(From Anwar)
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff are taking a unique approach to spring practice.
They are treating players like professionals.
The coaches are still passionate and yell at practice. They are still teaching and communicating their expectations. Practices and film studies are designed to help players improve every day. Sarkisian has not introduced a country club environment to the football team.
However, the main reason why Sarkisian has achieved a buy-in so quickly is because of that respectful approach.
“Yeah, it's definitely a better vibe in the building. You can feel it,” Texas senior tight end Cade Brewer said. “You can feel the energy the coaches bring every day. I'm excited. I know the whole team is excited. We play Louisiana in September. We're just getting after it right now. Sark’s hammering discipline right now, and we're definitely going to come out ready to go when it comes to September.”
And Longhorn players have responded to the new energy within the building.
Running backs Roschon Johnson and Bijan Robinson, quarterback Casey Thompson and tight end Jared Wiley have formed a close bond this spring. I was told each player stays late after practice to work on routes, plays, timing, and improving as players. Also, that small group often gets together on non-practice days and practices in the bubble.
This is not the first time Thompson has been involved in individual workouts not associated with the program.
Thompson organized workouts for players during the winter after workouts and on off days. It is clear Thompson is not leaving any stone unturned in his effort to win the quarterback position.
Also, leadership is one of the attributes Sarkisian desires in a quarterback.
“First of all, I think especially when you recruiting a quarterback,” Sarkisian previously said. “The first one is he truly an innate competitor. I think playing that position, there has to be a true sense of competitiveness and drive inside of them, no matter what they're doing. It could be playing horse. It could be playing ping pong. It could be getting ready for a science test. It could be playing football, whatever that is, they need to have a real sense of competitiveness. Two, I think there needs to be a real sense of leadership from them that's natural leadership. I'm not saying everybody leads the same way, but they can't be afraid to get in the front. They can't be afraid to be that guy. I think we're fortunate. We have two guys that embody those two characteristics.”
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Here is a collection of nuggets compiled from sources and interviews with Longhorns this week.
--- Casey Thompson and Hudson Card – The quarterbacks continue to alternate first-team reps. So far, it appears each quarterback is receiving a fair shot to compete for the starting position. Multiple sources believe this battle could extend into training camp before a starter is named.
---- Roschon Johnson has the attention of Sarkisian’s staff. They love Johnson’s work ethic, attention to detail, football IQ, and ball security. That does not mean Johnson has an advantage over Bijan Robinson right now. Instead, it means the staff believes it has two quality running backs, which means quality reps for Robinson and Johnson. Also, Daniel Young is a solid third-string option.
--- LSU grad transfer linebacker Ray Thornton received a high volume of praise this week. More than one person described Thornton as a high-energy player who stepped on campus and immediately emerged as a leader. Thornton is a vocal leader who Longhorn players have embraced and respect. He knows how to use his hands and has been very disruptive on defense.
--- Former McNeese State cornerback Darion Dunn has made an instant impact as well. Dunn was described as competitive, high-energy, fast, a player who does not make mistakes and does everything the right way. Dunn is expected to compete for the cornerback spot opposite Josh Thompson.
--- Texas senior safety Brenden Schooler has made a smooth transition from receiver. Schooler began his college career at Oregon as a safety. He started at safety in 10 games as a freshman and finished with a team-high four interceptions. He also registered 74 tackles (47 solo). That might be why Schooler was described as a safety who makes plays this week. So far, Schooler has looked good as a defensive back.
--- Two freshman defensive backs who were praised this week are Jamier Johnson and JD Coffey III. Johnson was described as a player who is a good listener and makes his presence known. In addition, Coffey was described as a player who does everything with a purpose. There appears to be several talented players in Texas’ DB room.
--- Junior defensive lineman Keondre Coburn is listed at 348 pounds but currently weighs 339. His goal is to lose weight every day until he is somewhere between 325 and 330 pounds. The staff told Coburn they do not want to take him off the field, which is why the defensive lineman is actively trying to lose weight. Coburn’s goal is to lose a little bit of weight each day.
--- Senior defensive lineman Jacoby Jones has gained a reputation as a play-maker during practice. He has shown the ability to get past offensive linemen and record a sack or tackle for loss.
--- Thompson has made a lot of plays in practice. He has earned the reputation as a player who records at least one interception during every practice.
