1. What is more important for the team’s success going forward, talent or continuity?
2. What is more important to a recruit right now, a new coach or winning the Big 12?
3. Does any new coach get big time players or just UM?
1. Both talent and continuity are obviously vital, but if you’re asking me which is more important, it’s pretty much always going to come down to talent. Texas needs an upgrade in talent on the roster, and the NFL Draft over the past several years clearly backs that up.
2. A new coach (this question was submitted before Friday’s loss)
3. Just about any new coach at a program like Texas is going to generate some initial excitement, just like we saw with Tom Herman and Charlie Strong, but a guy like Urban Meyer would bring a recruiting reputation that few coaches can match.
Is Urban a better recruiter than Mack or a better game day coach.....or both.
Meyer’s a better game day coach. As for recruiting, I’d put them at just about even. Mack Brown does it with a sort of folksy charm that makes recruits and their families feel comfortable. Urban Meyer can be charming when he wants to turn it on – it’s why he’s good on TV – but his recruiting strength is mostly based on his winning resume.
If we are moving on from CTH, doesn’t that have to be announced before NSD1? In other words, isn’t letting him finish the season not really an option due to COVID schedule changes?
Yes, I would think if Texas is moving on from Tom Herman, that decision will need to be announced before NSD1, which begins on December 16. In a perfect world, you’d show Herman enough respect to let him finish out the season with his team, but Texas is in a tough spot with the early signing period coming up so quickly. If a decision is announced a week or two prior to that early window, Texas could have the benefit of having some recruits wait to sign until February if they wanted to see who the Longhorns would hire. Obviously, the rumors of what is going to happen, and when things might happen, are all over the place. One person told me today he thought we could see something as early as Tuesday. Not sure I’m expecting that, but I’m not ruling anything out at this point.
Same question from Ketch’s buy or sell:
Next Texas coach, Urban or the field?
I’m going to buy, but to be clear, it’s not because I have any really solid information on what Urban would be thinking if the job was to come open. I have heard grapevine chatter for the better part of a month that he would absolutely listen, but I’ve also heard it’s not a slam dunk he’d coach again due to family and health concerns. All that being said, I’m buying because the decision makers at Texas know they absolutely cannot screw this up if a change is made, and I think they’ll do whatever it takes to make Meyer happy.
I keep thinking our next coach should be Cristobal. How would YOU feel about Cristobal instead of Meyer?
At this point, I’m in the camp that just about anybody other than Meyer would be a disappointment. Cristobal has done a good job at Oregon and is known to be a terrific recruiter so that part would be exciting, but I’m not sure he’s the guy to get Texas back on top.
If the decision has been made on CTH, why the wait?
Good question. Like I said above, we could see an announcement at any time, but I haven’t heard of any firm timetable. Needless to say, this is a huge decision for the Texas brass with enormous financial implications, so I’m sure they’re making sure everything is in order before any sort of decision/announcement is made.
If Meyer was announced new coach by first week of December, would he bring in any new 4*+ recruits in for 2021?
I don’t think we’d see a flood of guys in the 2021 class suddenly beating down the door to get to Texas, but yes, I would expect you’d see a new name or two surface. More importantly, it would probably help UT’s standing with a guy like LJ Johnson, particularly if Stan Drayton was retained. It’s pretty hard to predict how any of those guys would react and that’s not a bridge I’ll cross with recruits until there’s an actual change, but Meyer is a big enough name that I’d expect some movement with a few members of the 2021 class.
You've seen and connected with a ton of recruits through the years. Besides being a top 70 guy, what are the traits (physical, mental, environment, etc.) that you see most commonly accommodate players becoming contributing starters and beyond?
As you said, talent trumps everything. Beyond that, give me a guy who is ultra-confident, competitive and is willing to work his ass off. Guys who dominate high school sometimes don’t handle it well when they’re not the star of the show the day they step on a college campus … give me a guy who doesn’t pout, but rather gets pissed and uses that to drive him to work harder. It’s a small thing, but when I’m at a camp, particularly the top national events, I always look for the guys who are cutting the line to get one-on-one reps. Some guys seem to hover around towards the back of the line, which to me is a red flag (Texas has a couple on its roster, and they haven’t really panned out). I want the guy that’s so competitive he’s trying to cut to the front of the line.
