1. Texas may have found itself a bit of a hidden gem in Keithron Lee
New Texas wide receiver commitment Keithron Lee hasn’t received a ton of attention for a number of reasons – he doesn’t do a lot of interviews, his stock really rose after a strong senior season, he doesn’t exactly play at a traditional powerhouse in Bryan Rudder, and he committed on Christmas morning.
Taking a deeper look into the 5-10, 170-pounder, there’s quite a bit to like …
--- Sometimes people get too caught up in the measurable and lose sight of the fact that some guys are just good football players, plain and simple. The NFL is as guilty of this as anyone. In Lee, his 5-10 frame isn’t going to have scouts drooling, but the guy is extremely productive, logging 65 catches for 1,139 yards and 16 touchdowns in just 10 games as a senior. He also averaged 8.5 yards on 65 carries and scored 9 times as a rusher.
--- Lee is a very natural catcher of the football who doesn’t appear to have to fight the ball the way some “athletes” do. He has soft hands, he high points the ball exceptionally well in traffic and has a knack for using his body (or his hands, subtly) to create separation just as the ball arrives.
--- He’s not going to be confused with Jaylen Waddle, but Lee has a nice combination of short burst speed and top end speed. Because of that combination, he’s a threat in a number of areas. Wide receiver run game? Check. Deep throws where he stretches the field and runs by a defender, or makes a contested catch? Check. Wide receiver screen or short hitch where he can quickly turn it upfield for a big gain? Check. If we’re comparing him to someone on the roster presently, he’s more Joshua Moore than he is Jake Smith or Jordan Whittington … a guy with good speed, a natural “feel” on the field and someone who can play inside or outside.
--- Lee is a tough runner after the catch (even willing to shove his own teammate to the ground to clear his path). He’s effective in running through traffic with his elusiveness, but isn’t afraid of contact either when he need to break through a tackle or fight for an extra yard or two.
2. Calvin Johnson is a player to watch for a potential late offer
The safe bet would appear to be on Texas commitment Ishmael Ibraheem signing his letter of intent in February, assuming his legal issues are behind him at that point. If Ibraheem does officially join the class, it’s possible the Longhorns could stand pat with two cornerback signees (Ibraheem and Jamier Johnson). But with the loss of Kenyatta Watson, and the possibility that others could always follow through the transfer portal, taking another athlete who could help in the secondary wouldn’t be the worst decision.
One player who has been in touch with Texas cornerbacks coach Jay Valai is Calvin Johnson. The French Camp (MS) Academy athlete is committed to Navy, but he’s seen a flood of new offers pour in after a standout 2020 season. Texas is one of the programs that has been in communication with the 5-11, 180-pounder.
“It’s been just getting to know me. We’ve talked a little bit, just a little bit on twitter and he got my number,” Johnson said. “We texted a little bit, just getting to know each other.”
Johnson has picked up offers from programs like Penn State, Florida State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Iowa, Virginia and Northwestern in the last couple months. He committed to Navy back in June, but is keeping an open mind as new schools continue to enter the picture.
“I’m definitely considering my options,” Johnson said. “I just want to find the best place for me, so I’m definitely considering other options as well.”
Johnson visited the Mississippi State campus earlier in the year. He’ll visit Northwestern on Tuesday and said he plans to hit some other campuses in January. If Texas was to offer, he said the Longhorns would draw strong consideration.
“If Texas would offer, I would consider them a lot. It’s a great program. I’d definitely consider them strongly,” Johnson said.
A versatile athlete, Johnson is being recruited by different programs for a number of different roles – defensive back, wide receiver, return specialist, quarterback. He has a preference but said he’s not locked into playing any one position.
“I prefer playing offense, but over anything, I love the game of football. I’ll play either side,” Johnson said.
Along with being a very good football player, Johnson’s also strong academically. He wants to study business or possibly go pre-med, and has taken note of the McCombs School of Business.
“I have been looking into that. I’m very impressed. That would be very important to me,” Johnson said. “Academics are very important in my decision, so that would be very important to me.”
The home state schools might be tough to beat, but with Johnson planning a trip to Northwestern this week, that tells me that he’s not locked into a decision, and he’s willing to leave the state if the right opportunity presents itself.
“Distance isn’t a problem for me. The biggest thing is fit,” Johnson said. “My parents have already said wherever I go, they’ll be at every game. I’m open to going anywhere so distance really isn’t a factor at all for me.”
