Recruiting Thread 2018
- Thread starter Iitbhorn3
- Start date
BJ was incredible in the Army game and there were good reports out of practice. Not sure why they dropped him.
I think it's more or less the guys that moved up naturally bumped some down. There can't be 50 top 30 players.
Agreed. Just surprised he was one that moved down and not up. Oh well, a few spots in the rankings doesn't really matter at the end of the day.
Big changes in the recruitment of Moro Ojomo. TAMU was the perceived front runner, but that position is probably now filled by OU after his OV there this past weekend. ND and UT fill out his top 3. Big news, he is visiting us 1/26.
As mentioned above, a good visit with WR Lawrence Keys has us back in the fold and he will visit next week.
As mentioned above, a good visit with WR Lawrence Keys has us back in the fold and he will visit next week.
Yeah, lots of great content for twitter feed LonghornFrenzy.
They are so convinced we pay for every player we get. Outside of a payment, they can't understand someone wanting to go to Texas instead of them. They have a very limited perspective on things.
That's called projection. And since they have had multiple recruiting violations it makes total sense
Per Ej @ 247
— I am told that Texas is focusing on Calvin Anderson and Casey Tucker as its two graduate transfer offensive line targets. Of course, some more names could pop up down the line, but the Longhorns would ideally take two, and Anderson and Tucker are the priorities. Tucker made an official visit last weekend, while Anderson is slated to come in this weekend. Anderson was a maybe to make it, but he is now a for sure.
— After seeing Tommy Bush, Texas offensive coordinator Tim Beck hopped on a plane and made his way to Arizona to check in on the aforementioned Tucker, who was a four-star prospect coming out of Chandler (AZ). Beck has been actively involved with grad transfers and is continuing to see the Longhorns' need up front. While in Arizona, Beck also saw Jack Miller, the nation's top 2020 pro-style quarterback.
— The hiring of Herb Hand will play a role in the recruitments of both Anderson and Tucker. Hand actually recruited Anderson while at Auburn, and he was the first coach to stop by and see him when the contact period began. Anderson loves Hand’s personality as well his ability to get him prepared for the NFL Draft. Hand also recruited Tucker at Auburn and will be a big factor in his recruitment once he gets on the road.
— Again, the focus is on Anderson and Tucker, but another option could be Ohio State transfer Kevin Feder. Hand reached out just before parting ways with Auburn. Feder is an intriguing prospect because he actually has two years of eligibility remaining. A former three-star recruit, Feder was buried on Ohio State’s depth chart and didn’t see much action.
— Not grad transfer related, but a junior college offensive lineman to file away is Jordan Johnson. He is set to graduate in May and is being evaluated. He currently holds an offer from Eastern Michigan but should start to see his recruitment gain traction in coming weeks. Johnson been in contact with Derek Warehime.
OV Weekend:
Offered Targets
WR Joshua Moore, Yoakum — Moore’s recruitment has been filled with twists and turns since the beginning, and that’s not changing any time soon. After backing out of his verbal pledge to Nebraska last month, Texas A&M was pegged as the overwhelming favorite. However, it doesn’t appear that the Aggies are making a very strong push for his services. And that’s opened the door for Texas. The Longhorns are surging in his recruitment, and Jason Washington made a big impact when he visited with the family last week. He will also make official visits to Florida State and Oregon, but right now, Texas seems to be in a prime position to land him.
DL Michael Williams, Dunham School (La.) — One of the region’s most intriguing prospects, Williams spent most of his high school career playing quarterback. But the talented jumbo athlete is now receiving plenty of attention as a defensive lineman. Both Alabama and LSU offered Williams, but it doesn’t appear either SEC program will have room. And that means Texas might very well be the team to beat in his recruitment. Texas offered this week and if the visit goes well, this could be a wrap for the Longhorns.
On The Radar
DL Caleb Okechukwu, St. John’s (DC) — Okechukwu is a new name on the recruiting board, but he is quickly becoming an important target. Texas obviously has a big need for defensive linemen — it actually wouldn’t be surprising to see him earn an offer before leaving Austin. Okechukwu has seen his recruiting stock rise after an impressive performance in the Under Armour All-America Game. Tennessee will host him for an official visit in a couple of weeks. The Volunteers are currently out in front, but that could change with an offer from Texas.
Grad Transfers
OL Calvin Anderson, Rice — Anderson has been upgraded to a confirmed official visitor and will get an in-depth look at the program this weekend. The Austin native has a ton of ties to the program and has quickly developed a relationship with both Derek Warehime and Herb Hand. While he still wants to make other visits and is hearing from several other high profile programs, Texas seems like the team to beat in his recruitment. Anderson plans to make a decision by March and will graduate in May. He will be eligible immediately.
Signees
K Cameron $#@!er, Austin Lake Travis — $#@!er committed to Texas back in May and signed with the Longhorns during the early period. He is expected to come in and compete for the starting kicking job as soon as he steps foot on campus.
— I am told that Texas is focusing on Calvin Anderson and Casey Tucker as its two graduate transfer offensive line targets. Of course, some more names could pop up down the line, but the Longhorns would ideally take two, and Anderson and Tucker are the priorities. Tucker made an official visit last weekend, while Anderson is slated to come in this weekend. Anderson was a maybe to make it, but he is now a for sure.
