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TCH Austin:
1. Friday 11/23- $20K GTD 6-Max Turkey Shoot Mega Satellite Tournament (2 seats guaranteed!) @ 7pm
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Saturday 11/23- $130 + $20 Re-Entry Tournament with $3,000 GTD @ 1pm. $2,000 GTD Free Roll @ 6pm.
(From Anwar)
Nobody associated with the Longhorn program expected to be in this position prior to the season. Heck, not after a loss against LSU. There was still optimism after the Oklahoma loss. Texas was still in the Big 12 title race after the setback against TCU. There will still a lot of hope prior to facing Iowa State.
A win against Iowa State, coupled with Oklahoma defeating Baylor, would set up a major game on Saturday. If Texas handled its business against Iowa State, a win against Baylor on Saturday could have moved the Longhorns to second place in the Big 12.
That is what this weekend was supposed to be about.
Instead, Texas is competing for a moral victory on Saturday. The game is about trying to win three straight games and finish on a high note. Texas could finish 9-4 if all goes well. It will not compare to the success of last season. Texas will not raise a banner for that achievement. However, Texas football coach Tom Herman could point to winning one less game than last season, while battling through injuries and youth, losing close games against two Heisman Trophy candidates, as a small accomplishment. Again, it will not please the masses. It just means this season may not be viewed by fans as a total disaster.
My sources described the loss to Iowa State as a gut punch.
Nobody expected the offense to struggle the way it did. They were disappointed by the breakdowns on defense. Another tough pill to swallow was the critical errors late in the game on both sides of the ball when there was still an opportunity to win that game.
In addition, knowing Oklahoma defeated Baylor hurt, too.
As you can imagine, the players were down on Sunday. When you go from being in the national title conversation early in the year to the possibility of playing in the Texas Bowl again, it is hard to get excited. It was especially difficult for the seniors who found themselves in a familiar place.
What is there to play for?
I asked my sources that question this week and received several answers.
--- First, I was reminded of how this team struggled in year one, but found a way to defeat Missouri in the Texas Bowl. Everyone I spoke to is optimistic that players who were on that team will find the same motivation they had during the 2017 season.
--- Pride is another motivating factor. Iowa State was more physical than Texas, and this is not the first time the Longhorns have been pushed around this year. I was told offensive players are not happy about not responding to the physicality in the past game, and nobody wants to be embarrassed against Baylor.
--- One source said Herman emphasized winning the next two games against in-state teams, and finishing with a winning record against Texas squads this year (Rice, TCU, Baylor and Texas Tech). I asked that source if that is really something that players care about, and was told it was an achievement they were stressing this week. Hey, do not shoot the messenger.
--- In addition, I was told players are motivated to beat a top-25 team.
In fact, Herman said the team’s confidence level is very high when asked after practice on Thursday.
“We have shown to ourselves what we're capable of,” Herman said. “It would be different if we were losing ball games by 30 points, or if we had lost more than we have right now. They know what we can be. We’ve seen it. We've proven it to ourselves. Our challenge this week was to look inside of ourselves and be very mature and humble. It takes a lot of maturity and a lot of humility to look within yourself and really find your areas of deficiency. Then it takes a whole other level to put forth the effort to rectify those deficiencies, and a whole other level of maturity and humility that if you don't know how to rectify it, really dive into those issues with your coaches and get it fixed.
“I thought our guys have responded really, really, well. Again, it's not about getting knocked down. It's how you respond when you get knocked down. They're really confident, mainly because we have seen what we can be. We just need to figure out, individually and collectively, how to perform at that level on a much more consistent basis.”
******
When a team struggles during the regular season, signing a solid recruiting class can help fans feel better about the offseason.
The former regime struggled on the field, but Longhorn fans enjoyed the “avalanche” of signees in back-to-back recruiting classes. It was the only bright spot among bad losses during that time span.
Texas recorded top-five signing classes the past two years, and the program was trending in the right direction prior to four recent decommitments. The Longhorns have struggled on the field against Kansas, TCU, and Iowa State recently. The big question is whether or not Herman and his assistants will avoid losing players who are verbally committed to Texas before the first signing day in December?
More importantly, I wanted to know where Texas stood with running back Bijan Robinson.
I asked my sources if there was any concern about Robinson’s commitment after falling to 6-4. Robinson committed to a program that was expected to have a breakout season after finishing with 10 wins last year. However, Texas is expected to miss the Big 12 Championship Game in 2019, and the staff is hoping to pull off a win against Baylor this weekend.
After checking in with my sources, there does not appear to be any concern around losing Robinson. I was told running backs coach Stan Drayton and Herman are in constant communication with Robinson. My sources believe Texas is in a good position to sign the running back next month.
Of course, Robinson told multiple outlets he is interested in visiting LSU and he’s still talking to Ohio State. He has not set up an official visits. However, Robinson has not ruled out the possibility of visiting other programs.