Who are some of the recruits that will not sign during the early signing period and out of those recruits who could Coach Meyer possibly flip to Texas?
I would expect that most guys who are committed elsewhere will go ahead and sign during the early period. That’s been the pattern ever since the early signing period was introduced, and with visits shut down until mid-April, there’s really no need for those commitments to wait things out. If anything, you might see some of Texas’ commitments wait until February so they can see what happens with the UT staff, and possibly get acquainted with any new coaches.
Savion Byrd was a guy I thought who might wait things out, but he’s now set to decide on December 16. Shemar Turner has gone back and forth on when he’ll announce, but the last word I got was that he’s probably not going to sign early. Recent wide receiver offer Keithron Lee isn’t planning on signing in December and I don’t believe JJ Henry is either. I keep wondering if Texas can make a run at a guy like linebacker Jaydon Williams in the event he decides he wants to stay closer to home and not go to Arizona State, but things are pretty quiet right now.
Total number of “opt outs” ?
After Sam Cosmi announced, Caden Sterns would have been the other one I would have been keeping an eye on. I don’t see any way a guy like Sam Ehlinger or Joseph Ossai would make that move.
Are recruits and HS coaches hearing the UM noise?
How quick could UM shift recruiting back in to high gear?
UM vs Mack in a head to head recruiting battle. Where is your money?
Recruits are definitely hearing it. As a reporter, it’s not my place to bring that kind of stuff up to recruits before anything is official as I don’t want to do anything that could influence their decision, but I’ve had a couple guys ask me about Herman’s situation, and they tell me they hear things from their friends or on social media. It’s pretty much impossible to ignore at this point, and that includes recruits.
If Meyer was brought in, I would think recruiting would see a significant uptick as early as the 2022 class.
Man, that last one is tough. Mack’s as good of a recruiting head coach as I’ve ever seen, but if we’re talking Urban Meyer at a school like Texas versus Mack at a school like North Carolina, I’ll go with Urban.
Assuming Urban Meyer is announced as our next coach, odds on closing with Camar Wheaton, Bryce Foster, Adeleye, Byrd, or LJ Johnson? Any other committed guys that we might be able to flip (like former UT commits Quay Davis, Billy Bowman, or Jalen Milroe)?
First off, I wouldn’t assume anything with Meyer. Lots of bridges to cross before that’s locked in.
Of the guys you mentioned, LJ Johnson would obviously be in play but I’m just not sure Meyer would move the needle enough with those other guys, most of whom really aren’t strongly considering Texas at this point. Flipping someone like Bowman or Milroe would be tough that late in the process as well. Quay Davis is always a wildcard, but there’s no telling if a new coach would want to be involved in his recruitment.
With all the people injured or opting out, what are our chances of winning against K State?
Texas should still win that game, but man, it sure has the feel of a contest that’s going to be much closer than it probably should be.
Are any of the recruits holding out on the potential coaching change?
Not really. As I mentioned above, committed guys are watching closely but most of the other targets on UT’s board are sticking with their original timelines. Guys like Bryce Foster and Savion Byrd will decide in December. The ones that aren’t deciding until January or later aren’t really doing it because of anything that might happen at Texas.
With how poorly Arkansas is playing and a potential HC hire in Urban Meyer, do you think Texas can get Ketron Jackson to flip?
When Ketron Jackson committed to Arkansas, a source told me he thought Texas could get back in that one if the UT staff continued to push. Things have been pretty quiet since then, but if Texas made a move and if the new staff wanted to talk to Jackson, the guess here is that he’d certainly listen. Jackson has been pro-Arkansas on Twitter though, so it’s not exactly a foregone conclusion that he’d flip.
OL studs being recruited sir?
Pretty quiet other than the recent offer to Remington Strickland, who visited the A&M campus over the weekend (and was recently on the OU campus as well). If he comes to Austin for a visit, we’ll start watching that one a little more closely.