— After seeing Tommy Bush, Texas offensive coordinator Tim Beck hopped on a plane and made his way to Arizona to check in on the aforementioned Tucker, who was a four-star prospect coming out of Chandler (AZ). Beck has been actively involved with grad transfers and is continuing to see the Longhorns' need up front. While in Arizona, Beck also saw Jack Miller, the nation's top 2020 pro-style quarterback.
— The hiring of Herb Hand will play a role in the recruitments of both Anderson and Tucker. Hand actually recruited Anderson while at Auburn, and he was the first coach to stop by and see him when the contact period began. Anderson loves Hand’s personality as well his ability to get him prepared for the NFL Draft. Hand also recruited Tucker at Auburn and will be a big factor in his recruitment once he gets on the road.
— Again, the focus is on Anderson and Tucker, but another option could be Ohio State transfer Kevin Feder. Hand reached out just before parting ways with Auburn. Feder is an intriguing prospect because he actually has two years of eligibility remaining. A former three-star recruit, Feder was buried on Ohio State’s depth chart and didn’t see much action.
— Not grad transfer related, but a junior college offensive lineman to file away is Jordan Johnson. He is set to graduate in May and is being evaluated. He currently holds an offer from Eastern Michigan but should start to see his recruitment gain traction in coming weeks. Johnson been in contact with Derek Warehime.
OV Weekend:
Offered Targets
WR Joshua Moore, Yoakum — Moore’s recruitment has been filled with twists and turns since the beginning, and that’s not changing any time soon. After backing out of his verbal pledge to Nebraska last month, Texas A&M was pegged as the overwhelming favorite. However, it doesn’t appear that the Aggies are making a very strong push for his services. And that’s opened the door for Texas. The Longhorns are surging in his recruitment, and Jason Washington made a big impact when he visited with the family last week. He will also make official visits to Florida State and Oregon, but right now, Texas seems to be in a prime position to land him.
DL Michael Williams, Dunham School (La.) — One of the region’s most intriguing prospects, Williams spent most of his high school career playing quarterback. But the talented jumbo athlete is now receiving plenty of attention as a defensive lineman. Both Alabama and LSU offered Williams, but it doesn’t appear either SEC program will have room. And that means Texas might very well be the team to beat in his recruitment. Texas offered this week and if the visit goes well, this could be a wrap for the Longhorns.
On The Radar
DL Caleb Okechukwu, St. John’s (DC) — Okechukwu is a new name on the recruiting board, but he is quickly becoming an important target. Texas obviously has a big need for defensive linemen — it actually wouldn’t be surprising to see him earn an offer before leaving Austin. Okechukwu has seen his recruiting stock rise after an impressive performance in the Under Armour All-America Game. Tennessee will host him for an official visit in a couple of weeks. The Volunteers are currently out in front, but that could change with an offer from Texas.
Grad Transfers
OL Calvin Anderson, Rice — Anderson has been upgraded to a confirmed official visitor and will get an in-depth look at the program this weekend. The Austin native has a ton of ties to the program and has quickly developed a relationship with both Derek Warehime and Herb Hand. While he still wants to make other visits and is hearing from several other high profile programs, Texas seems like the team to beat in his recruitment. Anderson plans to make a decision by March and will graduate in May. He will be eligible immediately.
Signees
K Cameron $#@!er, Austin Lake Travis — $#@!er committed to Texas back in May and signed with the Longhorns during the early period. He is expected to come in and compete for the starting kicking job as soon as he steps foot on campus.
Per Roach @ 247
Recruitment: Carson began the cycle as a sleeper, but he began to pick up interest throughout the spring and summer. A three-star prospect, Carson committed to Texas over offers from programs such as Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, Iowa and Notre Dame. At 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, Carson is ranked as the No. 23 strong-side defensive end and No. 9 overall prospect in Missouri, according to 247Sports Composite.
Strengths: Carson has a tremendous frame with great length and room to add weight. Carson uses his length well at the line of scrimmage to control offensive linemen and disrupt passing lanes. He shows good functional strength at the line of scrimmage, and he has the size to play both run and pass. Carson shows a strong motor, and his reach allows him cut off angles on the field in order to bring down the ball-carrier. He shows some advanced moves in the pass-rush, and his lateral ability is strong for his size. He can dip and bend to defeat offensive linemen, and he shows strong instincts. Carson can play several positions including 4i and defensive tackle, and that should allow him to see the field early in college.
Areas for improvement: Carson doesn’t possess much explosive ability, and he plays so high that his leverage is often negated. Carson will most likely need to add more weight to play at the next level, and he will need to keep his athletic ability as he continues to fill out.
Fit for Texas: Carson provides size and depth with a skillset to play strong-side defensive end or 4i in the Texas defensive scheme. Carson might need a redshirt year, but he could play in spot situations immediately if needed. Texas searched for a player in this mold all year, and landing Carson secures a key piece for their defense.
Recruitment: Carson began the cycle as a sleeper, but he began to pick up interest throughout the spring and summer. A three-star prospect, Carson committed to Texas over offers from programs such as Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, Iowa and Notre Dame. At 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, Carson is ranked as the No. 23 strong-side defensive end and No. 9 overall prospect in Missouri, according to 247Sports Composite.
