THREE THINGS WE LEARNED
1. Texas’ recruitment of Parker Braun was nearly flawless
Coming into last weekend’s UT official visit, I was told by a source close to Georgia Tech graduate transfer offensive lineman Parker Braun that he’d likely continue to let the process play out a bit and take official visits to Florida and Ohio State. After 48 hours in Austin with his parents, Braun was completely won over and he committed to the Longhorns before ever leaving campus to head back home.
So what prompted the change of heart in Texas’ favor? I’m told that the visit was a success on every level, and when it came down to it, Braun just didn’t have a single unanswered question after spending time with the Texas coaches, strength staff, academic staff and support staff. This was truly a group effort and every single level won over Braun and his family.
“Parker was feeling really good, then on Saturday when he sat with coach (Yancy) McKnight, he was really just very much like Parker in their thinking and their processes. It felt like there was a really good connection between the two of them,” a source said. “He’s just a really good guy.”
Braun and his family held Ohio State strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti in extremely high regard, but after spending time with McKnight, they came away feeling he’s right there with Marotti in being one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the entire country.
“He runs a really good program,” I was told of McKnight. “Parker didn’t have any concerns with (McKnight) getting him to where he needs to be.”
The confidence and respect in Tom Herman and Herb Hand obviously played a huge role in the decision, but I’m told the family couldn’t have been more impressed with the organization and thorough presentations waiting for them at every turn.
“Everyone was really impressed by the professionalism. They know their numbers, know their craft there. Even their secondary guys (non-coaches) were fantastic. Parker likes organization. If there was something on the itinerary, something Parker wasn’t really interested in doing, boom it’s gone. The academic part was phenomenal. She knew here stuff, was right on the money. Garrett Graf, the GA Parker went around with, he knew his stuff. Great guy. Parker just knew the transition would be smooth and fluid.”
Ultimately, before he left campus, Braun felt Texas checked every single box on his list of priorities, to the point he didn’t need to see any other programs.
“He got the answers he wanted. At the end of day, the question was ‘Do (you) want to keep going through this process, what do (you) think is missing?’ … Sometimes you just feel like you resonate with coaches, with players, feel like you’re in a really good place. Sometimes you just know it.”
Braun did talk to the Texas coaches about the possibility of redshirting if that is the best option for both the UT program and Braun’s long-term future. Nothing has been decided at this point, but if he was to redshirt, it would give him an extra year in McKnight’s program, an extra year to work under Herb Hand and get familiar with his coaching, plus a second year to work towards his graduate degree. The possibility of having that redshirt option was something that was big in Braun choosing Texas and giving an earlier commitment than he had originally planned. In fact, the way the coaches looked out for Shane Buechele’s interest in the 2018 season, allowing him to redshirt before transferring, was a factor in Braun developing trust with the UT staff, feeling they’d do the same for him if it was in his best interest.
Bottom line … Texas’ recruiting efforts were pretty much flawless in this one and I’m told Braun and his family couldn’t be happier with his decision, especially his mother, who has Texas roots.
“She’s Texas through and through. She is just beside herself, in seventh heaven,” I was told. “Everyone is overwhelmingly excited and stoked. … I can’t imagine anyone from Texas who wouldn’t love the idea of their kid playing for the Longhorns.”
2. Braun will bring some experience and an aggressive style of play to the Texas offensive line
I checked in with Kelly Quinlan of JacketsOnline.com to get his impressions of what Parker Braun will bring to the table for the Longhorns.
“He was just a really aggressive player as an offensive lineman. He enjoyed getting into scraps, getting guys to the ground,” Quinlan said. “He enjoyed when people talked smack, going back at them and getting in their face. Even games they were losing, like Duke last year, he almost got in a fight. They had a weird situation where they gave up three straight scores off of offensive turnovers. It had been a tie game for most of game, then a Duke player started talking and (Braun) almost popped the guy. He’s been kind of the quiet leader of that room for the last few years. He doesn’t talk a lot, doesn’t have social media, barely has a cell phone. He’s just kind of his own guy. He’s a really unique personality, says what’s on his mind. He’s kind of a throwback player from twenty years ago. That’s how I’d describe Parker.”
In my early conversations about Braun when he first entered the transfer portal, I was told that he’s a player who will go as hard on the last play of the game as he does on the first. I asked Quinlan about that reputation.
“They played in the bowl game, got their butts kicked by Minnesota, but he was in there grinding the whole game, even through the last drive. They had a chance for a late touchdown, he was still grinding. His mentality - go 100 percent, 100 percent of the time. I’ve never seen him take a play off. Are there deficiencies? Sure. He’s very good at cut blocking, run blocking, pulling and running in the run game. Pass protection is something he’ll have to work on, but he knows it and he’ll work hard at it.”
Braun played guard at Georgia Tech and while that’s likely where he’ll line up at Texas, he has talked to Hand about the possibility of cross-training at center in case he’s needed in a pinch, and to possibly help his market value for the NFL. Wherever he lines up, Quinlan said he’ll bring toughness and a strong work ethic to the Texas line.
“I don’t k now if he’ll play center or not. It will be interesting to see what the Texas coaches decide to do with him with his play. But make no mistake, he’s the toughest offensive lineman (Georgia Tech) has had since Shaq Mason, who plays for the New England Patriots and has for years.”
