Let's call it grapevine talk, but I was told by someone I trust that there was a feeling among team members that the amount of work required to be successful at Texas - both in the classroom and as a football player - was something that may have been that was tough for McCoy to deal with. I'm not saying that was THE overriding factor in his leaving (homesickness, other stuff), but words like "constant grind" and "non-stop" were used to describe the off-season work the Texas players put in and the tweets from some players saying the Texas culture isn't for everyone seem to back that up.
Initially, I was thinking that not having McCoy around to help sell Texas to other recruits may be a bit of a setback. But in discussing it with someone last night, I'm kind of leaning the other direction a bit.
Think about it ... Texas is trying to bring in a certain type of player to the program who can fully buy in and embrace the work it takes to be successful. Let's say a recruit is on campus ... the coaches (and players) can be honest and tell them, "Being a part of this program is not easy. It's no joke, but if you're willing to put in the work you'll be part of something unique and you will maximize your abilities and come out stronger." They can point to players who have grown, and they can point to a high-profile player (like McCoy) who wasn't a fit and left. Basically, there are no favorites being played, regardless of your reputation. If that scares a player off, so be it ... he probably wasn't going to cut it at Texas to begin with.
I'm officially ready to turn the page on this story, but I did find it interesting that there was a vibe among some on the team that the amount of work the team puts in doesn't mesh well with every player, and that could have been a factor for Bru. If that's true, fans should feel pretty good about the toughness and culture that continues to be built at Texas.
Initially, I was thinking that not having McCoy around to help sell Texas to other recruits may be a bit of a setback. But in discussing it with someone last night, I'm kind of leaning the other direction a bit.
Think about it ... Texas is trying to bring in a certain type of player to the program who can fully buy in and embrace the work it takes to be successful. Let's say a recruit is on campus ... the coaches (and players) can be honest and tell them, "Being a part of this program is not easy. It's no joke, but if you're willing to put in the work you'll be part of something unique and you will maximize your abilities and come out stronger." They can point to players who have grown, and they can point to a high-profile player (like McCoy) who wasn't a fit and left. Basically, there are no favorites being played, regardless of your reputation. If that scares a player off, so be it ... he probably wasn't going to cut it at Texas to begin with.
I'm officially ready to turn the page on this story, but I did find it interesting that there was a vibe among some on the team that the amount of work the team puts in doesn't mesh well with every player, and that could have been a factor for Bru. If that's true, fans should feel pretty good about the toughness and culture that continues to be built at Texas.