I asked Herman after practice on Thursday what the message was to recruits. He said it has not changed.
“You have an opportunity to come get an elite education in the number one city in America,” Herman said. “Be developed. You know when we're playing the way that we're capable of playing, we've got an opportunity to compete for championships. So, the message, really will never, never change.”
Good luck, Suchomel.
******
One of the biggest topics among Longhorn observers this week has been the staff changes Texas football coach Tom Herman will likely make after this season.
Herman has prided himself in being able to keep his original hires on staff since his first season. After the first season, Herman hired former Auburn assistant Herb Hand to coach his offensive line. However, Herman did not have to fire Derek Warehime or any other assistant to hire Hand because that is when the NCAA increased the amount of assistant coaches from nine to 10. Instead, Warehime was moved to tight ends coach, and he became Texas’ special teams coordinator prior to this season.
Time will tell if Herman makes changes immediately after the season, waits until after the first signing day, or tries to get through the bowl game. Coaches usually start moving around after the regular season. Texas’ season finale against Texas Tech is on November 29.
When Herman finally does make staff changes, it will mark the first time he has fired a coach. Herman hired receivers coach Darrell Wyatt at Houston after Drew Mehringer left his staff to become the offensive coordinator at Rutgers. In addition, he added Hand at Texas. This is going to be the first time Herman removes a coach from this staff.
That brings us to former Kansas coach David Beaty.
I was asked about Beaty’s status multiple teams after the loss against Iowa State. Beaty was expected to join Texas as an analyst this season. However, Kansas attempted to derail Beaty’s career by alleging its former coach had an analyst provide on-field instructions to Jayhawks quarterbacks, plus coaches up players in meeting rooms, which is an NCAA violation. Basically, Kansas turned in Beaty with the hope it could avoid paying his $3 million buyout with an NCAA infraction.
Of course, Beaty is represented by Dallas-based attorney Michael Lyons, which means Kansas will probably wish it just cut a check after he is done.
I asked my sources if Beaty’s situation could be resolved within the next two weeks, and it appears there still is nothing new to report.
The Kansas City Star reported the Jayhawks were still violating the rules they admonished Beaty for, but the university did not see it the same way:
“The Star sent video of the two practices to KU athletic department, which responded that it reviewed the clips and gave them to the Big 12 Conference compliance office for additional review. In a statement, KU Athletics said ‘it was determined that the actions in these videos do not constitute a violation.’”
“David Ridpath, associate professor of sports management at Ohio University and a former compliance director for both Weber State and Marshall, also viewed the video clips and told The Star that these are impermissible actions by a football analyst.
“Anybody can look at that and say that he is conducting coaching activities,” he said.”
If you ask an attorney, lawsuits can be resolved when you least expect it.
I will keep you posted.
******
Texas is two weeks from the season finale. After Texas Tech, the coaching staff will hit the recruiting road. The major goals will be to sign a top recruiting class in December, get young players reps during bowl game preparation, plus win that contest.
Nevertheless, there is a new activity affects every college football program in December.
The transfer portal.
Every program experienced the college version of free agency when the NCAA created the transfer portal last year. The system was designed to give players who wanted to transfer freedom that previous athletes never experienced. After years of being at the mercy of college coaches, the portal was supposed to be the great equalizer.
It turned into chaos.
Players were putting their name in the portal just to see what might happen. Some intended to leave. Others wanted to examine options. Coaches were forced to re-recruit players they wanted to stay. They also let disgruntled players walk away.
Last season, running back Kyle Porter, quarterback Cameron Rising, quarterback Shane Buchele, running back Toneil Carter, running back Tristian Houston and defensive lineman Michael Williams were among the notable players who left Texas via the transfer portal. Recently, receiver Jordan Pouncey and offensive lineman Javonne Shepherd entered the transfer portal.
I asked my sources if people inside the building were taking any preventative measures with college football free agency right around the corner.
The first thing I was told is they work year-round to keep tabs on players and address any concerns they may have. Even though Herman met with every freshman player during the last bye week to coach them up and answer questions, it does not appear there will be anything similar for Longhorn incumbents.
Once source me, “You’re going to lose players every year. People have to get used to that. You can (attribute that) to society, the NCAA, and other factors. Regardless, it’s going to happen.”
As a result, the Longhorns factor that into recruiting, and their current roster. It is basically a numbers game.
That does not mean Texas will let every player leave without a fight.
When Casey Thompson went into the transfer portal, the staff worked hard to retain him. Texas co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tim Beck flew to Oklahoma to meet with Thompson and his family to address their concerns. However, nobody fought to keep Joshua Rowland when he decided to enter the transfer portal.
With college football free agency about to begin, one source told me they are not expecting a mass exodus. They expect to lose players, even though I was not given any names. More importantly, staff members do not anticipate a line out the door next month.