Strengths: Carson has a tremendous frame with great length and room to add weight. Carson uses his length well at the line of scrimmage to control offensive linemen and disrupt passing lanes. He shows good functional strength at the line of scrimmage, and he has the size to play both run and pass. Carson shows a strong motor, and his reach allows him cut off angles on the field in order to bring down the ball-carrier. He shows some advanced moves in the pass-rush, and his lateral ability is strong for his size. He can dip and bend to defeat offensive linemen, and he shows strong instincts. Carson can play several positions including 4i and defensive tackle, and that should allow him to see the field early in college.
Areas for improvement: Carson doesn’t possess much explosive ability, and he plays so high that his leverage is often negated. Carson will most likely need to add more weight to play at the next level, and he will need to keep his athletic ability as he continues to fill out.
Fit for Texas: Carson provides size and depth with a skillset to play strong-side defensive end or 4i in the Texas defensive scheme. Carson might need a redshirt year, but he could play in spot situations immediately if needed. Texas searched for a player in this mold all year, and landing Carson secures a key piece for their defense.
OB War Room:
Texas football coach Tom Herman has made it clear that he is not willing to accept mediocre results from members of his coaching staff.
When Herman is asked questions about his staff by reporters, he is quick to squash any notion that he is dissatisfied with any of them. Herman refused to allow offensive coordinator Tim Beck to take the blame for last year’s struggles. When he was asked about the offensive line issues, Herman pointed out the injuries to Connor Williams, Elijah Rodriguez and Patrick Hudson. Basically, Herman is not the guy who will throw his staff members under the bus. He rewards their loyalty by always defending his staff members.
However, Herman was very proactive behind the scenes to strengthen his staff this offseason.
Herman’s biggest concern last season was the lack of positive production from his offensive line. The unit struggled throughout most of 2017 due to injuries and poor play by several players. In addition, Texas’ offensive line struggles contributed to an inconsistent offense that had to be carried by Texas’ defense throughout most of last season. Herman never expressed his dissatisfaction publicly, but made a private goal to get better this offseason.
Remember, Herman had high hopes for last year’s offensive line, and even compared that group to the unit he won a national championship with at Ohio State.
That is why former Auburn offensive assistant coach Herb Hand was hired by Texas this week.
Hand was hired to improve Texas’ offensive line and solidify the biggest weakness on last year’s team. He was not hired to call plays. Instead, Hand was hired to get more out of that unit, while putting offensive line coach Derek Warehime on notice that he needs to step up this year. Heck, an argument can be made that Beck needs to step up, too.
However, out of all the positions Herman decided to address this offseason, he felt the need to add an offensive line coach. If Herman believed he did not have to worry about the offensive line, he could have easily hired an assistant coach to address another position of need.
Instead, Herman gave Hand a co-offensive coordinator title to lure him away from Auburn.
It is important to remember Herman is not afraid to hurt anybody’s feelings. If Herman wanted to fire Warehime after year one, he would have done it. In addition, if Herman believed Beck was not adequate as a coach, he would have obtained a new offensive coordinator after the season finale.
Many Texas football fans want to know what the hiring of Hand means for the offensive staff.
In reality, it means there will be changes this offseason.
It is safe to say Herman will switch the assignments of his offensive staff members this offseason. I was told there would be multiple changes. However, I am not under the impression Herman has finalized anything, and I prefer to wait instead of speculating.
One thing that appears apparent is the splitting of offensive line duties between Hand and Warehime. It appears one coach will handle tackles, while the other will be responsible for guards and center. In addition, there is a possibility other offensive coaches will be reassigned, but we may not know Herman’s plans until he speaks on signing day.
With the hiring of Hand, Herman needs to hire another quality control coach. Herman offered former Texas A&M offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone a job recently. Unfortunately for Texas, Mazzone received an unexpected offer from Kevin Sumlin to join the recently-hired coach in Arizona. Even though Herman did not land Mazzone, it showed the coach was serious about improving his coach staff this offseason.
Once Herman decides what this year’s offensive staff will look like, we will let you know.
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Tom Herman’s best kept secret is no longer underground.
Bryan Carrington, Texas’ Assistant Director of Player Personnel, was recently promoted to the Longhorns’ 10th assistant coach on an interim basis. Carrington received the temporary bump for his ability to recruit. He has developed one heck of a reputation for his ability to connect with players and parents.
In fact, I received a call this week from a member of the University of South Florida’s coaching staff inquiring about Carrington. That person heard about Carrington’s success in Austin and wanted to know more about him. Obviously, Carrington is not leaving Texas to join USF, or any program that is seeking a lateral move. Carrington has seemingly earned a raise and better job title after his recruiting efforts since joining the program.
More importantly, Carrington has developed a great reputation as a recruiter, and people are paying attention.
At some point, newly hired co-offensive coordinator/co-offensive line coach Herb Hand will be in Austin, and Carrington will resume working in his previous role. However, Carrington has a chance to be promoted at Texas if he continues to recruit well. (Richardson)
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(From Suchomel)
It’s been an active week on the recruiting front, with significant movement on several of the Longhorns’ top recruiting targets as we head down the home stretch of the 2018 recruiting cycle.