--- The buzz around sophomore David Gbenda continues to increase. Gbenda was described as a great communicator and his teammates have high expectations. That coincides with Alex Dunlap’s recent report: “It feels like David Gbenda is a similar highlight to the other side of the football. He's talked about in a disproportionate way indicating he's following up on his uber-productive (albeit on a small sample snap-wise) 2020 campaign by taking advantage of a situation where Juwann Mitchell has transferred and Demarvion Overshown is out for the spring. If Las Vegas sportsbooks had prop bets on who linebacker starters were going to be for Texas in the fall, I'd feel like Gbenda would be an excellent bet you might be able to get at plus-odds.”
--- There was a lot of high praise for Christian Jones this week. Jones was commended for winning a lot of battles during practice. Coburn said Jones “destroys” opponents.
--- Junior Angilau weighs between 313 and 315 pounds and has physically matured into an offensive lineman. Coburn was impressed by Angilau’s development.
--- Freshman tight end Gunnar Helm has been mentioned multiple times this week. He was described as a player with great size (6-foot-5 and 231 pounds) and has excelled as a run-blocker. That coincides with the information relayed to Dunlap this week. Also, freshman tight end Juan Davis has a bright future as well, according to those who have watched practice.
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(From Suchomel)
With the update of the recruiting board on Thursday morning, let’s go through each position on the board for an update of where things stand.
Quarterback
Commitments – 1
Remaining Needs – 0 or 1
Maalik Murphy – Gardena Serra (Texas commitment) – The Longhorns locked him up early and while he hasn’t put up eye-popping numbers in his team’s spring season, he has led Serra to a 3-1 record and he’s been playing much better each week, including throwing for 301 yards and 3 TDs (0 INTs) last week.
Running Back
Commitments – 1
Remaining Needs – 1
Jaydon Blue – Klein Cain (Texas commitment) – Blue committed early and has remained solid with his decision. Like a lot of others in this class, it won’t be a huge shock to see him visit some other places once the dead period is finally lifted just to make sure he made the right decision, but he’s a guy who has had Texas atop his list for a long while so there’s no real need for concern.
Tavorus Jones – El Paso Burges (45%, UP) – In talking to Jones this week, Texas is still in a good spot but he’s a bit more open than he was early in the process. The Longhorns are the only visit he has on the books, so that’s a good sign, but he does want to narrow his list and take other visits before making a decision. If the June visit goes well and the staff can ease any potential concerns about being in the same class as Blue, UT’s chances will go way up.
Jamarion Miller – Tyler Legacy (30%, DOWN) – Miller told us recently that he was talking to other schools more than he was Texas, and it sounds like he’s focusing most of his attention elsewhere. This is one I could see changing if Texas wanted to put on the full-court press, but right now it’s trending the other direction.
Emeka Megwa – Fort Worth Nolan Catholic (20%, DOWN) – At last check, Texas wasn’t one of the schools he mentioned as standing out.
Zach Evans – Rockwall-Heath (25%) – He really likes Texas so this one could change if the staff pushes, but right now it looks like Jones is the top priority for the second RB spot.
Wide Receiver
Commitments – 1
Remaining Needs – 3 or 4
Armani Winfield – Lewisville (Texas commitment) – Winfield has been really good on the camp and 7v7 circuit this spring. Texas may have to work a bit to hold onto his commitment but when I spoke to him recently he was pretty happy with his decision.
Evan Stewart – Frisco Liberty (35%, DOWN) – I may be underselling UT’s chances a bit here because he does still like Texas and really likes Sarkisian’s offensive success, but it’s not often that a guy decommits from one school only to recommit. I’m expecting movement both ways in this one in the coming months.
Kevin Coleman – St. Louis St. Mary’s (35%) – He said earlier this spring that Alabama was the team to beat but he’s kind of backed off that stance. That’s good because the Tide might be UT’s biggest competition, but with Coleman not planning to decide until January of next year I’m keeping the percentages where they were previously.
CJ Williams – Santa Ana Mater Dei (45%, UP) – I’m not sure who would be the favorite in this one, but I’m also not sure there’s any school I’d put above Texas. USC is always going to be a factor for a Mater Dei kid but with Williams planning to visit Texas in June, that’s reason to give the Longhorns a bit of a bump.