In other words, get your popcorn ready.
******
(From Suchomel)
We’ve officially crossed the one month threshold until the early signing period begins (December 19-21). With Texas being on the road for the second consecutive week, there hasn’t been a ton of recruiting movement this week, so we thought this would be a good time to go position by position to see where things stand as we head down the home stretch of the first leg of the recruiting race.
QUARTERBACK
Commitments (2)
Hudson Card – Lake Travis – Card is still working his way back from a foot injury and is hopeful he can be ready sometime during Lake Travis’ playoff run, which started with a win over Smithson Valley last week. As far as recruiting is concerned, there’s really not much to report. Monday will mark 18 months since he gave Texas a pledge and he’s never once looked around. He’ll graduate in December and will arrive to the UT campus in about two months.
Ja'Quinden Jackson – Duncanville – There was some chatter a few weeks ago (presumably from OU people) that the Sooners will still working Jackson but when OB talked to him a couple weeks ago, he said he was still locked in with Texas. LSU and Kansas are still giving chase but Jackson said he’s not really worried about that stuff, is focused on his season and fully plans on signing with the Longhorns. With Duncanville expected to make a deep playoff run, there won’t be any time for Jackson to take visits before the early signing period comes around (not that he’s expressed any interest in other visits). Assuming he signs in December, this one looks like it’s done despite any rumors that have popped up.
On the radar: None
RUNNING BACK
Commitments (2)
Bijan Robinson – Tucson Salpointe – Salpointe plays Arizona state powerhouse Chandler this week in the semifinals of the Open Division of the Arizona State Championships. If Salpointe wins, they’ll play for the title on December 7, which would leave only next weekend and December 13 as open dates that Robinson could take any other visits, should he decide to do that. Bijan has said the right things publicly about his Texas commitment, including when OB talked to him recently, but he’s also been pretty open that Ohio State and LSU are still in touch, and he’s even mentioned the possibility of giving LSU a visit (if you’re wondering, the Tigers are at home next week when Salpointe would be off). I’m taking Robinson at his word in that he’s going to stick with Texas and sign in December, but the door is cracked just enough in this one that it’s impossible to ignore those two other schools, especially with the way they’re playing and with Texas having some struggles. Obviously, the best situation for Texas is that Robinson doesn’t take an LSU visit next weekend or in December and shuts it down in December. If he does make a stop in Baton Rouge (nothing has been set up) or if he decides to wait and sign in February, things could get interesting. Texas is doing a good job of staying in close contact, alleviating any potential concerns and fending off the others. Longhorn fans need to hold on and hope that trend continues over the next few weeks, which will be huge.
Ty Jordan – West Mesquite – Jordan’s senior season is done and everything seems to be fine after he gave the Longhorns a commitment in mid-September. The speedy playmaker is expected to sign in December.
On the radar:
Kaedric Cobbs – Denton Guyer – Cobbs visited UT the week of the Kansas game and the staff told him it’s not out of the question that Texas would take a third back. That would be a bit surprising and it would probably be a late decision based on numbers, but he’s a guy worth watching.
WIDE RECEIVER
Commitments (3)
Quentin Johnston – Temple – Johnston’s senior season came to an end last week, but the ultra-athletic receiver seems completely locked in with his commitment. Look for him to sign in December.
Troy Omeire – Fort Bend Austin – Omeire was one of the biggest surprise stories of this recruiting cycle when he flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to Texas. He’s been very pro-UT on social media, he’s set to enroll early so there’s nothing to be worried about here.
DaJon Harrison – Hutto – The Horns’ newest commitment will sign in December and he’s not interested in listening to any other schools. Harrison told me shortly after he committed that a December graduation was still a possibility. He wants to start at receiver so I’ve got him in this group, but he’s a guy who could wind up in the defensive backfield as well.
On the radar:
Loic Fouonji – Midland Lee – In talking to Fouonji last week, he really doesn’t have a recruiting plan and he doesn’t know when things will come to an end. Midland Lee is still in the playoffs, but he said that’s not really a deterrent for him to make a decision. This one still feels like it’s going to be Texas or Texas Tech, but Fouonji hasn’t ruled out any other schools just yet. I honestly don’t have a good read on this one. I know there’s some confidence from the Texas Tech side, but I keep thinking if Fouonji wants to play on a bigger stage and get the best computer engineering program degree he can, Texas should be the obvious choice. Tough one to call but my guess is we have our answer in the next few weeks. He’s mentioned waiting until February to decide but that would surprise me a bit. If I’m forced to pick right now, I’d probably go with the Red Raiders but I don’t have a lot of confidence in that prediction.
