THREE THINGS WE LEARNED
1. Vernon Broughton is excelling in his first semester at UT
Technically, once players arrive on the UT campus they’re off-limits for interviews in any setting that doesn’t go through Texas’ media relations department (mostly press conference settings). Recruits are fair game up until the day they move into their dorms, but once an early enrollee is officially on the Forty Acres as a student, they’re off limits. So, while freshmen early enrollees are home during the current shutdown, they’re still a no-go on interviews.
I was curious this week how some of those true freshmen were handling things now that they’re basically quarantined at home, so I checked in with Yolanda Wells-Broughton, mother of Texas freshman early enrollee Vernon Broughton. Yolanda’s always a pleasure to talk with, and she was kind enough to give me some time to talk about how she, Vernon and Vernon’s two siblings are handling themselves during these uncertain times, as well as Vernon’s first couple months as a Longhorn.
On how they’re holding up:
My mother lives about maybe seven blocks away from me. So they’re all back and forth from my house to her house. They’re at my house one day, they’re at her house the next day.
On what’s been keeping Vernon busy:
Actually, we’ve got a little regiment going. Vernon spends a lot of time studying. Vernon’s probably spending anywhere from seven to eight hours a day between Zoom meetings, position meetings, football meetings and class, and writing papers. He’s been having to write a lot of papers here lately, and a lot of Zoom meetings. Our house is pretty chaotic.
On Vernon’s workout regimen:
The kids’ district made that they were going online permanently, regardless. They have grades per week so they get a little agitated because somebody is working on this and somebody is working on that, Vernon’s still working out like twice a day for the most part. Their dad comes over in the morning and will work them out for about an hour, hour and a half. All the siblings get together. I have a vacant lot next door to me that I own so Vernon's the player coach that leads the kids in the neighborhood. A few kids will come over as another athlete from the PAC 12, they come over and work out a couple kids while practicing social distancing, running through the neighborhood, things of that nature.
On what it’s been like for Vernon to have to return home after being on campus for two months:
Vernon is handling it pretty well. I think what it did was, being that he had just finished school in December, he just left in early January. So it's been an adjustment, but I think Vernon felt like, ‘I’m back at home.’ He doesn’t have as much time as he had during the Christmas break. But one thing I have noticed about Vernon, when he's gone to his meetings, he’s like ‘I’ve got to be early because to be early is to be on time.’ If my house is too loud, he’ll go to my mom's house for a meeting or some things so he can more peace and quiet without his little brother interrupting. But Vernon hasn’t really shown a whole bunch of emotion and I think it's because of his time being occupied.
On how Vernon was liking life at UT before the coronavirus pandemic shut things down:
I’m going to brag a little, but I'm so proud of Vernon because he maintains As and Bs. His Bs were really high. I constantly got updates from the staff or the academic staff. I guess they get some kind of arrow going up and the guys would get either that or an arrow going down. I guess that's what's reported to the football coaches from the academic side. I would constantly get message saying that he's exceeded expectations, attending, tutoring, being on time and things of that nature. So, you know, football does matter. It just didn't matter to me at that point because I know that the foundation has been laid and everything else will fall in place there. And I really had to ask him, how was football? Coach Giles, I would ask him, how is it going, where is he? He would say ‘He's doing good. He's making some mistakes,’ but I said that’s fine, as long as he makes them while going 110 percent. Every kid is going to make mistakes. So I really felt like either Vernon was just ready for this opportunity, or he matured really quickly and embraced it. So I'm just really proud of him and he still has As and Bs as of last week.
On the support Vernon has received from UT:
I really appreciate the Texas staff, because if Vernon says he needs something, they're getting it to him. He needed tights. He needed stretch bands. Vernon literally needed clothes. We went to Washington for his Watkins Award, and Vernon never went back (to Austin). We flew to DC on March 12, which was a Thursday morning. So Vernon left Wednesday night and hasn't been back since March 11. His clothes, shoes, everything is still there (in his dorm). Vernon didn’t have anything here other than some old stuff from high school, and I had already put that stuff in storage.