Jordan Hudson – Garland (40%) – Hudson’s still committed to Oklahoma but he is planning to take an official visit to Texas in June. Normally that might be cause enough for a bump in UT’s chances, but I had him at a pretty high 40% already after having talked to him in Arizona earlier this year.
Nicholas Anderson – Katy (25%) – Not much new to report for me with Anderson. He’s supposed to be at the Rivals camp this weekend so I’m hoping to catch up with him there. He did recently tell Rivals of a group of schools he’d like to get out and see and UT wasn’t mentioned, so 25% seems pretty fair.
Brenen Thompson – Spearman (35%, UP) – Thompson doesn’t say a whole lot and I’ve been trying to pin down his visit plans, but his mom has been pretty pro-Texas on social media lately, so that’s worth a bump in UT’s chances.
Tetairoa McMillan – Anaheim (CA) Servite (25%) – People out West say McMillan is a tough kid to read. He’s really not overly involved with recruiting, doesn’t say much about what he’s thinking and is generally tough to read. Texas is looking to get him on a visit and Maalik Murphy is trying to help there. If that happens, UT’s chances will obviously go up.
Shazz Preston – St. James (LA) (30%, UP) – Preston has a Texas official visit set and the Longhorns recently made his cut to a final seven. He moved from the “Offered and on the radar” section to the actual board.
Tight Ends
Commitments – 0
Remaining Needs – 0 or 1
Holden Staes – Atlanta Westminster (25%, DOWN) – Staes doesn’t say much, but there’s really been no buzz on him that I’ve heard other than Notre Dame could be surging for the former Penn State commitment.
Arlis Boardingham – Lake Balboa (CA) Birmingham (25%) – I moved him to the tight end section (from WR). I’ve reached out to Boardingham a few times but haven’t heard back. Hard to give Texas much more than a 25% chance until he at least sets up some sort of visit.
Offensive Linemen
Commitments – 0
Remaining Needs – 4 or 5
Kam Dewberry – Atascocita (40%) – I feel like my initial percentages on the linemen were pretty good, so not a lot of movement on these guys. Dewberry is a guy who likes Texas, but I’d bet on the field right now. He does want to take things slowly so there’s plenty of time for movement here.
Devon Campbell – Arlington Bowie (60%) – I still like Texas’ position, but in talking to Campbell this spring he’s not the lock that Texas fans were hoping he was. He’s supposed to visit Texas at some point in June but hasn’t locked in a date yet. He does have trips on the calendar for USC and Oklahoma.
Kelvin Banks – Houston Summer Creek (55%, UP) – Banks has a Texas official set for June and in talking to him recently, he told me Texas was the school he rooted for growing up and it was always a “diehard dream” to play for the Longhorns. Tough competition here, mostly from A&M, but I’m giving Texas a slight edge though I’ve been told there is some confidence in College Station.
Malik Agbo – Federal Way (WA) Todd Beamer (40%) – Agbo really likes Texas and the Longhorns are expected to get a visit at some point, so this is one we’ll be watching closely.
Jacob Sexton – Edmond (OK) (25%) – The Longhorns are in his top five and he doesn’t seem like he’s an OU lock at all, but it feels like it would be tough for Texas to pull this one out.
Neto Umeozulu – Allen (25%, DOWN) – When I spoke to him about a month-and-a-half ago, he talked highly of Texas (and several others) and he wants to study business, so that should help UT’s chances. That being said, there just hasn’t been much Texas buzz with him lately and Allen isn’t a school that has sent a lot of kids to the Forty Acres.
Cole Hutson – Frisco (50%, UP) – I’ve heard the Texas re-offer was one that really caught Hutson’s eye, so the Longhorns’ chances are trending up here. I want to get a bit more confirmation, possibly when I see him this weekend, but I might even be underselling UT’s chances.
Connor Robertson – Westlake (75%) – I had UT’s chances high with Robertson to begin with, and I still have the Longhorns as the leader. Robertson is planning to visit some other campuses though to see how he feels about those places, so this one’s not a stone-cold lock.
Aliou Bah – IMG Academy (25%, UP) – Texas recently made his list of favorites so that puts him on the board. I need to track him down to get a better feel for how serious he is about UT, and vice versa.
