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(Anwar)
* Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian is taking a calculated approach to his team’s road trip to Alabama this weekend. I was told Sarkisian is doing everything in his power to ensure Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers does not do too much against the Crimson Tide. Sarkisian has encouraged the players to view this contest like another road game. He wants Ewers to remain calm as he enters the biggest road game of his college career and is optimistic his team will follow the quarterback’s lead.
“Quinn's had a really good week,” Sarkisian said. “I think he has a firm understanding of the game plan and what we're trying to do, whether it's our base stuff, there’s third-down, fourth-down, and obviously the red area. It's tough to go beat teams like that on the road without your quarterback playing well. Hopefully, we can find a rhythm for him and create some opportunities to take some shots, and that rapport with his receivers can shine through because you've got to play a complete game. You can't be a one-dimensional team. Like I said, I think we're a really versatile team. I think Alabama's a very versatile team. Both teams can win games a variety of ways, but naturally, you need a complete game to go and to try to win a game like this.”
* Everyone inside the building is aware of Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe’s scrambling ability. According to Alabama, “Jalen Milroe has accumulated 222 yards on 30 carries across his two career starts and the Arkansas matchup last season when he took over before halftime for Bryce Young. Milroe is averaging 7.4 yards per carry and has recorded three touchdowns as a rusher with scores from three, 21, and 13 yards.”
However, the biggest question mark about Milroe entering this game is his passing ability. The redshirt sophomore accounted for five touchdowns, including two rushing and three passing, in the season-opener against Middle Tennessee State. The staff has a plan of attack as relates to Milroe. Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and Sarkisian have a strategy they believe will work. Without getting into details, Milroe will need to beat Texas with his arm.
* Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian said Cole Hutson was practicing with the team this week. Barring a setback, those inside the building expect Hutson to start against Alabama on Saturday.
* ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit on whether Ewers’ deep passing ability in Sarkisian’s offense is key to this year’s game …
“Last year, I think a lot of people wondered how that offense would do against Alabama, and I think a lot of people were, I know I was, kind of taken back in that first quarter when the ball was just flying all over the place. And Quinn, to me, he was in a real rhythm there early prior to that injury and that hit by Dallas Turner. Who knows what would've happened if he stayed in the game. My point is I think Sark had something going there and it would've been fun to see that battle throughout the whole game. I don't personally take a lot away from the Rice game. I think when you have week two, a Behemoth, I don't think you really do a whole lot with all due respect to Rice. I think it's really more about getting some people out there, the depth rotating guys around, getting a lot of people to have a chance to go out and show what they can do. But you know Sark, I mean, he's holding things back.
“He's not going to show what he's going to do now. The line of scrimmage is a reality. I mean they’ve got to protect better, especially on third down. They don't have the luxury of being in Austin this time around with the crowd behind them. Alabama, when their fans feel threatened, that is a really good atmosphere and very challenging on the quarterback and offensive line. I don't know if enough people really talk about their setting, but again, they've had a lot of great years and when they play a team, they know they're going to handle, maybe it's an okay atmosphere, but when they feel that it's a big game, they can be a difference in the game. So how they handle that for the first time, even though it's a veteran O line and a veteran quarterback, that'll be very different than it was a year ago. So I'm anxious to see how they handle that and see if they can get out of 3rd-and-7, 3rd-and-8. What they do on first and second I think will be critical to their success this week.”
*****
(Travis)
ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit met with reporters Wednesday to discuss the Texas vs. Alabama game. Here are some of his thoughts on the game.
* On UT adjustments for Saturday: "The biggest thing to me is can they take care of Quinn Ewers? Can he have time to throw? Because I think on the back end with the receivers they have, they're going to have a chance to make some big plays."
* On the Texas running game: "Just watching those guys, I don't know them the way you know them. I'm watching them this week on film. Incredibly gifted, talented guys. I think that we talked a little earlier about Quinn Ewers is going to get a lot of attention and he should, but I think Sark's system has always been about balance, and it's always been about not abandoning the running game. A big part of what he does is run the football to set up the play action. He has so many looks on his play action and RPO game that look like they'll run. It puts a lot of pressure on the defense. If you're running the ball effectively, man, it really allows you to hit some big plays potentially in that pass game.""
* On Alabama's defense: "Not to get too in-depth, but they two-gap you, which means those big defensive linemen aren't going to have a lot of stats, but they're going to eat two offensive linemen up. They're basically building a fence as you try to run the football. Then those edge guys try to keep the contain. So they're trying to essentially build a wall against your run game. If you can run the football, which they were able to do at times last year, it's tough to do, especially between the tackles, but if you can get that going, then I think, as I said, it opens up what Sark really wants to do is create one-on-one opportunities. Nick Saban loves to play with two deep safeties as much as he can, and if he can get away with that and not have to get one safety down in that run support role and he can keep him back, it's having the best of both worlds. Two safeties back to prevent the deep shots, and then also being able to hold up against the run without that safety down. If you ever see Saturday that safety start to be like, 'Uh-oh, we got to get him down,' you know Sark's going, 'Oh boy, here we go. We got him where we want him. Now we can create some one-on-one chances for Xavier Worthy and some of these other guys.' That's a game within a game, but the running game to me and the balance of Texas is essential if they're going to go in there and win this game."
