chance for the UT staff to tighten up any issues (if there are issues) and lock down Rising’s pledge.
WR Rondale Moore – Another UT commitment who will be on his official visit. Moore still isn’t saying much about his commitment but I do expect a Purdue visit at some point. A person close to Moore told another Rivals reporter this week that he doesn’t expect Moore to sign with Texas. We’ll see if the UT staff can change those opinions this weekend, but if Moore takes a visit to Purdue following his UT visit, that would be pretty telling.
OL Badara Traore – Every time I’ve talked to Traore, who ranks as one of the nation’s top JUCO prospects, he speaks very highly of Texas and mentions that he’s followed the UT program for a while. The Longhorns will face some tough competition for his commitment, but my gut tells me that Texas is going to come out of this weekend as his leader.
DE/LB Nikolas Bonitto – This one should be interesting. When I talked to Bonitto a few weeks ago, shortly after UT offered, Bonitto had very good things to say about Texas and a recruiting source in the state of Florida told me a couple weeks ago he thinks the Longhorns could very much win this one. It’ll be interesting to see what Bonitto says after the visit.
Key unofficial visits
WR Tommy Bush – Bush, who holds a UT offer, is no stranger to the Texas campus. I still think if Texas pushes hard, it stands a really good chance to eventually land his commitment.
2019 WR Jordan Whittington – Like Bush, Whittington has been on the UT campus a ton. He’s a top national prospect who has been close to committing a couple times. This weekend should only strengthen UT’s already strong position with him.
2019 OL Branson Bragg – Dude loves UT and the Longhorns are going to be tough to beat in this one. (Suchomel)
******
Ridge Point tight end Mustapha Muhammad is scheduled to announce his commitment on Friday at 6:30 p.m. His final schools are Michigan, Texas, UCLA and Clemson.
The Longhorns did a great job of putting themselves in contention on this one, especially considering Muhammad had pretty much dropped Texas after the previous staff quit talking to him. But as I said on Wednesday, my guess is that this one is going to go Michigan’s way. (Suchomel)
******
Top national 2019 RB Noah Cain and his IMG Academy teammates had a bye last week, so Cain was back in Texas and was able to attend the Texas-OU game as a guest of the Longhorns’. Cain, who ranks No. 17 on the 2019 Rivals100, said it was a tremendous experience.
“It was a great game, great environment. With me being recruited by both schools, it made it even better,” Cain said. “I have an opportunity to play for both schools so that was good getting to see both sides of it.”
The Texas staff can’t communicate with recruits in person on the day of the game since it’s on a neutral field, but Cain said he was in touch with the UT staff over the phone. Interestingly, he said he and the staff discussed UT’s offensive line issues, since Cain is paying close attention to the blocking he would receive at various schools he’s considering.
“I talked to them. They knew I was curious about the offensive line paly. That’s been a big question for me,” Cain said. “I know they have a lot of injuries on that side of the unit, they’re trying to get that fixed. I’m definitely looking at that as a big factor with me choosing the Longhorns, because without an offensive line can’t do much.
“They told me they have like five of their (o-line) starters out or something, a true freshman playing. Really they’re just filling the gaps in where they’re lacking at,” Cain said. “They said they’re recruiting linemen in this class to come help them out. I know they have a kid from Frisco, who I know is good. But it starts in the trenches, you have to have good blocking.”
While Cain does have questions about UT’s offensive line play and would probably like to see progress from that play, he did like what he saw from UT’s freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger.
“Ehlinger palayed hard at. He’s a great player, future of the program,” Cain said. “I would have a chance to play with him so that’s good.”
The 5-11, 200-pound Cain is really doing his homework on the schools he’s considering. He told me he’s watching offenses closely to see what kind of blocking schemes they run and he sees himself as more of a zone back who can find cutback lanes. So who fits that billing from what he’s seen?
Oklahoma, LSU. Ohio State runs more gap schemes. Texas, before the season, told me they would be more of a pass team this year because of their linemen and their personnel, so I knew before the season they weren’t going to be running the ball as much, so I’m glad I was aware of that before the season,” Cain said.
He’s also looking at depth charts and trying to find a situation that will allow him to compete for early playing time.
“I’m graduating early, so I want to come in and make an impact in a program, make a big impact from the start,” Cain said. “That’s definitely an eye-opener for me. I know they (Texas) have Keaontay (Ingram) in the 2018 class, but a lot can change. So we’ll see.”