Before we get into some of those details, a quick look at the guys expected in on official visits this weekend …
K Cameron Dicker – The Texas signee was still playing for Lake Travis during the big December visit weekend, and he had a soccer game last weekend, so he’ll take his UT official visit this weekend. Dicker’s already signed, so this weekend will be more about him having a good time, getting better acquainted with his teammates and maybe doing some recruiting on the other recruits on campus.
DE/LB Mike Williams – We’ll have more on Williams later in this column, but this one looks good for Texas in the days leading up to his visit. He picked up a UT offer this week and the Longhorns are the team to beat.
DE Caleb Okechukwu – Has two more visits after this weekend but the Longhorns are in a very good spot. More on him later in the column as well.
WR Joshua Moore – The Yoakum wide receiver has been a known commodity for what seems like forever, and it seems like there’s always interesting twists and turns in his recruitment. Moore confirmed on Thursday night that he was still planning to visit Texas this weekend. If Texas pushes, the Longhorns have a really good shot, although he still has key visits to places like Florida State remaining.
OL Calvin Anderson – The Rice graduate OL transfer confirmed on Thursday night that he’ll be visiting Texas this weekend. Suddenly, the Longhorns have a lot of competition in this one, with schools like Notre Dame, Michigan and Oklahoma all involved, but the signs on this one still look good for Texas, especially with the addition of Herb Hand, who was recruiting Anderson for Auburn. We’ll catch up with Anderson after his visit to get his thoughts.
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In case you missed the note last night, Texas defensive tackle commitment Keondre Coburn is expected to visit Miami this weekend.
The big fella has had a busy week of home visits with schools like Miami, UCLA, TCU and Texas A&M all going by his house. Coburn has said for months that he’d take his official visits to get out and see some other places, and it looks like he’ll carry out that plan. Not ideal, but I wouldn’t lose any sleep over things just yet. Him signing anywhere but Texas would still be a big shock.
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It’s been an interesting week tracking the recruitment of Independence (MO) William Chrisman Senior defensive end Daniel Carson.
The 6-5, 270-pound Carson tends to keep a low profile with the media so it’s hard to tell exactly what he’s thinking, but this one is suddenly trending UT’s direction in a big way.
Carson took his Texas official visit back in September and the Longhorns have stayed on him ever since. Last week, he visited Nebraska, and in talking to a person who covers the Huskers program, the visit may have hurt Nebraska more than it helped them. And that has definitely moved the needle in UT’s direction, as has a key in-home visit by Texas assistants Bryan Carrington and Oscar Giles.
The person I spoke with said Nebraska felt really good coming into last weekend but Carson acted “really strange” on the visit, like he didn’t really want to be there. So much so, in fact, that Nebraska has backed off and even made a couple other defensive end offers since Carson’s visit.
There’s reason to feel extremely confident in this one and it won’t surprise me at all if things wrap up sooner rather than later. At this point, Carson landing anywhere other than Texas would be a shock.
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Katy defensive tackle Moro Ojomo has always been pretty responsive when I’ve reached out to him, but over the last couple weeks, he’d gone completely silent. I get it … dude probably has 100 people hounding him on the regular, especially with the way his stock has blown up in recent weeks.
I checked around with some other sources to see what I could dig up on Ojomo, and then, as luck would have it, I heard from Ojomo directly on Thursday afternoon to get some details on his visit plans.
First, the essentials … Ojomo has already taken an official visit to Oklahoma. He’ll visit Notre Dame this weekend. In the big news you all care about, he’ll visit Texas on January 26. Oregon is expected to get his final weekend visit on February 2.
Those dates are interesting in their own right, because A&M is looking like it’ll be shut out on a weekend visit. Ojomo did tell me he’s “strongly considering” a midweek visit to College Station but man, does that sound at all fun to anyone? The fact that Texas he’s choosing to visit Texas on his last open weekend rather than A&M would seem to be a pretty good indicator of the pecking order in this one.
Ojomo hasn’t said anything publicly about which teams are standing out, but in checking around this week, there’s some thought that OU went from a definite trailing position to a team that’s squarely in the mix after last weekend’s official visit to Norman. One person told me OU believes it can land him but said the Sooners weren’t overly confident. That’s good news for Texas, with the Longhorns having yet to host Ojomo on his visit.
A Katy source told me the word going around the school this week is that if Ojomo does leave the state, it won’t be Notre Dame, Oregon or anyone else … OU would be the only out-of-state school he’d consider. This person feels it’s basically a three-team race between Texas, OU and A&M.
Add it all up and there are several reasons to feel pretty good about where Texas stands in regards to the Aggies and Sooners, in addition to the other OOS schools Ojomo is visiting. If the Longhorns blow him away next weekend, similar to what OU did last weekend, it looks like there’s a strong chance this one falls UT’s way.
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Baton Rouge Dunham DE/LB Mike Williams told OB last week that Texas was his leader despite not having a UT offer. That offer came this week after Texas visited him in-home, and with Williams set to head to Austin on Friday for his official visit, this one looks really good for the Longhorns.
“It was pretty exciting. They were one of the top schools on my list even though I didn’t have an offer from them. So it brought some excitement,” Williams said.
Last week, Williams visited Tennessee. He says the final race is down to the Vols and the Longhorns, and while he said the Tennessee visit made a very good impression, he later admitted that Texas still has the inside track.
“It was great. It was better than I expected it to be,” Williams said of the Tennessee visit. “I really had a good time. Everything stood out.”
