Per 247:
Things are slow on the team front with Texas players being on their own in terms of workouts until team activities resume on June 1. With that in mind, now is as good of a time as any to look at scholarship numbers, both in terms of what the Longhorns will have accounted for in 2017 and what they’ll have available to finish off the 2018 class.
Assuming everyone makes it to campus from the 2017 class who isn’t already on campus and assuming there’s no further attrition (which there will be), Texas is sitting right at 85 scholarships. Those numbers include the 15 remaining members of the 2017 class yet to enroll, along with Syracuse graduate transfer tight end Kendall Moore. The catch here is it’s not certain all members of the recruiting class will be on the Forty Acres for the first summer session. Until the legal process plays out and Reese Leitao gets some clarity about his future, there’s no telling when or if the Jenks (Okla.) tight will arrive in Austin.
Multiple sources have told Horns247 that if Leitao, who was arrested on drug-related charges in February, winds up being charged with a misdemeanor he’ll have a chance to get into school. But there’s been no clarity on how or when his situation will be resolved, and his scholarship status could become a huge factor in how Herman and Co. manage the roster going forward. The 13 high school signees yet to enroll are expected to be on campus for the first summer session. The only two members of the class Horns247 had heard might have work to do had been Lake Dallas cornerback Kobe Boyce and John Tyler wide receiver Damion Miller, but both are said to be good to go.
We haven’t heard much lately on the two junior college transfers, defensive lineman Jamari Chisholm and linebacker Gary Johnson. At last check, a source close to Johnson told Horns247 they believed Johnson would be good to enroll for Summer I, and we haven’t heard anything that’s contradicting that line of thinking. We haven’t heard anything on Chisholm; that’s not to say something is wrong, only that we haven’t been able to confirm whether or not Chisholm will indeed be on campus with the rest of the class.
With as many as two (assuming Leitao isn’t allowed to enroll and something happens with Chisholm) or possibly no (assuming Leitao and Chisholm both arrive by August) scholarships coming open, Texas needs attrition to happen to have a bigger 2018 signing class. As of right now, there are only 12 available spots for the 2018 signees, those coming from the 12 seniors set to depart following the 2017 season.
Among the seniors, there are two who are somewhat unknowns at this point: Roderick Bernard and Brandon Hodges. When Bernard’s knee injury occurred last summer Horns247 was told it was doubtful Bernard would ever see the field again, and the fact that he’s listed as a senior on the current roster despite missing each of the last two seasons suggests that he’s probably not going to be someone who contributes. Hodges missed a large portion of spring practice, but a team source told Horns247 at the time that Hodges would likely be fine as far as his status for the 2017 season.
One of those two scholarships coming open, however, would only impact something like the Longhorns adding a graduate transfer quarterback. Where Texas needs attrition to occur is in the junior and sophomore classes, something that’s going to happen sooner or later. The one position group Horns247 has heard is expected to experience attrition is the offensive line. Without putting names out there of players we’ve heard who are likely to not be in Austin much longer, it doesn’t take much time to scan the depth chart and see which players are likely buried with little to no chance of moving up and being in a position to contribute.
While the attrition appears to be slow to come (Peyton Aucoin has been the only announced transfer to date), it’s important to remember that there’s no reason to panic about numbers right now. As long as the Longhorns aren’t over 85 scholarships at any time things will be fine and there will be time for things to work out. What that means for the 2018 class is a couple of things.
For one, depending on what happens with Leitao and the two junior college transfers (again, we’ve been told Johnson should be good to go), Texas can currently take on up to seven midterm enrollees before getting into the number of initial counters for the 2018 calendar year. Second, and why the number of midterm enrollees is important, is that as long as the deck is cleared by this time next year then Herman and Co. can have a class size in the 20-22 range (which is where initial indications are that the class will likely be) and know that the numbers will be there.
Following the 2017 season, the Longhorns will have a number of players on the roster entering their fourth or fifth year in the program. That’s when there could be players who simply choose to finish the process of getting their degrees and decide football at Texas is no longer a part of the plan. So, the bottom line here is that while there hasn’t been a massive run of attrition to date, it’s going to come in some way, shape or form sooner or later. (Howe)
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There were times when Charlie Strong appeared to be on the cusp of turning the Texas program around. Then there were other times when the Longhorns looked completely befuddled and the program appeared to be in a state of disarray. After an embarrassing loss to Kansas last season, the Strong era officially came to an end in Austin. So what exactly happened? “I don’t know,” said a former Texas assistant. “[Expletive] just happens. We weren’t on the same page. We were never able to get it together. [Expletive] just happens.”
Strong was a great closer on the recruiting trail. But as good as he was in that arena, being inept in other areas eventually led to his downfall on the Forty Acres. From terrible in-game decisions to terrible hires, moving away from Strong is something that had to be done. And so far, the decision by the Texas brass looks like the right one. Tom Herman has taken over in Austin and is moving 100 miles per hour. The Longhorns had a great spring on the field and already have eight commits in their 2018 class, which ranks in the Top 15 nationally (No. 12 overall and No. 1 in the Big 12, according to 247Sports).
The ex-Longhorn assistant believes Herman will right the ship. “We left the cabinet loaded with talent,” he said. “He better turn it around.” As mentioned, Strong was a heck of a closer. There’s a ton of talent for Herman and his staff to work with. A 10-win season isn’t totally out of the realm of possibilities. All the pieces appear in place. It’s just a matter of Herman putting the icing on the cake. At least it is if you ask those who were on the inside during Strong’s tenure. (Holland)
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Tom Herman’s recruiting efforts have focused on players with great skill and good character. One of the top defensive line targets for the Longhorns is Arlington Lamar defensive tackle, Bobby Brown. Brown is a tremendous athlete, but it also sounds like he checks the boxes character-wise according to his head coach, Laban DeLay. “First of all we always talk about character here,” DeLay said. “That’s first and foremost, and then we try to develop the student and the athlete part of it. He’s a great kid.”
DeLay said Brown is pretty quiet until you get to know him. Brown also comes from a strong household in terms of character. “He’s like any other 15, 16 or 17-year-old,” DeLay said. “He’s kind of quiet, but once you get to know him and learn what he’s about it’s very impressive. He’s got a great mom and dad raising him, and he’s also a good student.” Aside from his off-the-field traits, DeLay said he’s one of the best he’s ever coached. “As a football player you can see his physical ability,” DeLay said. “He’s a freak, he’s a specimen. What we try to tell Bobby is don’t be average. We don’t want him to play to his average, we try to coach him on dominating every rep and drill.”
Brown is the type of long, athletic defensive lineman that college coaches are searching for, and DeLay says that his versatility is his best weapon. “I think he’s going to end up being a 5-technique,” DeLay said. “He’s got such a good frame that he might be able to put on weight and play more inside. We’re going to sprinkle him around. He’s going to play a little bit of everything and keep the offenses we face guessing.” (Roach)