Kelvontay Dixon – Carthage – The one-time Arkansas commitment is officially back on the market and all signs point to Texas, assuming the staff pushes for him to make a decision. Carthage should make a deep playoff run so Dixon probably won’t have a chance for an official visit before the December signing period, but he probably doesn’t need it either. Schools like Baylor and Houston are still involved as well.
TIGHT END
Commitments (0)
On the radar: None
OFFENSIVE LINE
Commitments (4)
Logan Parr – San Antonio O’Connor – Parr and his teammates’ season came to an end last week with a tough, overtime loss. He’ll sign in December and enroll in January.
Jake Majors – Prosper – Majors and Prosper won their playoff opener. Like Parr, he’ll sign in December and enroll in January.
Jaylen Garth – Port Neches-Groves – Garth missed his entire senior season with a knee injury but told us a few weeks ago he was about to dump the crutches and was on schedule for his recovery. He’s another one who is locked in with his commitment.
Andrej Karic – Southlake Carroll – The more I see of this guy, the more I think he has the highest upside of any lineman Texas has on its commitment list. Shoutout to the support staff and Herb Hand for a tremendous evaluation. Karic rarely talks but I know he bonded with the other commits when he came to a game earlier this season and he’s been very pro-Texas on social media, so he seems locked in.
On the radar: None
DEFENSIVE LINE
Commitments (2)
Vernon Broughton – Cy Ridge – Broughton’s senior season is over. There was a time early on when it felt like he might be one to watch with other schools trying to vulture him (mostly because he went back and forth during his recruitment) but Broughton has never looked back after giving UT his commitment. He’ll sign in December and enroll in January.
Van Fillinger – Draper (UT) Corner Canyon – Draper and his teammates will play for a state championship tomorrow night. He actually committed to Texas one day after Broughton did back in July. Utah is still sniffing around here and Fillinger is definitely listening. He’s scheduled to take his Texas official visit December 13, which could be huge in this one. He’s looking to visit Utah before he signs as well but the weekends are limited, especially if the Utes are playing in the Pac 12 Championship game on December 7. Tough one to predict … the Utah interest is real and the in-state program has a lot to offer.
On the radar:
Alfred Collins - Bastrop Cedar Creek - Not much new to report here from when we talked to him last week. Collins was in Waco for the OU-Baylor game and he's planning to be back for Texas-Baylor this week. The Bears are trying to get in the mix, but Oklahoma and UT still hold the commanding lead. He's not planning to decide until close to the February singing day, so there's still room for movement in this one. It's a very close race right now.
Octavious Oxendine – Radcliff (KY) North Hardin – Nothing is locked in yet but his coach did say about a month ago Oxendine would like to take a Texas official visit (he’s already visited unofficially) and he told me again this week there’s a very gooda chance Oxendine could be in Austin on December 13. In fact, there had been talks that Oxendine would be brought in earlier in the fall but things got pushed back to that weekend, per his coach. I’d expect other names to pop up soon depending on how things look with Fillinger.
LINEBACKER
Commitments (1)
Prince Dorbah – Highland Park – No surprise here, but Dorbah and his team are still alive in the playoffs. Every time I’ve talked to Dorbah, including a few weeks ago, he’s completely happy with his commitment. He’ll sign with Texas in December.
On the radar:
Jaqwondis Burns – IMG Academy – He visited Texas and Uah in recent weeks and will take his final visit to Ole Miss on December 6. After that visit, he’ll decide if he wants to stay committed to Ole Miss or flip to the Longhorns or the Utes. Texas made a very strong impression when he visited a couple weeks ago and UT would get him back to being close by his family, but Burns has said he will not make a decision until after that Ole Miss visit.
Maureese Wren – Tyler Junior College – He’ll be at Louisville this week for an official visit and has Nebraska set for December 6. Wren is supposed to be in Austin for the Texas Tech game and if Texas decides to pick up the intensity and extend an offer, he’d jump at it immediately.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Commitments (3)
Kitan Crawford – John Tyler – The talented corner is completely locked in and not looking at anyone else, despite attempts from schools like Tennessee.
Jerrin Thompson – Lufkin – The Panthers lost a tough one, falling in double overtime in the first round of the playoffs. Thompson is completely locked in and will be an early enrollee.
Xavion Alford – Pearland Shadow Creek – Another team that should make a deep playoff run, Alford is rock-solid with his commitment. He’ll be another early enrollee.
On the radar:
Kelee Ringo – Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro – Not much knew from what I reported in my 3-2-1 earlier this week. Ringo is expected to take a Texas official visit in December but the Longhorns have ground to make up on Georgia and maybe even Oregon. Ringo really does like Texas, the UT players and the coaches, but this one feels like Texas needs some things to fall its way and things need to start with winning the next two games to show some progress.
ATHLETE
Commitments (1)
Jaden Hullaby – Dallas Timberview – Hullaby’s senior season came to an end last week in the first round of the playoffs. He’s never looked back after giving Texas a pledge back in March.