On Vernon missing football and the time around his UT teammates:
He’s working out with one (teammate). He was before they really cracked down on social distancing stuff. Him and a player from Episcopal in Houston were training together. Then a couple others were training together over at Justin Allen’s. He does (miss the football). He has expressed that he misses hanging out with the guys, just missing football period.
2. Texas continues to put out-of-state offers on the table at a rapid clip
It’s an interesting recruiting cycle for a number of reasons, mostly because of the amount of unknowns with the 2021 class in terms of visits and scheduling. There’s some thought that you may see a number of players decide to stay closer to home due to the ongoing pandemic, but that sure hasn’t slowed Texas down from recruiting a large number of out-of-state prospects.
On the surface, it may seem a bit odd, but it does make sense if you step back and look at things from a different angle. We’ll see how much it matters in the end, as I would still fully expect the overwhelming majority of UT’s 2021 class to come from in-state talent, but the numbers are interesting. According to the Rivals.com database, Texas has offered a total of 131 players in the 2021 class. Only 55 of those offers are to in-state prospects, meaning 42 percent of Texas’ current offers are to Texans, with 58 percent going to out-of-state players. That number may seem high, but it’s actually right in line with the split in 2020 (41 percent in-state, 59 percent OOS) and considerably lower than the ratio in 2019 when 31.6 percent of UT’s offers went to in-state prospects.
While the numbers are on par with the past couple of years, this year does feel a bit different, mostly because the out-of-state offers have been flying off the shelf in recent weeks. So what gives?
For one, the Texas staff has a lot more time available right now to evaluate film on players all over the country. Coaches are still busy with meetings and things, but there’s no spring football to eat up their time and recruiting has actually taken on an added importance.
Also, those out-of-state offers are having an impact. Just about every prospect I’ve talked to that has picked up a UT offer has said his interest in Texas is genuine, and most have said they plan to give the Longhorns a visit at some point. Again, we’ll see how much of that holds true, but Texas is still a brand name that carries a lot of weight with recruits all over the country.
Throw in the ties that Texas’ new coaches have to other parts of the country, or connections to recruits they were targeting at previous stops, and the recent run on out-of-state offers makes a lot of sense. Could the 2021 class wind up looking like the 2019 group, which featured 14 out-of-state players in a 26-man class? I’m not expecting that, but it won’t be for lack of interest in players outside the Lone Star State.
3. Recent defensive line offer Dallas Turner has a strong interest in Texas
Speaking of out-of-state offers, Texas extended a scholarship to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas defensive end/linebacker Dallas Turner on Thursday, and he says he has a strong interest in seeing what UT has to offer.
“I was really shocked when I got the news they offered me,” Turner said. “I was surprised because it’s not often that people get offered by Texas down here in Florida. It’s a blessing. I’ve always thought highly of Texas. That’s a school I could see myself playing for.”
Turner is listed as a linebacker by Rivals, but said he was offered by Oscar Giles as more of an edge rusher. As for what he knows about UT, Turner is familiar with some of Texas’s history.
“Vince Young. Earl Campbell. Ricky Williams. Just the history behind the school, and how people value the University of Texas,” Turner said. “Texas has a big name behind the school.”
The 6-4, 222-pound Turner said he hasn’t formally narrowed his list, but noted that schools like Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Michigan, Texas and Florida are standing out. He’ll most likely take all five official visits and said Texas has a good shot at getting one of those trips.
“They’re up there now. They’re up there,” Turner said.
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TWO QUESTIONS
1. What are UT’s chances with new offer Arden Walker?
On Sunday night, Texas extended a scholarship offer to Greenwood Village (CO) Cherry Creek defensive lineman Arden Walker, and it turns out this one’s been in the making for a while.