3. Texas moved up CB Jalen Kimber’s list after Saturday’s visit
Mansfield Timberview cornerback Jalen Kimber took an unofficial visit to Texas on Saturday, and it sounds like the Longhorns made a very strong impression. In talking to Kimber on Sunday at The Opening regional camp in Dallas, he said Texas has moved up his list and is now one of the schools he’s strongly considering.
“Well, after that visit, Texas jumped up a lot. A&M is still up there. TCU. Notre Dame, they’re high on my list too. They’ve been recruiting me a lot and I’m going up there in April,” Kimber said.
Kimber checked in at 6-0 and 170 pounds at Sunday’s camp and turned in the day’s highest “football rating.” He also recorded a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash and won the fastest man competition late in the day.
As for the Texas visit, Kimber said there was a lot to like.
“The overall experience, the overall tour, from education, from the film, from how they live out there, just the environment, it was amazing,” Kimber said. “They told me that they need DBs. They just told me how I could fit in, if I go there I could probably play early.”
Kimber isn’t sure yet on spring visits but said he’ll talk to his family about those and likely set some up. He’d like to make a pretty early decision.
“I may do something this summer. I want to commit before the season,” Kimber said. “I don’t want to wait because I want my relationship to be strong wherever I go.”
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TWO QUESTIONS
1. What’s the latest with Texas QB commitment Hudson Card?
Lake Travis standout Hudson Card has been committed to Texas since May of last year. That’s not changing … he’s completely locked in with his UT pledge.
Last weekend, at The Opening regional camp, Card put on a passing performance that earned him an Elite 11 invitation. Card’s accuracy and ball placement rivaled any quarterback at the event and while he backed up his lofty ranking and reputation, he said there are always things on which he can improve.
“There are just small tips here and there. No one’s perfect, and I’ll continue to grow,” Card said. “My feet, for example, sometimes are off target. Just little things like that to continue to grow on.”
The 6-2, 170-pound Card has been a regular visitor to the Texas campus ever since he committed. Living so close to campus has allowed him the luxury to stop by for various recruiting events, for practices, games and to spend time with the coaches in the film room.
“It’s a big advantage. I can even go up there whenever I want and help them recruit,” Card said. “It’s only a short 30 minutes away, so I can go down there whenever and help out with anything they need.”
Speaking of recruiting, Card has already identified a couple players he’s targeting to join him in the 2020 class.
“We have three o-line commits and Mookie Cooper as our slot receiver,” Card said. “I’m still working on Chad Lindberg and Zach Evans, some people of that nature. We’ll see.”
Card liked the trajectory of the Texas program when he committed 10 months ago, and after what Texas did in defeating Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, he’s expecting the Longhorns to continue their upward climb.
“I thought that was really big, for us and the program,” Card said. “I thought we did well overall and I think we’ll continue to get better every year, but that Georgia win was big for us.”
2. Is Texas a realistic option to flip Jase McClellan?
Aledo running back Jase McClellan has been a longtime Oklahoma commitment … as in going on nearly two years. But McClellan has also maintained all along that he was keeping an open mind. In fact, I remember interviewing him at a couple camps this time last year when he mentioned he’d be taking other visits and was still in close contact with the Texas staff.
I caught up with McClellan this week and it’s more of the same – he still feels good about his OU pledge, but he still wants to see other places. About a month ago, he was in Austin for an unofficial visit and he said he’ll take official visits in the spring and the fall.
“It’s still 100 percent with (Oklahoma). I still love it up there and I’m still committed,” McClelland said, before again confirming he’ll continue to see other programs. “I’ll just take visits and see what coaches are showing me, just continue to look.”
Along with Texas, McClellan mentioned schools like LSU, Georgia and Penn State that he still talks to. As for his recent UT visit, he said it was another chance to spend some time getting to know the Texas staff and its plans for him should McClellan choose the Longhorns.
“It was good one on one time with coach (Tom) Herman, sitting down and talking to him, just talking about my placement with them and just getting to know him,’ McClellan said. “They just tell me they really want me there and I’ll be a good running back for them, and I’ll get plenty of playing time as a freshman.”
The longer McClellan’s commitment to OU holds, it does seem like it’s going to be tough for any school to pry him away from the Sooners. If it’s going to happen, McClellan said early playing time would be a big part of his decision, which is something Texas should be able to sell with ease.
“It would just be how much playing time I’d be able to get and my placement, and overall comfort with them,” McClellan said of what it would take for any school other than OU to win him over.
At last weekend’s The Opening regional in Dallas, McClellan turned in an impressive 123 football rating (second at the camp) thanks in part to a 3.9 shuttle and 4.5 40-yard dash time.
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ONE PREDICTION – Texas lands Ja’Quinden Jackson
I’m a bit torn on this one because Duncanville standout Ja’Quinden Jackson was clear when I talked to him on Sunday that he wants to play quarterback at the next level, and Texas already has a commitment from Hudson Card in the 2020 class. Taking two talented QBs in one recruiting class is always challenging, but we’ve seen Texas do it before, and both Jackson and Card are extremely confident in their abilities and good enough athletes they could possibly help out in other areas if quarterback didn’t work out.
The biggest reason I think the Longhorns have a great chance here is simply me trying to read the tea leaves. When I asked Jackson which schools were recruiting him the hardest as a quarterback he immediately responded with: “Texas” … pause … “and Oklahoma.”
Tough one to predict because Jackson doesn’t tip his hand much and the Longhorns will face some tough competition here, but I’m certainly not going to doubt UT’s chances and the vibe here is that the Longhorns have a great shot if they can manage the discussion of taking two QBs in this class.
