(From Anwar)
This year’s quarterback battle is not as compelling as the competition we witnessed last season.
Quinn Ewers and Hudson Card are currently battling for the No. 1 spot. Both quarterbacks have been solid this offseason and during training camp. Neither quarterback looks like the second coming of Colt McCoy at this moment. However, the best word to describe their respective performances is “solid.”
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian described last year’s quarterback competition as one of the toughest decisions of his career. Sarkisian said deciding between Matt Leinart and Matt Cassel when he was an assistant coach at USC was the toughest decision. The battle between Casey Thompson and Card at Texas in 2021 was his most difficult choice since Leinart and Cassel.
In the end, Sarkisian chose Card, but benched him after a week two loss against Arkansas and started Thompson. Nevertheless, Sarkisian recently said he expected to know who would determine the battle between Ewers and Card sooner than last year’s battle.
Of course, Sarkisian informed Longhorn fans through the media that he does not intend to let them know his timeframe for making a decision during training camp.
“I think I have an idea in my head,” Sarkisian said before training camp. “I'm not going to tell you guys because then you're going to hold me to it. I'm going to keep that one internal because it may happen before that. And if I tell you a date and I do it before then you're always going to remind me that I made the decision before that date. And then if I decide to make the decision after that date, then you guys will constantly remind me that I made the decision after that date. So, I'm going to kind of keep that one to me.”
According to my sources, Ewers has been the better quarterback during training camp so far. I was told Ewers throws a better ball and is more consistent with short and deep passes.
There have been times when Ewers has made mistakes, which is to be expected when defenders know the plays. Defensive backs have jumped routes and made plays. Ewers has made the natural errors in practice you expect from a redshirt freshman.
However, Ewers continues to grade well and is meeting Sarkisian’s expectations.
What does this mean for Card?
Last season, Card trailed in the quarterback competition before his team’s first scrimmage. After that scrimmage, Card began receiving first-team reps and became the opening day starter. Texas will hold its first scrimmage on Saturday, and Card may a strong performance to avoid falling further behind in this quarterback competition.
“I'm enjoying it. I'm really enjoying it,” Sarkisian said. “I'm enjoying it because both these guys are working their tails off. Both of them are really coachable and trying to do what we're asking them to do. Both of them are making some really nice plays. Whether it's quick game, whether it's the audibles, whether it's intermediate throws, whether it's down-the-field throws, I think they're both playing with a lot of confidence. So that part's fun. What makes it hard is when it's Herky jerky, one day it's good, one day it's not great. This feels really good because it's a very positive feel about it. I think they both have a pretty good understanding of what we're doing and they're not perfect … I don't expect them to be perfect. The installation is still ongoing, but they're being coachable. They're learning from one rep and they're carrying it to the next time they're getting that opportunity. I'm enjoying it. Coach Milwee and I are having a great time working with these guys. And they're playing at a high level which that's always fun. You don't feel like you're beating your head against the wall because you can't get through to them. We're getting through to these guys and they're performing.”
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Speaking of quarterbacks, Murphy continues to impress everyone who has watched him practice during training camp.
Murphy has a strong arm, can make all the throws, and stands out whenever he is on the field, according to my sources. Murphy has only been on campus since the summer, which means he still has a lot to learn. He is still learning the playbook and getting in sync with his receivers.
Even though Murphy is not expected to play this season, there is another aspect of his game gaining attention.
I was told Murphy exudes confidence when he is at practice. Multiple people have said he is a natural leader and more vocal than Ewers and Card. When Murphy is on the field, everyone can detect a commanding presence. Murphy is an alpha in every sense of the word.
Everyone I spoke with is excited about Murphy and the kind of player he might emerge into at Texas.
“It's been a better start, as I touched on,” Sarkisian said. “Just missing the front end of spring ball. Missing the front end of summer. I think it's been a good start for him. You definitely see the talent and the skill set and the plays that definitely wow you. Now it’s just really drilling down into the system to where he's really comfortable with six, seven, eight, 10 plays in a row. Not kind of two plays on, one play off. And so that's what we're working towards.”