The 6-2, 250-pound Williams said he has narrowed his focus to those final two schools and while the Tennessee visit was really good, Texas is still the team to beat.
“It was nice there. Texas is still number one, but number two isn’t too far behind,” Williams said.
This weekend, Williams will be accompanied by his mother and father on his Texas visit. After the Texas trip, he said he’ll sit down with his parents and his defensive coordinator at Dunham before settling on a decision. Assuming this weekend goes well – can’t imagine it won’t – look for Williams to wind up with Texas.
Of note, since it’s come up on the board … Williams told me he’ll be taking his college entrance exam soon and he has no concerns about his eligibility status. Texas obviously feels the same way, thus the decision to move forward with the scholarship offer.
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Mike Williams got his offer this week. Caleb Okechukwu is hoping he’ll get his this weekend. The Washington D.C. defensive end will take his UT official visit this weekend and he said he’s very much looking forward to getting a first-hand look at UT and the city of Austin.
“I know it’s big there. I’m going to see everything they have to offer,” Okechukwu said. “A lot of kids go to schools for parties and things, but I’m looking for a home. I’m looking forward to meeting the players, see how they interact, the family environment, the facilities, the staff, the academics. I’m looking forward to all of that.”
Okechukwu will follow up his Texas visit with stops at Tennessee and Arkansas the following two weekends. If Texas offers, and Okechukwu thinks UT will (Tennessee and Arkansas have already offered), he said the Longhorns and Tennessee have the lead coming down the stretch.
“They pretty much told me they’re going to offer me,” Okechukwu said. “They just want to get me on this visit.”
The 6-4, 240-pound Okechukwu said he talks to Oscar Giles pretty much every day since Texas jumped into the mix. The two have quickly formed a close relationship.
“He’s been really honest with me. He tells me he watched my film and likes it,” Okechukwu said. “Going to the (Under Armour) All-American Game, competing with the best, it opened up some opportunities for me.”
Arkansas is still in the mix, but Okechukwu is more familiar with Texas and Tennesse right now, and that’s giving those two programs a leg up. He said he’ll hit all three visits trying to gauge how much is family likes each program, how he’ll be utilized, academics and which team gives him the opportunity for early playing time.
“I’m not going to lie. Texas and Tennessee, I’m looking forward to those two the most,” Okechukwu said. “Arkansas too, but I don’t know anything about Arkansas.”
Okechukwu will be accompanied by his father and younger brother on the Texas visit this weekend.
Texas football coach Tom Herman has made it clear that he is not willing to accept mediocre results from members of his coaching staff.
When Herman is asked questions about his staff by reporters, he is quick to squash any notion that he is dissatisfied with any of them. Herman refused to allow offensive coordinator Tim Beck to take the blame for last year’s struggles. When he was asked about the offensive line issues, Herman pointed out the injuries to Connor Williams, Elijah Rodriguez and Patrick Hudson. Basically, Herman is not the guy who will throw his staff members under the bus. He rewards their loyalty by always defending his staff members.
However, Herman was very proactive behind the scenes to strengthen his staff this offseason.
Herman’s biggest concern last season was the lack of positive production from his offensive line. The unit struggled throughout most of 2017 due to injuries and poor play by several players. In addition, Texas’ offensive line struggles contributed to an inconsistent offense that had to be carried by Texas’ defense throughout most of last season. Herman never expressed his dissatisfaction publicly, but made a private goal to get better this offseason.
Remember, Herman had high hopes for last year’s offensive line, and even compared that group to the unit he won a national championship with at Ohio State.
That is why former Auburn offensive assistant coach Herb Hand was hired by Texas this week.
Hand was hired to improve Texas’ offensive line and solidify the biggest weakness on last year’s team. He was not hired to call plays. Instead, Hand was hired to get more out of that unit, while putting offensive line coach Derek Warehime on notice that he needs to step up this year. Heck, an argument can be made that Beck needs to step up, too.
However, out of all the positions Herman decided to address this offseason, he felt the need to add an offensive line coach. If Herman believed he did not have to worry about the offensive line, he could have easily hired an assistant coach to address another position of need.
Instead, Herman gave Hand a co-offensive coordinator title to lure him away from Auburn.
It is important to remember Herman is not afraid to hurt anybody’s feelings. If Herman wanted to fire Warehime after year one, he would have done it. In addition, if Herman believed Beck was not adequate as a coach, he would have obtained a new offensive coordinator after the season finale.
Many Texas football fans want to know what the hiring of Hand means for the offensive staff.
In reality, it means there will be changes this offseason.
It is safe to say Herman will switch the assignments of his offensive staff members this offseason. I was told there would be multiple changes. However, I am not under the impression Herman has finalized anything, and I prefer to wait instead of speculating.
One thing that appears apparent is the splitting of offensive line duties between Hand and Warehime. It appears one coach will handle tackles, while the other will be responsible for guards and center. In addition, there is a possibility other offensive coaches will be reassigned, but we may not know Herman’s plans until he speaks on signing day.
With the hiring of Hand, Herman needs to hire another quality control coach. Herman offered former Texas A&M offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone a job recently. Unfortunately for Texas, Mazzone received an unexpected offer from Kevin Sumlin to join the recently-hired coach in Arizona. Even though Herman did not land Mazzone, it showed the coach was serious about improving his coach staff this offseason.