3. Grad transfer OL Brian Foley continues to have an interest in Texas
Holy Cross offensive lineman Brian Foley entered the transfer portal in November and he told us earlier this month he’d been in touch with Texas offensive line coach Herb Hand. We checked in with Foley this week for an update …
The 6-4, 314-pound Foley appears to be closing in on a decision, and while Texas hasn’t offered yet, he has spent quite a bit of time communicating with the UT staff. Should UT decide to offer, I get the sense the Longhorns would be major players in Foley’s decision, but that offer would have to come soon, possibly even this week. Foley’s hope is that after Texas plays its bowl game, he’ll have a better feel for where he stands in terms of possibly landing that offer.
Last week, he visited Duke and told me he “had a great visit.” Vanderbilt offered him last week, and he had a Zoom call with Hand and Mike Yurcich a little more than a week ago.
“I thought it was going to be a quick 5-10 minute call but it was 90+ minutes. It was a hell of a presentation, and then we broke down some film and watched some game footage,” Foley said. “It was pretty cool.”
Foley was told that Texas sees him as a swing man who could play any of the five positions along the line if needed.
“They like my physicality … and keep preaching senior leadership, which is needed next year,” Foley said.
Things between the UT staff and Foley have been quiet since the Zoom call. We’ll see if that changes in the next few days. If not, he’ll probably move on to other options.
“Seeing more and more players enter the portal and spots filling up, I’m definitely getting closer to committing but still want to weigh out all my options,” Foley said. “I would like to commit before the New Year but everyone is busy and with the portal and bowl season it’s overwhelming. I’d say it’s safely Texas, Vandy, Duke and Northwestern in no particular order at this point.”
I’ll keep you all posted if anything heats up with Foley and Texas.
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TWO QUESTIONS
1. Who are the three Texas commits that people might be sleeping on the most?
1. Morice Blackwell – An easy choice for the top spot for me. Blackwell flies around the field and truly plays sideline to sideline. If he can bulk up a bit and keep his speed, which shouldn’t be a problem, he’ll outplay his three-star classification.
2. Byron Murphy – He gets overlooked a bit because of his lack of size, but this guy is ultra-productive. I could see him having an impact similar to other “shorter” d-tackles that Texas has featured, guys like Poona Ford, Roy Miller and Casey Hampton.
3. Jaden Alexis – Speed. Texas needs it, Alexis has it. The Longhorns haven’t always had great luck with prospects signed out of the state of Florida, but Alexis has the athleticism and mental make-up to be very successful at the next level.
2. Who are the three Texas commits that aren’t guaranteed to live up to their recruiting ranking?
1. Ishmael Ibraheem – Unfortunately, this one’s an easy call for obvious reasons. Ibraheem needs to take care of his off-field issues first, and even if that gets sorted out he’s not a lock to live up to his No. 153 national ranking without some continued development.
2. Ja'Tavion Sanders – I know what you’re thinking … that it’s blasphemous to have Sanders on this list, so hear me out. He’s the Horns’ highest-rated signee so living up to his billing won’t be easy. And he’s a guy that hasn’t yet settled on a position. For him to truly maximize his potential, he’ll likely need to focus on either offense or defense. His highest ceiling is on defense, but he seems pretty determined to have some sort of role on the offensive side of the ball.
3. Jamier Johnson – He won’t even get to play his senior season and missed five games of his junior season, so he’ll be behind in terms of development. He flashes decent speed on his junior highlight film, but you don’t ever really get to see him just turn on the jets so his speed at the next level is still a bit of a concern.
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ONE PREDICTION – The Big 12 goes 5-1 in bowl games
My predictions on the outcomes of the bowl games involving teams from the Big 12. I can’t believe I’m writing this, but I’m expecting the teams from the conference to hold up pretty well. As always, if you’re a betting man, do the opposite of what I predict.
Miami 31 – Oklahoma State 28 (OSU is favored, but this feels like a game where Gundy stumbles.)
Texas 31 – Colorado 24 (In Sam I trust.)
Oklahoma 38 – Florida 34 (The Gators are favored, but I’ll take the Sooners in an upset.)
West Virginia 27 – Army 20 (Kudos to any of you who actually watch this one.)
TCU 30 – Arkansas 23 (I’ll take Gary Patterson with some extra time to prepare.)
Iowa State 30 – Oregon 27 (Same theory as Gary Patterson applies to Matt Campbell.)