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Here are some other nuggets worth passing on:
--- I was told Texas strength and conditioning coach Torre Becton wanted the players to practice in the afternoon to toughen up the players. He wanted tougher practices with the hope Texas players would not struggle in the second half of games this season.
--- However, the biggest challenge to practicing in 100-degree weather has been cramps by players. My sources said Sarkisian wanted to alternate the practice times to give players a break from the heat. Sarkisian said his team will strictly practice in the mornings once classes resume.
--- Texas freshman offensive lineman Kelvin Banks continues to impress during training camp. Everything you hear about Banks is true. He has been described as vocal with a high football IQ. Banks is a player to keep an eye on during Saturday’s scrimmage.
--- Jordan Whittington's description of receiver Savion Red: “He's like a Deebo Samuel. He's just super explosive. I found a guy that's kind of like me in a way. He gets the ball, runs it like a running back, a bigger dude. It's just like having a twin out there.”
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Future Texas quarterback Arch Manning is getting ready for his senior season at Isidore Newman.
In case you missed it, here was a season preview of Arch Manning and tight end Will Randle’s final high school season reported by FOX 8 in New Orleans earlier this week.
Most football fans assume that once Manning’s senior season is over, he will take the traditional quarterback route and arrive on campus in January. Most high school senior quarterbacks prefer to early enroll and allow themselves to play as a freshman. If a player decides to enroll after they graduate from high school, it is highly unlikely he will play as a freshman.
Manning is still weighing his options.
I was told Manning took enough classes this summer to give himself the option of early enrolling in January. If Manning wants to compete for playing time as a freshman, he can do it.
However, Manning played on his high school basketball team, which won the Division III state championship last season. Manning is considering playing for his high school basketball team and enrolling in Texas during the summer of 2023. Manning may eventually decide to early enroll, but he is not in a hurry to make a decision.
In reality, Manning could face an uphill battle for playing time in 2023.
Manning will enter a quarterback room with Quinn Ewers, who is expected to start this season, Hudson Card, a veteran backup, and Maalik Murphy, who had a chance to sit and learn as a freshman in 2022. Even if Manning was an early enrollee, he would face the tough task of beating out quarterbacks with playing experience at Texas and familiarity with the playbook and college football.
Ultimately, Arch Manning will make his own decision when he is ready.
We will keep you posted.
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(From Suchomel)
Wednesday night’s announcement from Cedric Baxter was a long-time coming, with the Orlando Edgewater standout making his a public commitment announcement that had been in the works for nearly two months.
Behind the scenes, Baxter’s recruitment went according to plan, with very little drama. A timeline …
Baxter took his official visit to Texas the weekend of June 10, the first weekend the UT staff brought in players in the 2023 cycle. As had been the case with Baxter throughout his recruitment, he left town without saying much so it was hard to get a clear read on just how strong of a player Texas was. At that time, it felt like the Longhorns were still behind some others, especially since in the days prior to that visit Baxter had listed Alabama as a bit of a surprise leader.
Quietly, Texas had actually positioned itself well in the Baxter race following that visit. On June 20, Rueben Owens announced his commitment to Louisville, sending the Longhorn recruiting universe into a bit of a frenzy. It turns out it was unwarranted. Shortly after Owens’ commitment, word began to circulate that not only was Texas in the lead for Baxter, but it was all but a done deal that he was coming to Texas.
We felt good enough about that one falling Texas’ way that I went ahead and penned a commitment story while in College Station for the State 7-on-7 Tournament on June 23. Multiple players in that event, including Texas commitments, backed our sourcing that Baxter to Texas was a done deal. Ironically, Baxter was in College Station that same weekend for an unofficial visit to see the Aggies.
That next week, Baxter would release a formal top four of Texas, Texas A&M, Florida and Miami and set a commitment date of August 10. From that moment on, Baxter never once wavered on his private decision to become a Longhorn. He even recorded a commitment video with Rivals.com in the past couple weeks, taking out any mystery down the stretch (not sure when that will be released). It was big moment for Texas and Tashard Choice when Baxter announced on Wednesday while also being a refreshingly drama-free recruitment over the last six weeks.
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Not much new to report on cornerback Jordan Matthews, who will announce his decision between Texas, Michigan and Tennessee on Monday.