Once Herman decides what this year’s offensive staff will look like, we will let you know.
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Tom Herman’s best kept secret is no longer underground.
Bryan Carrington, Texas’ Assistant Director of Player Personnel, was recently promoted to the Longhorns’ 10th assistant coach on an interim basis. Carrington received the temporary bump for his ability to recruit. He has developed one heck of a reputation for his ability to connect with players and parents.
In fact, I received a call this week from a member of the University of South Florida’s coaching staff inquiring about Carrington. That person heard about Carrington’s success in Austin and wanted to know more about him. Obviously, Carrington is not leaving Texas to join USF, or any program that is seeking a lateral move. Carrington has seemingly earned a raise and better job title after his recruiting efforts since joining the program.
More importantly, Carrington has developed a great reputation as a recruiter, and people are paying attention.
At some point, newly hired co-offensive coordinator/co-offensive line coach Herb Hand will be in Austin, and Carrington will resume working in his previous role. However, Carrington has a chance to be promoted at Texas if he continues to recruit well. (Richardson)
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(From Suchomel)
It’s been an active week on the recruiting front, with significant movement on several of the Longhorns’ top recruiting targets as we head down the home stretch of the 2018 recruiting cycle.
Before we get into some of those details, a quick look at the guys expected in on official visits this weekend …
K Cameron Dicker – The Texas signee was still playing for Lake Travis during the big December visit weekend, and he had a soccer game last weekend, so he’ll take his UT official visit this weekend. Dicker’s already signed, so this weekend will be more about him having a good time, getting better acquainted with his teammates and maybe doing some recruiting on the other recruits on campus.
DE/LB Mike Williams – We’ll have more on Williams later in this column, but this one looks good for Texas in the days leading up to his visit. He picked up a UT offer this week and the Longhorns are the team to beat.
DE Caleb Okechukwu – Has two more visits after this weekend but the Longhorns are in a very good spot. More on him later in the column as well.
WR Joshua Moore – The Yoakum wide receiver has been a known commodity for what seems like forever, and it seems like there’s always interesting twists and turns in his recruitment. Moore confirmed on Thursday night that he was still planning to visit Texas this weekend. If Texas pushes, the Longhorns have a really good shot, although he still has key visits to places like Florida State remaining.
OL Calvin Anderson – The Rice graduate OL transfer confirmed on Thursday night that he’ll be visiting Texas this weekend. Suddenly, the Longhorns have a lot of competition in this one, with schools like Notre Dame, Michigan and Oklahoma all involved, but the signs on this one still look good for Texas, especially with the addition of Herb Hand, who was recruiting Anderson for Auburn. We’ll catch up with Anderson after his visit to get his thoughts.
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In case you missed the note last night, Texas defensive tackle commitment Keondre Coburn is expected to visit Miami this weekend.
The big fella has had a busy week of home visits with schools like Miami, UCLA, TCU and Texas A&M all going by his house. Coburn has said for months that he’d take his official visits to get out and see some other places, and it looks like he’ll carry out that plan. Not ideal, but I wouldn’t lose any sleep over things just yet. Him signing anywhere but Texas would still be a big shock.
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It’s been an interesting week tracking the recruitment of Independence (MO) William Chrisman Senior defensive end Daniel Carson.
The 6-5, 270-pound Carson tends to keep a low profile with the media so it’s hard to tell exactly what he’s thinking, but this one is suddenly trending UT’s direction in a big way.
Carson took his Texas official visit back in September and the Longhorns have stayed on him ever since. Last week, he visited Nebraska, and in talking to a person who covers the Huskers program, the visit may have hurt Nebraska more than it helped them. And that has definitely moved the needle in UT’s direction, as has a key in-home visit by Texas assistants Bryan Carrington and Oscar Giles.
The person I spoke with said Nebraska felt really good coming into last weekend but Carson acted “really strange” on the visit, like he didn’t really want to be there. So much so, in fact, that Nebraska has backed off and even made a couple other defensive end offers since Carson’s visit.
There’s reason to feel extremely confident in this one and it won’t surprise me at all if things wrap up sooner rather than later. At this point, Carson landing anywhere other than Texas would be a shock.
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Katy defensive tackle Moro Ojomo has always been pretty responsive when I’ve reached out to him, but over the last couple weeks, he’d gone completely silent. I get it … dude probably has 100 people hounding him on the regular, especially with the way his stock has blown up in recent weeks.
I checked around with some other sources to see what I could dig up on Ojomo, and then, as luck would have it, I heard from Ojomo directly on Thursday afternoon to get some details on his visit plans.
First, the essentials … Ojomo has already taken an official visit to Oklahoma. He’ll visit Notre Dame this weekend. In the big news you all care about, he’ll visit Texas on January 26. Oregon is expected to get his final weekend visit on February 2.
Those dates are interesting in their own right, because A&M is looking like it’ll be shut out on a weekend visit. Ojomo did tell me he’s “strongly considering” a midweek visit to College Station but man, does that sound at all fun to anyone? The fact that Texas he’s choosing to visit Texas on his last open weekend rather than A&M would seem to be a pretty good indicator of the pecking order in this one.
