(Ketch)
A few things to get us started...
* I tried to turn over a thousand rocks on Thursday to try to acquire any and all last bit of Intel that I could on Friday's decision by five-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench out of Jacksonville. No one seemed to know anything concrete, but seemed to assume that he'll announce for the Longhorns. One LSU-connected source told me that the LSU coaching staff isn't expecting a commitment tomorrow, but believes that they'll have a chance to flip him in December. One Texas source indicated to me that he was unsure about how tomorrow will go, even if all of the buzz seems to be pointing in UT's direction. Scroll down a little more on Ffrench in @Suchomel's section.
* I talked with a source with direct knowledge of 2025 5-star linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng's recruitment on Thursday and was told that Texas likely has a heavyweight puncher's chance if he makes his reported official visit to Texas on the weekend of the Georgia game. The common believe in this recruitment is that Owusu-Boateng would follow his big brother's lead and head to Notre Dame (with Michigan running second), but the longer his recruitment plays out, the more people in the recruiting industry believe a surprise could occur.
* Just to reiterate a point I've made this week regarding Hitchcock three-star defensive lineman Malcolm Simpson, I'm told that the Longhorns coaching staff re-engaged with him last week and gave indications that they are going to come after him hard in the closing months of the recruiting process. If they are as aggressive in the pursuit of Simpson as the staff indicated to Simpson, sources with knowledge of his recruitment believe there's a very, very good chance he will flip from Nebraska to the Longhorns.
* Checked in with a source with knowledge of Michael Terry's recruitment less than an hour before posting the War Room and was told that nothing has changed. Texas is still the team to beat, but Nebraska's visit late in the summer went well enough that Terry wants to check out the Nebraska/Colorado game before announcing any decision. The source indicated that he believes he just wants to check out the game and doesn't actually view the Huskers as a significant threat.
* In talking to one NIL source this week, there's still a feeling that a number of schools that have landed key Texas 2025 targets have overcommitted from an NIL standpoint and don't actually have the money in place to deliver on promises. There's a strong sense that schools have made NIL promises with the hope that the money will eventually come in, but that a number of these promises are resting on a house of cards and could fall apart at any moment. One such school mentioned is Florida State. Just something to file away.
* Had a source tell me this week that I shouldn't pay any attention to who starts the game at wide receiver on Saturday for the Longhorns and to simply pay attention to the reps and targets. "Johntay (Cook) and Deandre (Moore) haven't done anything to lose their jobs, but they are going to have to perform like crazy to keep Silas (Bolden) off the field. Every player at that position knows that it will either be put up and shut up, but Sark isn't going to rock that boat full of egos before the season even starts."
* The same source mentioned that the safety position is very similar to the wide receiver position. "We got four dudes that can all be starters," the source said. "If anyone struggles at all, Jelani McDonald could pass go, collect $200 and never look back. He had an excellent camp."
(Memo to all sources: If you use a Monopoly metaphor, I will 100% include it in the War Room.)
*****
(Anwar)
* I was told Texas running back Tre Wisner had a good week of practice and there are high hopes he will receive a healthy workload against Colorado State on Saturday. Everyone inside the building is pleased with Wisner’s development during the offseason.
* One person told me the staff wants to limit Jaydon Blue’s touches in the season opener. Obviously, Texas only has a handful of running backs entering this season and Sarkisian does not want to risk the health of his starting running back. I was told not to be surprised if we see a healthy dose of Blue’s backups against Colorado State.
* There is a feeling inside the building that Jerrick Gibson is improving every week. Gibson fumbled during the first scrimmage, which caught the attention of the staff for all the wrong reasons. However, Gibson’s ball security has improved and the staff wants their running back to receive meaningful carries as the season progresses.
* One person told me that Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers was “lights out” during practice this week. Ewers is seemingly dialed in and ready for the season opener.
* Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian praised receiver Johntay Cook during his media availability on Thursday morning. Sarkisian said Cook had a good camp and is light years ahead of where he was a year ago. In addition, Sarkisian said Cook is in better shape, understands the offense, and can play any position on the field. However, Cook has been working with the first and second team during practice before this season. Cook is one of multiple receivers who are either a starter or backup based on the package called by Sarkisian. Players have been told not to worry about who starts because all that really counts is the reps they receive during each game.