On a scale of 1-10, 1 being "Kansas level recruiting" and 10 being "Alabama level recruiting, how are we looking?
I’d put Texas at about a six, since it’s still a 2021 class with quite a bit of talent. But a six is not acceptable at a place like Texas.
Of course the unlikely pipe dream would be to bring back the Brockermeyers and/or Milroe, but what would/should realistic expectations be if Meyer is hired before NSD1 for the 2021 class?
I don’t think getting the Brockermeyers back is realistic. They seem pretty dialed in with their commitments, but that would be the first call I’d make if I was a new coach at Texas. Realistically, if Meyer is hired, I would think it would help Texas with a guy like LJ Johnson and probably Shemar Turner as well, but I’m not sure it would result in a lot of substantial movement with the 2021 class. A lot of recruiting is about relationships and Meyer would be way behind the curve in that area. The 2022 class … that’s a different story.
Suchomel......does Herman doing his press conference today mean Texas does NOT have 100% buy in from Urban? Just stands to reason, if Urban is in you would never give the microphone to Herman to be a representative figure of Texas again.
I don’t think Herman doing his PC means anything as it relates to Urban Meyer, or even Herman’s situation. He’s still employed as the Texas head coach, and he’ll be expected to fulfill his job duties as such. If he hadn’t done the PC, that would have been a dead giveaway on what is going to happen and Texas doesn’t want that.
1. In the event Herman is let go and Urban does not work out, what would be 1-2 names to look out for?
2. What % of this class do we expect to sign early vs. in the spring and are there good targets in positions of need to chase in 2021?
1. I honestly don’t know which direction Texas would go in that scenario. Mario Cristobal’s name has been discussed, as has Bob Stoops, but I have no clue what direction Texas would go. I would think Texas would probably slow the process down a bit and evaluate a few different options.
2. I’m still expecting the majority of the class to sign early based on what some of the commitments have told me, but I’d think you’ll have some that will wait until December. Honestly, if I was a recruit, I’d probably wait things out until February to get a feel for what’s going on at Texas, who my coach is going to be, how much I’m wanted, etc. That being said, I think the majority of the class will sign in December.
2. What is more important to a recruit right now, a new coach or winning the Big 12?
3. Does any new coach get big time players or just UM?
1. Both talent and continuity are obviously vital, but if you’re asking me which is more important, it’s pretty much always going to come down to talent. Texas needs an upgrade in talent on the roster, and the NFL Draft over the past several years clearly backs that up.
2. A new coach (this question was submitted before Friday’s loss)
3. Just about any new coach at a program like Texas is going to generate some initial excitement, just like we saw with Tom Herman and Charlie Strong, but a guy like Urban Meyer would bring a recruiting reputation that few coaches can match.
Is Urban a better recruiter than Mack or a better game day coach.....or both.
Meyer’s a better game day coach. As for recruiting, I’d put them at just about even. Mack Brown does it with a sort of folksy charm that makes recruits and their families feel comfortable. Urban Meyer can be charming when he wants to turn it on – it’s why he’s good on TV – but his recruiting strength is mostly based on his winning resume.
If we are moving on from CTH, doesn’t that have to be announced before NSD1? In other words, isn’t letting him finish the season not really an option due to COVID schedule changes?
Yes, I would think if Texas is moving on from Tom Herman, that decision will need to be announced before NSD1, which begins on December 16. In a perfect world, you’d show Herman enough respect to let him finish out the season with his team, but Texas is in a tough spot with the early signing period coming up so quickly. If a decision is announced a week or two prior to that early window, Texas could have the benefit of having some recruits wait to sign until February if they wanted to see who the Longhorns would hire. Obviously, the rumors of what is going to happen, and when things might happen, are all over the place. One person told me today he thought we could see something as early as Tuesday. Not sure I’m expecting that, but I’m not ruling anything out at this point.
Same question from Ketch’s buy or sell:
Next Texas coach, Urban or the field?
I’m going to buy, but to be clear, it’s not because I have any really solid information on what Urban would be thinking if the job was to come open. I have heard grapevine chatter for the better part of a month that he would absolutely listen, but I’ve also heard it’s not a slam dunk he’d coach again due to family and health concerns. All that being said, I’m buying because the decision makers at Texas know they absolutely cannot screw this up if a change is made, and I think they’ll do whatever it takes to make Meyer happy.