Cain plans to take an unofficial visit to Clemson in two weeks. (Suchomel)
******
When I talked to Richland LB DaShaun White last week, he had yet to pick up a UT offer. The A&M commitment was hopeful one would come and told me if it did, he’d probably take an official visit to Texas. That offer wound up coming the day after he and I talked, and White said he was glad to finally get the news.
“It was really a long time waiting. It was something I felt like could have happened a while ago. But not everything goes as planned,” White said. “I’m happy we still got it trough. In the end it won’t really matter when it came through.”
White camped at Texas in the summer and was told after that performance that the staff wanted to see some of his senior film. Todd Orlando attended Richland’s game against Fort Worth Eastern Hills a few weeks ago and must have liked what he saw.
“Coach Orlando shows up to my game after watching some film without even talking to me. I didn’t know what was going on, but they were keeping up with my film and he shows up to a game, complimented my blitz timing and everything,” White said. “I think they actually got to see how fast I was because I didn’t run a great 40 time at their camp, since it was my first time running over 220.”
White told me he’s now “100 percent” certain he’d take an official visit to Texas. He was hoping to connect with Orlando this week to pick out a date.
White’s thoughts on the UT offer …
“I’m happy I can put them in the loop. I have a lot of really good friends committed there. The culture there is amazing, the defense is stellar in itself and keeps building every game. It was an honor to get that offer. I’m happy we can finally build a relationship with coach (Tom) Herman and coach Orlando and go from there.”
White was at the Texas-OU game on Saturday and it sounds like the experience really blew him away.
“The fans were out of this world. I’ve never seen fans get that riled up over a game. That was fun to watch,” he said. “OU has a really good offense, so it was good to see Texas kind of figure things out before the half and come out and shut them out for a while. It gave their offense a chance to dig into the game, which seems to be their story a little bit. I think if they fix a few things, they have a chance to be a really scary team.”
White remains committed to Texas A&M, but is strongly considering both Texas and Oklahoma. He’ll take an official visit to OU next weekend.
“It’s really close,” White said of the race between A&M, Texas and OU. “Actually, whenever I did commit, it took me a lot longer than I wanted to just because I couldn’t make my mind up. I’m happy with my decision. I don’t want to take it back, but if things don’t work out with A&M, I have good options.” (Suchomel)
******
Texas linebacker commitment Byron Hobbs is still a couple weeks from returning to action after suffering a neck muscle injury early in the year, but he was able to make to the Texas-OU game last weekend and said he loved every minute of it.
“It was definitely an experience. I’ve never experienced anything like that before,” Hobbs said. “The atmosphere was amazing. When they went down 20-0, the fans never gave up. The recruits were talking the whole time, saying OU sucks. We were calling Sam the GOAT because of all the big-time plays he was making.”
Hobbs and DaShaun White are pretty good friends, and those two talked quite a bit at the game.
“I was definitely talking to DaShaun. I was talking to him heavy. I was talking to a lot of other guys – Reese (Moore), Keaontay (Ingram), Dicker the kicker,” Hobbs said. “I was just talking really to everyone that was down there.”
Never one to lack confidence, Hobbs said he was envisioning himself playing in that game and he can’t wait to represent Texas in that rivalry for the next four or five years.
“I wish Baker Mayfield had another year. He likes to talk a lot. I can definitely see myself playing in that game,” Hobbs said. “My dad said, ‘I can see you having two defensive touchdowns, a pick six and a forced fumble you pick up and score for a TD.’ I can see myself in that Naashon Hughes spot, getting some big plays, a pick 6, Kyler Murray, not letting him scramble.”
I asked Hobbs what he liked so much from Ehlinger …
“He has the juice. My dad even called him Tim Tebow, or a fullback that plays quarterback. He referred to him like Tim Tebow because he runs so hard. He might get hit hard, but he’s going to get back up,” Hobbs said. (Suchomel)
With Texas playing at 11 a.m. on Saturday, it may not be a huge number of recruiting visitors, but there will be some important targets on campus, including four official visitors. A quick look at some of the bigger names we’ll be tracking …
Official visits
QB Cameron Rising – The UT commitment will take his official visit this weekend. Rising has always said the right things when I’ve talked to him and sounds very happy with his Texas commitment, but there continues to be speculation that he could take another visit or two. This weekend could be a good chance for the UT staff to tighten up any issues (if there are issues) and lock down Rising’s pledge.