We’ll kick the tires on this one some more in the coming days, but we’ve heard no reason to back off of our Texas FutureCast predictions.
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A quick note on Rivals100 tight end Duce Robinson (courtesy of some joker named @DustinMcComas … not sure if he’s trustworthy) …
Robinson will take his Texas official visit the weekend of September 9, when the Longhorns host Alabama. He’s also planning to take OVs to Alabama, Georgia and Oregon (he’s already visited USC). Other schools are hanging around, but he lists those as the schools he’s talking to the most.
Also a standout baseball player, Robinson said he’s focusing on schools that are not just okay with him playing both football and baseball at the next level, he’s mainly focusing on those that are actually encouraging it. So I’d expect the baseball staff will have a major hand in his recruitment and visit if Texas is able to eventually win out in this one.
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A couple updates I’ve had in my back pocket for a bit, starting with offensive lineman Andre Cojoe …
The Texas commitment was in Austin prior to the dead period for UT’s pool party and said it was a good feeling leaving town knowing that he’s found his home.
“It felt better leaving. Before when I would leave, it was always like ‘Oh, do I want to come here?’ Now I left knowing I'll be back forever,” Cojoe said.
On that visit, Cojoe got a chance to connect with Arch Manning for the first time. He came into it with some preconceived notions of what type of personality Manning might have but said he was way off.
“It was cool. He's different than what I thought he was. He's very laid back and chill, kind of quiet, absorbs and listens to people,” Cojoe said. “He's pretty cool. A good person I'll be blocking for.”
One of the highlights of that visit, Cojoe said, was watching the player-led workout and seeing how Kyle Flood handles his linemen in preparation work.
“The takeaway from practice really is how fast-paced it is, even though it wasn’t even fall camp. Also before the practice, coach Flood had all the freshmen O-line go over like all the blitz packages so they know,” Cojoe said. “He said he does the older guys at the end just to refresh them, but the freshmen, he’s really trying to teach him. So like how he shows a lot of attention to the freshmen rather than just throwing them out there.”
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San Antonio Veterans Memorial running back James Peoples took his second UT visit of the summer back in late July and like Cojoe, Peoples said it was a good experience.
“The visit was great. To be able to watch how they do practice, how they construct and implement things into practice and really develop their players, seeing that was awesome,” Peoples said. “Not all programs run it like UT did. I had a great time being able to learn, even talking to coach Choice, him giving me little tips and things like that. Seeing that the drills I did when I came here the first time are the same drills that they do with their running backs here, it just shows you how he develops backs.”
Peoples, a member of the 2024 class, holds about 10 offers right now. He’s keeping an open mind at this stage of the recruiting process but said Texas presents an intriguing option.
“I live in San Antonio, 210. It was only a 50-minute drive up here,” Peoples said. “So I feel like in the future, when I am ready to make those decisions, I feel like Texas could potentially be pretty high up there.
“What stands out to me about Texas is, it’s Texas. You’ve got the Horns, all that stuff. But not only that, coming here and seeing how they do things, the relationship they have with their players and how coach Choice really takes that into consideration, that will be a big reason. One thing I look for when I will be making those decisions for the college I want to go to in the future - how does he make me a better person, a better athlete, a better student, all those things factor into where I will be going in the future.”
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2024 offensive lineman Ory Williams is an intriguing prospect. After transferring to San Marcos last year, Williams was unable to play varsity. That hasn’t stopped programs like Texas, LSU, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Michigan State and others from offering.
The 6-8, 310-pound Williams was another pool party visitor and he said it gave him a different vantage point of the UT program that he’s had previously.
“The first time I was here it was more learning about the school and just getting a feel of it. This time it was more on a personal level and that was fun,” Williams said.
His goals for his junior season …
“Eat. Eat. That’s what I’ve got to do. Show that I’m D-1, prove to everybody that I’m no joke,” said Williams, who cites his athleticism and length as his primary assets as a tackle process.
Williams says he’s still completely open and getting a feel for which schools are standing out, but he did visit Texas twice this summer.
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(From Cole)
Cedric Baxter had options all around the nation in his recruiting process. In the end, the four-star running back settled on Texas, choosing the Longhorns on Wednesday over Florida, Miami, and Texas A&M.