I keep thinking our next coach should be Cristobal. How would YOU feel about Cristobal instead of Meyer?
At this point, I’m in the camp that just about anybody other than Meyer would be a disappointment. Cristobal has done a good job at Oregon and is known to be a terrific recruiter so that part would be exciting, but I’m not sure he’s the guy to get Texas back on top.
If the decision has been made on CTH, why the wait?
Good question. Like I said above, we could see an announcement at any time, but I haven’t heard of any firm timetable. Needless to say, this is a huge decision for the Texas brass with enormous financial implications, so I’m sure they’re making sure everything is in order before any sort of decision/announcement is made.
If Meyer was announced new coach by first week of December, would he bring in any new 4*+ recruits in for 2021?
I don’t think we’d see a flood of guys in the 2021 class suddenly beating down the door to get to Texas, but yes, I would expect you’d see a new name or two surface. More importantly, it would probably help UT’s standing with a guy like LJ Johnson, particularly if Stan Drayton was retained. It’s pretty hard to predict how any of those guys would react and that’s not a bridge I’ll cross with recruits until there’s an actual change, but Meyer is a big enough name that I’d expect some movement with a few members of the 2021 class.
You've seen and connected with a ton of recruits through the years. Besides being a top 70 guy, what are the traits (physical, mental, environment, etc.) that you see most commonly accommodate players becoming contributing starters and beyond?
As you said, talent trumps everything. Beyond that, give me a guy who is ultra-confident, competitive and is willing to work his ass off. Guys who dominate high school sometimes don’t handle it well when they’re not the star of the show the day they step on a college campus … give me a guy who doesn’t pout, but rather gets pissed and uses that to drive him to work harder. It’s a small thing, but when I’m at a camp, particularly the top national events, I always look for the guys who are cutting the line to get one-on-one reps. Some guys seem to hover around towards the back of the line, which to me is a red flag (Texas has a couple on its roster, and they haven’t really panned out). I want the guy that’s so competitive he’s trying to cut to the front of the line.
Who are some of the recruits that will not sign during the early signing period and out of those recruits who could Coach Meyer possibly flip to Texas?
I would expect that most guys who are committed elsewhere will go ahead and sign during the early period. That’s been the pattern ever since the early signing period was introduced, and with visits shut down until mid-April, there’s really no need for those commitments to wait things out. If anything, you might see some of Texas’ commitments wait until February so they can see what happens with the UT staff, and possibly get acquainted with any new coaches.
Savion Byrd was a guy I thought who might wait things out, but he’s now set to decide on December 16. Shemar Turner has gone back and forth on when he’ll announce, but the last word I got was that he’s probably not going to sign early. Recent wide receiver offer Keithron Lee isn’t planning on signing in December and I don’t believe JJ Henry is either. I keep wondering if Texas can make a run at a guy like linebacker Jaydon Williams in the event he decides he wants to stay closer to home and not go to Arizona State, but things are pretty quiet right now.
Total number of “opt outs” ?
After Sam Cosmi announced, Caden Sterns would have been the other one I would have been keeping an eye on. I don’t see any way a guy like Sam Ehlinger or Joseph Ossai would make that move.
Are recruits and HS coaches hearing the UM noise?
How quick could UM shift recruiting back in to high gear?
UM vs Mack in a head to head recruiting battle. Where is your money?
Recruits are definitely hearing it. As a reporter, it’s not my place to bring that kind of stuff up to recruits before anything is official as I don’t want to do anything that could influence their decision, but I’ve had a couple guys ask me about Herman’s situation, and they tell me they hear things from their friends or on social media. It’s pretty much impossible to ignore at this point, and that includes recruits.
If Meyer was brought in, I would think recruiting would see a significant uptick as early as the 2022 class.
Man, that last one is tough. Mack’s as good of a recruiting head coach as I’ve ever seen, but if we’re talking Urban Meyer at a school like Texas versus Mack at a school like North Carolina, I’ll go with Urban.