WR Rondale Moore – Another UT commitment who will be on his official visit. Moore still isn’t saying much about his commitment but I do expect a Purdue visit at some point. A person close to Moore told another Rivals reporter this week that he doesn’t expect Moore to sign with Texas. We’ll see if the UT staff can change those opinions this weekend, but if Moore takes a visit to Purdue following his UT visit, that would be pretty telling.
OL Badara Traore – Every time I’ve talked to Traore, who ranks as one of the nation’s top JUCO prospects, he speaks very highly of Texas and mentions that he’s followed the UT program for a while. The Longhorns will face some tough competition for his commitment, but my gut tells me that Texas is going to come out of this weekend as his leader.
DE/LB Nikolas Bonitto – This one should be interesting. When I talked to Bonitto a few weeks ago, shortly after UT offered, Bonitto had very good things to say about Texas and a recruiting source in the state of Florida told me a couple weeks ago he thinks the Longhorns could very much win this one. It’ll be interesting to see what Bonitto says after the visit.
Key unofficial visits
WR Tommy Bush – Bush, who holds a UT offer, is no stranger to the Texas campus. I still think if Texas pushes hard, it stands a really good chance to eventually land his commitment.
2019 WR Jordan Whittington – Like Bush, Whittington has been on the UT campus a ton. He’s a top national prospect who has been close to committing a couple times. This weekend should only strengthen UT’s already strong position with him.
2019 OL Branson Bragg – Dude loves UT and the Longhorns are going to be tough to beat in this one. (Suchomel)
******
Ridge Point tight end Mustapha Muhammad is scheduled to announce his commitment on Friday at 6:30 p.m. His final schools are Michigan, Texas, UCLA and Clemson.
The Longhorns did a great job of putting themselves in contention on this one, especially considering Muhammad had pretty much dropped Texas after the previous staff quit talking to him. But as I said on Wednesday, my guess is that this one is going to go Michigan’s way. (Suchomel)
******
Top national 2019 RB Noah Cain and his IMG Academy teammates had a bye last week, so Cain was back in Texas and was able to attend the Texas-OU game as a guest of the Longhorns’. Cain, who ranks No. 17 on the 2019 Rivals100, said it was a tremendous experience.
“It was a great game, great environment. With me being recruited by both schools, it made it even better,” Cain said. “I have an opportunity to play for both schools so that was good getting to see both sides of it.”
The Texas staff can’t communicate with recruits in person on the day of the game since it’s on a neutral field, but Cain said he was in touch with the UT staff over the phone. Interestingly, he said he and the staff discussed UT’s offensive line issues, since Cain is paying close attention to the blocking he would receive at various schools he’s considering.
“I talked to them. They knew I was curious about the offensive line paly. That’s been a big question for me,” Cain said. “I know they have a lot of injuries on that side of the unit, they’re trying to get that fixed. I’m definitely looking at that as a big factor with me choosing the Longhorns, because without an offensive line can’t do much.
“They told me they have like five of their (o-line) starters out or something, a true freshman playing. Really they’re just filling the gaps in where they’re lacking at,” Cain said. “They said they’re recruiting linemen in this class to come help them out. I know they have a kid from Frisco, who I know is good. But it starts in the trenches, you have to have good blocking.”
While Cain does have questions about UT’s offensive line play and would probably like to see progress from that play, he did like what he saw from UT’s freshman quarterback Sam Ehlinger.
“Ehlinger palayed hard at. He’s a great player, future of the program,” Cain said. “I would have a chance to play with him so that’s good.”
The 5-11, 200-pound Cain is really doing his homework on the schools he’s considering. He told me he’s watching offenses closely to see what kind of blocking schemes they run and he sees himself as more of a zone back who can find cutback lanes. So who fits that billing from what he’s seen?
Oklahoma, LSU. Ohio State runs more gap schemes. Texas, before the season, told me they would be more of a pass team this year because of their linemen and their personnel, so I knew before the season they weren’t going to be running the ball as much, so I’m glad I was aware of that before the season,” Cain said.
He’s also looking at depth charts and trying to find a situation that will allow him to compete for early playing time.