Earnest Greene – Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco (30%, UP) – Like Aliou Bah, he moves onto the board since there’s some talk that he could visit Texas at some point with Maalik Murphy.
Defensive Ends
Commitments – 0
Remaining Needs – 3 or 4
Omari Abor – Duncanville (25%, DOWN) – From what I’ve heard, Abor just isn’t that enamored with Texas and really never has been. Oklahoma or Ohio State are the smart bets here.
Jaray Bledsoe – Bremond (45%, UP) – I expect this one to come down to either Texas or Texas A&M in the end, but I think A&M is probably the team to beat right now. There has been some OU buzz late this week due to his relationship with Calvin Thibodeaux so I may have to adjust this one on the next update to account for the Sooners more seriously.
Zac Swanson – Phoenix Brophy Prep (65%, UP) – I’ve written about Swanson a couple times this week and mentioned on Sunday I liked UT’s position. Still do, especially if he visits this month like he’s planning to do.
Ernest Cooper – Arlington Martin (35%) – He plays things pretty close to the vest but in talking to him, Stanford would appear to be the clear leader here. (On Thursday afternoon, he actually eliminated Texas so you can take him off the board).
Jadon Scarlett – Flower Mound Coram Deo Academy (35%) – When I connected with him last week, he told me he didn’t have a Texas visit set up yet. I’m hoping to see Scarlett at the Rivals Camp on Sunday so should have a better feel for him after that.
Defensive Tackles
Commitments – 1
Remaining Needs – 1
Kristopher Ross – North Shore (Texas commitment) – Ross gave the Longhorns a commitment last month and seems pretty locked in, although he has told me he might take another visit or two to fully experience the recruiting process.
Domonique Orange – North Kansas City (35%) – Not much new to report here, although he has told Rivals that he has a legit interest in the Longhorns. We’ll make this one a bigger priority if he ever gets to Austin for a visit.
Linebackers
Commitments – 1
Remaining Needs – 3 or 4
Trevell Johnson – Arlington Martin (Texas commitment) – Johnson is going to take a couple unofficial visits (Oklahoma State, Texas Tech), but I don’t think there’s really any reason to worry about this one after having talked to him a few times since his UT commitment.
Harold Perkins – Cy Park (40%) – He’s supposed to visit Texas in June but I’ve always thought A&M was the team to beat and I haven’t heard anything of late to change that opinion, although Texas is definitely within striking distance.
Kip Lewis – Carthage (35%, DOWN) – Texas is still in it, but Lewis is very open and I may have overstated UT’s chances on my first installment of the board, so I bumped him down a bit.
Martrell Harris Jr. – The Woodlands (30%) – Harris doesn’t say much so I don’t have a great feel for where he’s leaning.
Derrick Brown – Texas High (30%) – In talking to Brown recently, he does have a strong interest in Texas and he has a UT OV set for June, but I still feel like OU is the team to beat here.
Niuafe Tuihalamaka – Mission Hills (CA) Bishop Alemany (40%, UP) – When I saw Tuihalamaka earlier this year, it was before he had released his top five, but he told me off the record he knew Texas would definitely make the cut. That tells me the Longhorns are closer to the top of that group than they are the bottom, and the fact that he has a Texas official visit set for June is another strong indication of his UT interest. I still favor Notre Dame here, but Texas might be a pretty close second.
Ish Harris – Pilot Point (35%, DOWN) – He really likes Jeff Choate, he has a UT official visit set up but I think the Longhorns are trailing Oklahoma and A&M as it stands right now. My money would be on one of those two if I was betting today.
Jeremy Patton – Tenaha (40%, UP) – He’s new to the board so he’s in the “UP” category and he has some family that really likes the idea of him at Texas. I could see the odds on this one going up quickly if Texas makes him a top priority.
Defensive Backs
Commitments – 2
Remaining Needs – 2 or 3
Jaylon Guilbeau – Port Arthur Memorial (Texas commitment) – There was a brief period after the coaching change when Guilbeau thought about opening things up but Terry Joseph has done a good job of winning him over and solidifying his commitment.
Bryan Allen Jr. – Aledo (Texas commitment) – The one-time LSU pledge seems locked in with his Texas commitment.