“I’ve been talking to coach (Oscar) Giles for a while,” Walker said. We kind of started talking around December. He sent me a message and I gave him a call (on Sunday) and that’s when I got the offer. I’m supposed to get on the phone with head coach later this week to make it official.
“It kind of caught me by surprise. We’ve just been staying in contact, keeping him updated on things I’ve been doing. We’ve just been building that relationship.”
I asked Walker if Giles told him what he saw in his film that made Giles want to offer, and Walker said it was a combination of things after the coaches went back and watched more of his junior film.
“They went through my film. He was just being honest, said he liked my take off, my pass rushing for sure,” Walker said. “The whole staff went through some of my games, kind of gave me an honest viewpoint, where he thought I could go.”
And where does Texas fit in now that the Longhorns have offered?
“They’re definitely up there at the top. That would be another opportunity to play in front of my family,” Walker said. “I shared the news with my family down in Houston. My dad is from Houston.”
Walker’s father, Arthur, played for the Colorado Buffaloes and the Oakland Raiders. Arthur was nearly a Longhorn before switching his commitment at the last minute.
“The crazy thing, originally, my dad was going to Texas” Walker said. “At the last minute, coach (Bill McCartney) came in and got my grandmother, sold her on Colorado.”
Walker was supposed to take an unofficial visit to Texas this spring before recruiting visits were put on hold. He said UT will “for sure” get a visit when the restrictions are lifted.
“I’m definitely about tradition, winning tradition. That’s something that sticks out to me in terms of recruiting. I’m a guy who likes to win. (Texas) sees me as someone who can help them get back on top,” Walker said.
Prior to the ongoing dead period, Walker was able to take a handful of visits, including stops at USC, Texas A&M and Oklahoma. He said distance won’t be a factor in his decision, and he kind of likes the idea of seeing someplace new.
“I’m really willing to go anywhere,” Walker said. “It’s based on me and my comfortability. I have no problem leaving home. I’m a person who likes to explore.”
2. Is Texas a player for new DB offer Damond Harmon?
Highland Springs (VA) DB Damond Harmon was another recent out-of-state offer for Texas. Like the other prospects I’ve talked to, he said Texas is a school that will draw consideration as he works through the process.
“Coach (Chris) Ash texted my phone, told me to call him. He was talking about Texas and the program. Then he let me know I had the offer,” Harmon said. “When I got the text, it was crazy. I didn’t know what to expect. When we got on the phone, I pretty much knew what we were getting into, but it was crazy.”
Harmon said Ash told him he liked his film, liked his versatility and views Harmon as someone who could play anywhere in the defensive backfield.
“They’re high on my radar. I haven’t made a top 10 yet. But that’s good for them, because I get to do more research,” Harmon said. “As of right now, they’re pretty high on my board.”
The 6-0, 170-pound Harmon doesn’t have a firm timeline for when he’d like to make a decision but said if things go well, he could see himself making a commitment next fall.
“I’ll probably make my decision around September or October. September is the beginning of the season, feels like it’s a good time to for a player to be committed. And October is my birthday,” Harmon said.
Prior to the current dead period, Harmon took visits to places like Ohio State, South Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. He’s currently holding around 25 scholarship offers and said he’s willing to play anywhere in the country that provides a good opportunity.
“I’ll play anywhere. As long as it’s somewhere that gives me the best chance to get on the field. And some place that will give me a good life after football,” Harmon said.
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ONE PREDICTION – Jonathon Brooks commits to Texas in the next two months
I’ve long-believed that Hallettsville running back Jonathon Brooks was Texas’ to lose, and after talking to Brooks this week those feelings are as strong as they’ve ever been. A few new schools have picked up their recruitments of Brooks and Texas Tech is still in the picture, but Texas was Brooks’ first offer and it’s getting harder and harder to see him anywhere other than Texas. Initially, Brooks was in no hurry to decide, but this one feel like it could go down by early summer if Texas pushes for an early commitment.