“I’m graduating early, so I want to come in and make an impact in a program, make a big impact from the start,” Cain said. “That’s definitely an eye-opener for me. I know they (Texas) have Keaontay (Ingram) in the 2018 class, but a lot can change. So we’ll see.”
Cain plans to take an unofficial visit to Clemson in two weeks. (Suchomel)
******
When I talked to Richland LB DaShaun White last week, he had yet to pick up a UT offer. The A&M commitment was hopeful one would come and told me if it did, he’d probably take an official visit to Texas. That offer wound up coming the day after he and I talked, and White said he was glad to finally get the news.
“It was really a long time waiting. It was something I felt like could have happened a while ago. But not everything goes as planned,” White said. “I’m happy we still got it trough. In the end it won’t really matter when it came through.”
White camped at Texas in the summer and was told after that performance that the staff wanted to see some of his senior film. Todd Orlando attended Richland’s game against Fort Worth Eastern Hills a few weeks ago and must have liked what he saw.
“Coach Orlando shows up to my game after watching some film without even talking to me. I didn’t know what was going on, but they were keeping up with my film and he shows up to a game, complimented my blitz timing and everything,” White said. “I think they actually got to see how fast I was because I didn’t run a great 40 time at their camp, since it was my first time running over 220.”
White told me he’s now “100 percent” certain he’d take an official visit to Texas. He was hoping to connect with Orlando this week to pick out a date.
White’s thoughts on the UT offer …
“I’m happy I can put them in the loop. I have a lot of really good friends committed there. The culture there is amazing, the defense is stellar in itself and keeps building every game. It was an honor to get that offer. I’m happy we can finally build a relationship with coach (Tom) Herman and coach Orlando and go from there.”
White was at the Texas-OU game on Saturday and it sounds like the experience really blew him away.
“The fans were out of this world. I’ve never seen fans get that riled up over a game. That was fun to watch,” he said. “OU has a really good offense, so it was good to see Texas kind of figure things out before the half and come out and shut them out for a while. It gave their offense a chance to dig into the game, which seems to be their story a little bit. I think if they fix a few things, they have a chance to be a really scary team.”
White remains committed to Texas A&M, but is strongly considering both Texas and Oklahoma. He’ll take an official visit to OU next weekend.
“It’s really close,” White said of the race between A&M, Texas and OU. “Actually, whenever I did commit, it took me a lot longer than I wanted to just because I couldn’t make my mind up. I’m happy with my decision. I don’t want to take it back, but if things don’t work out with A&M, I have good options.” (Suchomel)
******
Texas linebacker commitment Byron Hobbs is still a couple weeks from returning to action after suffering a neck muscle injury early in the year, but he was able to make to the Texas-OU game last weekend and said he loved every minute of it.
“It was definitely an experience. I’ve never experienced anything like that before,” Hobbs said. “The atmosphere was amazing. When they went down 20-0, the fans never gave up. The recruits were talking the whole time, saying OU sucks. We were calling Sam the GOAT because of all the big-time plays he was making.”
Hobbs and DaShaun White are pretty good friends, and those two talked quite a bit at the game.
“I was definitely talking to DaShaun. I was talking to him heavy. I was talking to a lot of other guys – Reese (Moore), Keaontay (Ingram), Dicker the kicker,” Hobbs said. “I was just talking really to everyone that was down there.”
Never one to lack confidence, Hobbs said he was envisioning himself playing in that game and he can’t wait to represent Texas in that rivalry for the next four or five years.
“I wish Baker Mayfield had another year. He likes to talk a lot. I can definitely see myself playing in that game,” Hobbs said. “My dad said, ‘I can see you having two defensive touchdowns, a pick six and a forced fumble you pick up and score for a TD.’ I can see myself in that Naashon Hughes spot, getting some big plays, a pick 6, Kyler Murray, not letting him scramble.”
I asked Hobbs what he liked so much from Ehlinger …
“He has the juice. My dad even called him Tim Tebow, or a fullback that plays quarterback. He referred to him like Tim Tebow because he runs so hard. He might get hit hard, but he’s going to get back up,” Hobbs said. (Suchomel)
Everyone knew this was coming. Next up maybe Rondale Moore. But that's really the only two who have been shakey. And they both were since they committed a long time ago. Nothing to see here.