Bryce Anderson – Beaumont Westbrook (65%) – Anderson told OB this week that he’s not deciding until after he takes his official visits. If that proves to be true, the 65% mark will probably come down a bit, but Texas is still the team to beat for the Rivals100 member regardless.
Denver Harris – North Shore (60%, UP) – I know a lot of people have him pegged for the SEC and maybe Alabama, but I’m going against the grain a bit with this one and raising my odds for Texas based on a couple things I’ve heard in recent weeks.
Terrance Brooks – Plano Pope John Paul II (50%, UP) – He’s got several schools in consideration so it’s hard to make any final predictions with any real confidence, but I’m not sure I’d put any of them above Texas right now.
Austin Jordan – Denton Ryan (30%) – Texas is in his top three, but the Longhorns might be running third in that one. Oklahoma is the trendy pick in this one.
Jacoby Mathews – Ponchatoula (LA) (40%, UP) – I’m bumping UT’s chances but I still can’t bring myself to list Texas as the leader based on what some sources in Louisiana have told me. Lots of conflicting opinions in this one, but the bottom line is that Texas is one of the few that should be considered very strong contenders.
Cristian Driver – Argyle Liberty Christian (30%) – Driver’s a bit of a ghost so I can’t honestly say I have a great feel for this one, but with so many others higher on the board, it feels unlikely right now that he’ll wind up at Texas.
Jarred Kerr – Lexington (25%) – He was intrigued when the previous staff offered, but things have been pretty quiet with him lately.
Chace Biddle – Garland (30%) – He’s a teammate of Jordan Hutson’s so OU looks good if Hutson sticks with the Sooners. If not, things could get interesting.
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(From McComas)
I haven’t seen Chris Beard’s to-do list for this week, but I know one thing is on it: recruiting the current Longhorns. Haven’t been able to confirm the specific day, but Beard made a trip this week to Minneapolis, Minnesota to meet with Jericho Sims’s family. And the new head coach didn’t just want to say hello and build up lost flight time for some airline perks. He wanted to pitch Sims’s family on their son returning to Texas for another season.
At the end of the season, Sims, who finished the season playing his best basketball as a Longhorn, was strongly leaning towards turning professional. NBA scouts noticed the senior’s strong play and end-of-season intel suggested Sims was likely to be selected in the second round. However, Beard has given Sims and his family something to think about. Among the new head coach’s pitch was a future that included being a top 20 pick after another season at Texas, and it sounds like the recruiting attempt is at the least making Sims and his family genuinely consider a return, which means Texas’s chances are higher than they were two weeks ago.
As for Andrew Jones, I’ve heard the guard is excited about the arrival of Beard and also Rodney Terry, who the family goes way back with. Beard has been in daily contact with Jones and the future Texas offense under new direction is much, much more appealing to Jones than another season of last year’s offense would have been. I think the plan remains for Jones to go through the NBA Draft process, receive feedback and go from there with a return to Texas being the most likely result.
Another guard Beard has been in daily contact with is Courtney Ramey, who is currently on campus and is in the gym multiple times a day trying to get better. The new Texas head coach has also been in consistent contact with Courtney’s father, Terrell, and I’m told those conversations are going very well. The son of a coach, Courtney is all about winning and being coached hard. Sounds like a match with his new head coach. Speaking of good matches for Beard, Brock Cunningham already declared himself locked in with Texas.
As for the rest of the Longhorns (and just because I didn’t mention them like the ones above doesn’t mean anything. Sources specifically confirmed those tidbits), I’m not quite sure. Matt Coleman’s plan after the season was to turn professional and a source told me he has a hard time envisioning Coleman playing with anyone but Shaka Smart in college. Donovan Williams and Kamaka Hepa are both in the NCAA Transfer Portal. Jase Febres was very likely to return before the coaching change.
Things are surprisingly quiet around Greg Brown. A NBA source told me there are some whispers he might entertain a return to college but that wouldn’t necessarily mean it would be at Texas. Considering the plan for well over a year was for Brown to go to Texas and then to the NBA, a reversal would be a big surprise. But so was the end of this past season and his draft stock dropping.
I asked a couple of sources if the best word to describe everything - roster, recruiting, coaching staff - happening as “fluid” was fitting and I was greeted with a resounding ‘yes.’ Over the next few days, I do think we’ll see some sort of official designation about coaching staff roles.
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