* The Longhorns spent their last scrimmage preparing key offensive line backups to play during the regular season. Texas backup left tackle Trevor Goosby received the majority of first-team reps as Kelvin Banks rested during the previous scrimmage. It appears Goosby was the only backup who received first-team reps this past Saturday.
* Texas Edge Barryn Sorrell has stood out during practice this week. One person told me “The light may have finally come on.” There are high hopes for Sorrell from the staff entering this season.
* This note is not a huge surprise. Nevertheless, I was told Jaylon Guilbeau is this team’s best corner.
*****
(Suchomel)
* The big recruiting news this week is the upcoming decision from 5-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench, who is set to announce on Friday morning at about 7:25 a.m CST. Texas, Miami, LSU and Tennessee are the four finalists. French is smart enough that he throws out some mixed signals to keep people guessing, and that happened again this week behind the scenes when he insinuated that his decision will come down to Miami and LSU. I’m not buying it. LSU is out from what we’ve been told. Tennessee is not expected to be a factor. This one has been Texas and Miami for a while and we continue to like UT’s chances despite Miami not throwing in the towel.
* Ffrench made the jump to No. 16 in the nation and 5-star status in the most recent Rivals.com rankings update. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst John Garcia on what makes Ffrench so special: “I think he’s a very complete wide receiver prospect, that’s something we don’t see or really talk about a lot in this trajectory rankings business. It’s always about what’s going to happen two or three years down the line. With Ffrench, you get a high floor. He’s big, physical, polished, has great hands. He plays with a Floridian edge that you want to see. He’s a willing blocker. He wants the football, wants to be an alpha, which is always big at that position.
“I’ve seen him dominate at just about every setting. .. he has the resume that stretches over as wide of a period of dominance as any receiver in the country. There are a lot of comps for him, I’m more in the Keenan Allen lane with him. He’s a polished , lengthy receiver who might not create separation with the most God-given speed and explosiveness, but with his route running he can create separation at all three levels.
“That said, he can still improve a ton in between the time he suits up in college. He can fill out more, enhance the strengths that make him a great route runner, be more physical, get stronger at the catch point, become an even better blocker. All of those things will come with some added bulk.”
* There’s been an ongoing flirtation between Myron Charles and Texas, but things really are getting interesting with the current Florida State commitment. Charles told OB this week that he’s planning to be at the Texas game against Georgia. With FSU off to a slow start and losing to Georgia Tech, Texas’ chances probably went up and one source expects that to continue.
“Charles has always been a little more open,” the source said. “What Florida State has right now is kind of like what Texas has, it’s the benefit of the doubt of being clear best team in the state. Once that changes, all bets are off for the types of things that can keep guys solid.”
* There’s a national report out that 5-star linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng will take a Texas official visit the weekend of the Georgia game (makes sense, IMG Academy is off that weekend but we’re still working to confirm).
Owusu-Boateng announced a top five of Florida, USC, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Michigan in late June. Most people feel he’ll wind up at Notre Dame, where his brother played, or Michigan. In checking around today, I’m told not to rule anything out. “He’s in no rush and the SEC very much appeals, so I wouldn’t overlook it,” one source said.
* With it being the first game of the season, a somewhat early kick and a number of prospects expected to be in College Station for the Texas A&M-Notre Dame game, we’re not expecting this to be a huge visit weekend for the Longhorns. That’ll change for future games, but here’s a look at some of the players expected in Austin this weekend …
DB Caleb Chester – Fort Bend Marshall (Texas commit)
RB Keilan Chavies – Hutto (2026)
WR Jordan Clark – Manor (2025)
TE/DE Eddie Robinson – Manor (2025)
DE Damien Godley – Manor (2025)
DT Jackson Blackwell – Lorena (2025 Baylor commitment)
DT Ayden Johnson – Mount Pleasant (2026)
LB Michael Dent III – Del Valle (2026)
LB Jayson Cannon - Denison
DB Jamarion Vincent – Waco Connally (2026)
DB Dylan Davis – Lewisville (2026)
DB AJ Marks – IMG Academy (2026)
ATH Nicholas Tramble – Aldine Davis (2026)
ATH DeCorian Thompson – Mount Pleasant (2026)
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