Baxter gives first-year running backs coach Tashard Choice a massive win on the recruiting trail. The Longhorns went head-to-head with multiple formidable programs before eventually landing the Sunshine State rusher.
Texas now has a pair of Rivals250 running backs in the 2023 class: Baxter and Tre Wisner, a do-it-all back out of DeSoto (Texas). That kind of one-two punch provides the Longhorns with some serious firepower out of the backfield as Texas loads up around Arch Manning.
“Me and Cedric, we’re going to be nasty,” Wisner told Orangebloods.
Wisner, who committed to Texas back in April, likes the way that the two complement each other on the field. The DeSoto standout adds dynamic ability as a receiver, while the Florida rusher has tallied prolific numbers on the ground during his career.
“We both bring different things to the table,” Wisner said. “That’s what you need. You don’t need a bunch of backs with the same weight (or style), that’s when people start bumping heads. You need backs that are looking to follow and lead at the same time.”
Tre Wisner has been confident about his decision to Texas since going public with the commitment following the Longhorns’ spring game. That said, the Manning commitment only reaffirmed things for the versatile back.
“I feel like (Arch) committing is going to open a bunch of eyes,” Wisner said. “To not just be a follower or bandwagon, but to actually see the opportunity that Texas is giving young recruits.”
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Texas made a big impression on Baxter during his official visit in June, as the Longhorns seemingly entered the weekend playing from behind. Alabama was a big factor, and Texas was battling the Sunshine State programs.
In the end, the opportunity to play for Tashard Choice was too much for Baxter to pass up on. It wasn’t much longer when we began to hear that Baxter to Texas was happening. Shortly after, Baxter released his commitment date for August 10. While that left a lot of room for another school to make a move, Texas had clearly firmly established themselves as the front runner.
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Nigel Smith is one of the premier prospects in the 2024 class inside the Lone Star State. With offers from around the nation, Smith has his choice of where he would like to go for college.
Texas is attempting to break into that mix, as Alabama, Ohio State, and Notre Dame have emerged as early contenders. Smith told Orangebloods this week that he will be at Texas for the Alabama game and noted that his Melissa (Texas) teammate Trevor Goosby has been in his ear.
We’ll have a full update on Smith this weekend.
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Speaking of Trevor Goosby, OB caught up with the Texas pledge at a preseason practice this week. In talking with Goosby, he noted that he grew up a big Texas fan and believes that the OL talent that Kyle Flood will help the Longhorns become “national contenders.”
Goosby also admitted to being excited about blocking for Arch Manning.
“I mean, it's super exciting. Blocking for Arch Manning, that’s going to be a big deal for me,” Goosby said. “Everybody asked me ‘was that a really big deal in my commitment?’, and I don't really think it was. It was just a little extra prize. That's (one reason) why it was the best decision for me.”
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(From Keenan Womack)
Tre Johnson, the top player in the state and arguably in the country, is visiting Texas on September 17th. The guard from Lake Highlands (TX) would be Texas’ highest-rated recruit since Kevin Durant according to our rankings at Rivals, as Johnson is third overall in the nation (Mo Bamba and Dillon Mitchell were fourth). Obviously, this would be a massive pickup in the 2024 class, as Johnson has proven time and time again the kind of lethal shotmaker he can be.
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Four-star forward Keanu Dawes dropped his top six schools recently, which includes Texas. The 6’8 star from Stratford HS in Houston also had Oklahoma State, Utah, Texas A&M, Rice, and Brigham Young on his list. An athletic wing, Dawes uses his leaping ability to make plays at the rim on cuts and on offensive rebounds. He’s also a good defender and possesses quick hands and length to help in passing lanes. Dawes would be an excellent addition to Beard’s team with the defense he’s capable of.
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Four-star AJ Johnson in the class of ‘23 is visiting Texas the same weekend that Tre Johnson is visiting. Johnson has already taken an unofficial to Texas, but is going to make a return trip to Austin on the same weekend that Texas takes on UTSA in football at home. Johnson has been lauded by scouts I’ve talked to, who believe highly in his potential. They also think that Texas has a great shot to land him.
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