Ojomo hasn’t said anything publicly about which teams are standing out, but in checking around this week, there’s some thought that OU went from a definite trailing position to a team that’s squarely in the mix after last weekend’s official visit to Norman. One person told me OU believes it can land him but said the Sooners weren’t overly confident. That’s good news for Texas, with the Longhorns having yet to host Ojomo on his visit.
A Katy source told me the word going around the school this week is that if Ojomo does leave the state, it won’t be Notre Dame, Oregon or anyone else … OU would be the only out-of-state school he’d consider. This person feels it’s basically a three-team race between Texas, OU and A&M.
Add it all up and there are several reasons to feel pretty good about where Texas stands in regards to the Aggies and Sooners, in addition to the other OOS schools Ojomo is visiting. If the Longhorns blow him away next weekend, similar to what OU did last weekend, it looks like there’s a strong chance this one falls UT’s way.
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Baton Rouge Dunham DE/LB Mike Williams told OB last week that Texas was his leader despite not having a UT offer. That offer came this week after Texas visited him in-home, and with Williams set to head to Austin on Friday for his official visit, this one looks really good for the Longhorns.
“It was pretty exciting. They were one of the top schools on my list even though I didn’t have an offer from them. So it brought some excitement,” Williams said.
Last week, Williams visited Tennessee. He says the final race is down to the Vols and the Longhorns, and while he said the Tennessee visit made a very good impression, he later admitted that Texas still has the inside track.
“It was great. It was better than I expected it to be,” Williams said of the Tennessee visit. “I really had a good time. Everything stood out.”
The 6-2, 250-pound Williams said he has narrowed his focus to those final two schools and while the Tennessee visit was really good, Texas is still the team to beat.
“It was nice there. Texas is still number one, but number two isn’t too far behind,” Williams said.
This weekend, Williams will be accompanied by his mother and father on his Texas visit. After the Texas trip, he said he’ll sit down with his parents and his defensive coordinator at Dunham before settling on a decision. Assuming this weekend goes well – can’t imagine it won’t – look for Williams to wind up with Texas.
Of note, since it’s come up on the board … Williams told me he’ll be taking his college entrance exam soon and he has no concerns about his eligibility status. Texas obviously feels the same way, thus the decision to move forward with the scholarship offer.
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Mike Williams got his offer this week. Caleb Okechukwu is hoping he’ll get his this weekend. The Washington D.C. defensive end will take his UT official visit this weekend and he said he’s very much looking forward to getting a first-hand look at UT and the city of Austin.
“I know it’s big there. I’m going to see everything they have to offer,” Okechukwu said. “A lot of kids go to schools for parties and things, but I’m looking for a home. I’m looking forward to meeting the players, see how they interact, the family environment, the facilities, the staff, the academics. I’m looking forward to all of that.”
Okechukwu will follow up his Texas visit with stops at Tennessee and Arkansas the following two weekends. If Texas offers, and Okechukwu thinks UT will (Tennessee and Arkansas have already offered), he said the Longhorns and Tennessee have the lead coming down the stretch.
“They pretty much told me they’re going to offer me,” Okechukwu said. “They just want to get me on this visit.”
The 6-4, 240-pound Okechukwu said he talks to Oscar Giles pretty much every day since Texas jumped into the mix. The two have quickly formed a close relationship.
“He’s been really honest with me. He tells me he watched my film and likes it,” Okechukwu said. “Going to the (Under Armour) All-American Game, competing with the best, it opened up some opportunities for me.”
Arkansas is still in the mix, but Okechukwu is more familiar with Texas and Tennesse right now, and that’s giving those two programs a leg up. He said he’ll hit all three visits trying to gauge how much is family likes each program, how he’ll be utilized, academics and which team gives him the opportunity for early playing time.
“I’m not going to lie. Texas and Tennessee, I’m looking forward to those two the most,” Okechukwu said. “Arkansas too, but I don’t know anything about Arkansas.”
Okechukwu will be accompanied by his father and younger brother on the Texas visit this weekend.
Who is the coach in glasses? Thought it was a Johnny Manziel Photoshop for a second.
UT is probably locked into the #3 class, with that being said and it being Herman's first full class I'm excited for the future. Put together some wins and we could build a monster!
Using the class calculator, I added almost all of our top targets and we still won't catch the top 2. I suppose there are a couple of teams that could close big and catch us, so I'd say 3 is the ceiling and 5 is probably the floor.
Yep wins gonna be key to maintain the recruiting momentum in to the 2019 and 20 classes if they can get some wins Herman could start recruiting at Saban Meyer levels year in year out.
Texas hosted a handful of targets for official visits this weekend as the Longhorns look to close the 2018 cycle with a bang.
Here is a look at where Texas stands with each prospect following their time on the Forty Acres.
WR Joshua Moore, Yoakum
Moore is actually still on campus this morning as he is set to meet with Drew Mehringer and Tom Herman for his exit meetings. The four-star prospect arrived on Saturday morning and spent extended time with Mehringer. He also spent time with the players throughout the weekend and bonded with host John Burt and defensive back Kobe Boyce. Moore is related to Oscar Giles, has a great relationship with Jason Washington and his mother is a Texas grad. The Longhorns are surging in this recruitment and are in the pole position from what we have heard from sources. Moore will still make official visits to Florida State and Oregon and won’t announce until National Signing Day. But Texas has to like where it stands.