*****
(Suchomel)
--- We were interested to see if there would be any big developments with 5-star wide receiver Ryan Wingo following the September 1 opening of NIL opportunities for high school athletes in Missouri that chose to stay in-state. Nothing so far, and no news is good news for Texas. OB has felt for a while that this one actually trends better for Texas the longer it goes on. If Wingo was to decide earlier, as in August or September, it could mean that he was favoring Missouri and the NIL opportunities that an early commitment to the Tigers would present. It doesn’t look like that early commitment will happen.
In checking with a Missouri source on Thursday afternoon, it’s been very quiet this week, much like it has been on our side of things. Wingo is still expected to return to Austin for an unofficial visit at some point this fall. Next weekend’s Wyoming game is a possibility, but as of last week Wingo said he hasn’t locked in a date for that visit.
Thursday 6:20 p.m. update - Per a source close to the situation, a trip to Texas is not locked in but this person said it's about a 90% probability that Wingo will be at the UT-Wyoming game next weekend.
* We’ve reported for a while that offensive lineman Brandon Baker was scheduled to take a Nebraska visit in September and a commitment would likely follow shortly after that trip. Baker confirmed this week that he has set a commitment date for September 24. We continue to like UT’s position for the Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei Rivals100 member, with Ohio State providing a threat and Oregon being a longtime contender. As we mentioned in last week’s War Room, we do expect NIL will be a factor in this one and with California having NIL regulations that allow high school athletes to make money, those conversations have been ongoing between colleges and Baker’s representation.
(Note from Ketchum: I more than like UT's position. As far as I'm concerned Texas has been a stone-cold favorite for a while.)
* Call this a preliminary report as we’re waiting to hear back from more sourcing, but we’re hearing that Texas wide receiver commitment Parker Livingstone will likely miss extended time after suffering a foot injury in last week’s game. Livingstone was in a boot on the sideline after leaving the game and we heard on Thursday that it’s likely he’ll be out for a while. We’ve reached out to Parker and a couple other sources but have yet to hear back. We’ll provide more details when available.
* This is obviously a huge weekend for Texas in terms of having an opportunity to establish some real recruiting momentum if the team can pull off a win over Alabama. Prospects from coast to coast will be watching, but there are some current targets (and commits) that will actually be in the stands. Among the players with UT interest that are expected to be at the game …
QB KJ Lacey (UT commitment) – Don’t freak out … this one has been in the works for months and Lacey seems very solid with his decision. This has always been one where Texas was going to have to fight to hang on to the elite OOS quarterback … now UT just needs to go out and play well to reinforce to Lacey why he committed to Texas in the first place.
WR Ryan Williams – The 2025 5-star prospect (and Lacey’s commitment) is an Alabama commitment, but he also has some level of interest in Texas and Lacey has said he’ll be recruiting Williams to join him in Austin.
LB Solomon Williams – The 2024 LB has set up some official visits for the fall and Texas is expected to get one as well, although a date isn’t locked in yet. Texas will have a chance this weekend to impress the productive pass-rusher.
ATH Terry Bussey – Texas doesn’t seem to be much of a factor with a decision coming later this month, but Bussey will be at the game on an official visit.
* Cy Fair 2025 standout DL Landon Rink was at the Horns’ season-opener last week and he tells OB he was very impressed, including by the play of the defensive line.
Rink, who has three sacks through two games, said he sees a bit of himself in the way Byron Murphy plays and he got some time talking to Bo Davis, Pete Kwiatkowski and Steve Sarkisian during the visit. Rink, the son of former Longhorn Shane Rink, will be at A&M’s game next Saturday.
*****
(Aaron/Zach)
* 2024 RHP Ridge Morgan decommitted from Texas on Thursday morning. OB was told that the coaching staff made the decision to move on from Morgan.
* Fall baseball officially starts with practice on September 22nd. There will also be media availability on that day. Dates for the Fall World Series are still TBD.
*Look for a new episode of “Around the Horns” on Sunday. Zach sat down with ESPN’s Mike Rooney for a great conversation on the state of college baseball.
*****
(Keenan)
* This weekend, five-star wing Asa Newell will be visiting campus. Newell is a highly athletic small forward standing at 6-9. He scores a lot on cuts and attacks on the rim. He has great hops, so he can finish on put-back dunks as well. He looks like an NBA prototype wing prospect, as if he were built in a laboratory to play the 3 (and some 4). A couple of reasons to feel good about this recruitment are Newell’s Montverde Academy connections: both Dillon Mitchell and Chris Johnson played for MVA. Newell is currently FC’d to Georgia at the moment, but we know how quickly these things can change. He’s previously visited Alabama as well as G-League Ignite.
* Texas will play host to local college St. Edward’s, Rodney Terry’s alma mater, on October 30th at 7pm.
* Rodney Terry on Dillon Mitchell this week: "I want Dillon Mitchell to be a player. Anytime he’s on the floor for us, I don’t want him to get caught up in positions. When he gets to the next level, it isn’t going to be about positions for him. That’s what the challenge is. Go out there and show your motor, defend and rebound hard. Be a guy that can switch on 1-5, run the floor…all of the intangibles. Be a versatile player."
* Terry on building the roster: "I could sit here and be arrogant, but I’m really not…At Texas, where I’ve spent 12 years, we’ve always had good players…There really wasn’t a moment of panic, because I have a great staff that is trying to find the best fits for our program. "
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