Assuming Urban Meyer is announced as our next coach, odds on closing with Camar Wheaton, Bryce Foster, Adeleye, Byrd, or LJ Johnson? Any other committed guys that we might be able to flip (like former UT commits Quay Davis, Billy Bowman, or Jalen Milroe)?
First off, I wouldn’t assume anything with Meyer. Lots of bridges to cross before that’s locked in.
Of the guys you mentioned, LJ Johnson would obviously be in play but I’m just not sure Meyer would move the needle enough with those other guys, most of whom really aren’t strongly considering Texas at this point. Flipping someone like Bowman or Milroe would be tough that late in the process as well. Quay Davis is always a wildcard, but there’s no telling if a new coach would want to be involved in his recruitment.
With all the people injured or opting out, what are our chances of winning against K State?
Texas should still win that game, but man, it sure has the feel of a contest that’s going to be much closer than it probably should be.
Are any of the recruits holding out on the potential coaching change?
Not really. As I mentioned above, committed guys are watching closely but most of the other targets on UT’s board are sticking with their original timelines. Guys like Bryce Foster and Savion Byrd will decide in December. The ones that aren’t deciding until January or later aren’t really doing it because of anything that might happen at Texas.
With how poorly Arkansas is playing and a potential HC hire in Urban Meyer, do you think Texas can get Ketron Jackson to flip?
When Ketron Jackson committed to Arkansas, a source told me he thought Texas could get back in that one if the UT staff continued to push. Things have been pretty quiet since then, but if Texas made a move and if the new staff wanted to talk to Jackson, the guess here is that he’d certainly listen. Jackson has been pro-Arkansas on Twitter though, so it’s not exactly a foregone conclusion that he’d flip.
OL studs being recruited sir?
Pretty quiet other than the recent offer to Remington Strickland, who visited the A&M campus over the weekend (and was recently on the OU campus as well). If he comes to Austin for a visit, we’ll start watching that one a little more closely.
On a scale of 1-10, 1 being "Kansas level recruiting" and 10 being "Alabama level recruiting, how are we looking?
I’d put Texas at about a six, since it’s still a 2021 class with quite a bit of talent. But a six is not acceptable at a place like Texas.
Of course the unlikely pipe dream would be to bring back the Brockermeyers and/or Milroe, but what would/should realistic expectations be if Meyer is hired before NSD1 for the 2021 class?
I don’t think getting the Brockermeyers back is realistic. They seem pretty dialed in with their commitments, but that would be the first call I’d make if I was a new coach at Texas. Realistically, if Meyer is hired, I would think it would help Texas with a guy like LJ Johnson and probably Shemar Turner as well, but I’m not sure it would result in a lot of substantial movement with the 2021 class. A lot of recruiting is about relationships and Meyer would be way behind the curve in that area. The 2022 class … that’s a different story.
Suchomel......does Herman doing his press conference today mean Texas does NOT have 100% buy in from Urban? Just stands to reason, if Urban is in you would never give the microphone to Herman to be a representative figure of Texas again.
I don’t think Herman doing his PC means anything as it relates to Urban Meyer, or even Herman’s situation. He’s still employed as the Texas head coach, and he’ll be expected to fulfill his job duties as such. If he hadn’t done the PC, that would have been a dead giveaway on what is going to happen and Texas doesn’t want that.
1. In the event Herman is let go and Urban does not work out, what would be 1-2 names to look out for?
2. What % of this class do we expect to sign early vs. in the spring and are there good targets in positions of need to chase in 2021?
1. I honestly don’t know which direction Texas would go in that scenario. Mario Cristobal’s name has been discussed, as has Bob Stoops, but I have no clue what direction Texas would go. I would think Texas would probably slow the process down a bit and evaluate a few different options.
2. I’m still expecting the majority of the class to sign early based on what some of the commitments have told me, but I’d think you’ll have some that will wait until December. Honestly, if I was a recruit, I’d probably wait things out until February to get a feel for what’s going on at Texas, who my coach is going to be, how much I’m wanted, etc. That being said, I think the majority of the class will sign in December.