OL Calvin Anderson, Rice
Like Moore, Anderson is still on campus this morning and will have his exit meetings with Herb Hand and Tom Herman. Speaking of Hand, UT’s new co-offensive coordinator played a big role with Anderson this weekend. Hand recruited Anderson at Auburn and sold his ability to get him ready for the 2019 NFL Draft. Anderson is originally from the Austin-area, and his stepmother is a UT grad. She also spent extended time with Hand. Breckyn Hager and Sam Ehlinger — both graduated from Austin Westlake, where Anderson went to high school — spent a lot of time with Anderson on his visit as well. Anderson wants to take his time with the process and is hearing from a bevvy of other major programs, but we've heard he could shut things down sooner than expected. Texas is the frontrunner here.
DL/ATH Michael Williams, Dunham School (La.)
Texas is still looking to add more defensive linemen this cycle, and the Longhorns are the clear leaders for Williams following his weekend official visit. According to a source close to the Williams recruitment, the three-star prospect really enjoyed his time on campus and felt at home in Austin. Williams picked up a Texas offer just days prior to arriving on the Forty Acres for his official visit, but he already feels a bond with Oscar Giles and Jason Washington. The source said Williams could shut things down before National Signing Day. Tennessee is the only other threat at this time.
DL Caleb Okechukwu, St. John’s (DC)
An Under Armour All-American, Okechukwu made the long trip to Texas for the first time and absolutely loved his time on campus. Okechukwu got some extended time with Giles, and the two spoke at length about how he would fit into the defense. The three-star prospect has a final three of Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas heading into National Signing Day. He will make official visits to the former two over the next two weeks. If Texas decides to go all in on Okechukwu before signing day, the Longhorns have a really strong chance of landing him.
Here is a look at where Texas stands with each prospect following their time on the Forty Acres.
WR Joshua Moore, Yoakum
Moore is actually still on campus this morning as he is set to meet with Drew Mehringer and Tom Herman for his exit meetings. The four-star prospect arrived on Saturday morning and spent extended time with Mehringer. He also spent time with the players throughout the weekend and bonded with host John Burt and defensive back Kobe Boyce. Moore is related to Oscar Giles, has a great relationship with Jason Washington and his mother is a Texas grad. The Longhorns are surging in this recruitment and are in the pole position from what we have heard from sources. Moore will still make official visits to Florida State and Oregon and won’t announce until National Signing Day. But Texas has to like where it stands.
OL Calvin Anderson, Rice
Like Moore, Anderson is still on campus this morning and will have his exit meetings with Herb Hand and Tom Herman. Speaking of Hand, UT’s new co-offensive coordinator played a big role with Anderson this weekend. Hand recruited Anderson at Auburn and sold his ability to get him ready for the 2019 NFL Draft. Anderson is originally from the Austin-area, and his stepmother is a UT grad. She also spent extended time with Hand. Breckyn Hager and Sam Ehlinger — both graduated from Austin Westlake, where Anderson went to high school — spent a lot of time with Anderson on his visit as well. Anderson wants to take his time with the process and is hearing from a bevvy of other major programs, but we've heard he could shut things down sooner than expected. Texas is the frontrunner here.
DL/ATH Michael Williams, Dunham School (La.)
Texas is still looking to add more defensive linemen this cycle, and the Longhorns are the clear leaders for Williams following his weekend official visit. According to a source close to the Williams recruitment, the three-star prospect really enjoyed his time on campus and felt at home in Austin. Williams picked up a Texas offer just days prior to arriving on the Forty Acres for his official visit, but he already feels a bond with Oscar Giles and Jason Washington. The source said Williams could shut things down before National Signing Day. Tennessee is the only other threat at this time.
DL Caleb Okechukwu, St. John’s (DC)
An Under Armour All-American, Okechukwu made the long trip to Texas for the first time and absolutely loved his time on campus. Okechukwu got some extended time with Giles, and the two spoke at length about how he would fit into the defense. The three-star prospect has a final three of Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas heading into National Signing Day. He will make official visits to the former two over the next two weeks. If Texas decides to go all in on Okechukwu before signing day, the Longhorns have a really strong chance of landing him.
We offered yesterday. Low 3 star DE out of DC, but was a UA All American and supposedly had a great week out practice against some of the best. Don't know much about him, wonder why he's ranked so low?
colt mccoy was high 2/ low 3 star guy too... he was signed to be perriloux's back-up. just get the guy here if he has the motor and drive to succeed
Commit watch today for one of the weekend visitors Moore, Anderson, Williams or Okechukwu.
It sounds like it was a very positive weekend all-around for Texas. And a possible commitment could be coming soon. As hinted by Director of Player Personnel Bryan Carrington. Look for something to happen on this front as early as today.
It sounds like it was a very positive weekend all-around for Texas. And a possible commitment could be coming soon. As hinted by Director of Player Personnel Bryan Carrington. Look for something to happen on this front as early as today.
Now he is an interesting player because he only played qb in high school so we know he could have some feet and awareness
I’d take a team full of ex-QBs. Typically the best player on their HS team. Find a spot for them later. This is how Mack used to recruit and currently the kind of guys Gary Patterson kicks our asses with. Big get. Kid can ball. LSU fans are salty we got him, all you need to know.
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