(Ketch)
Let's open things up with a little scattershooting on a few topics to get started based on things we've heard over the course of the last few days.
... A very smart thing to say on the vacant wide receivers coaching position is that Pittsburgh's Brennan Marion is a very strong contender for the job. A source with knowledge of the situation reported to Orangebloods on Thursday that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has engaged in multiple positive conversations about the position and it would appear that both sides of the coin are very interested in each other.
Expect Sarkisian to wait until after Pittsburgh's season-finale against Michigan State in the Peach Bowl on December 30 before this thing heats up and it might even go into the first week of January. There's a sense that there's no real rush on filling that spot before the end of 2021. One of the big things that is being stressed is that this hire will fill a recruiting void that Andre Coleman couldn't fill and if the Longhorns and Marion reach an agreement for him to join the staff, it's a sign that Sarkisian view's Marion as a coach that will come in and have an instant impact as a recruiter. From what we've been told, there is a strong sense that Marion could do very well as a recruiter in the Lone Star State, even if he would arrive without a huge recruiting pedigree.
For those unfamiliar with Marion, he's a native of Hampton, Virginia and played his college ball at Tulsa where he set an NCAA record for yards per catch (31.9) in a single season and yards per catch in a career (28.7). The 34-year old coached running backs at Oklahoma Baptist in 2016, was the OC/QB coach at Howard in 2017-18, the OC/QB coach at William and Mary in 2019 and the wide receivers coach at Hawaii in 2020 before joining Pittsburgh as a wide receivers coach this season.
... I know you guys are wondering about the potential hire of former TCU head coach Gary Patterson and multiple sources told Orangebloods on Thursday that there's nothing new to report and that the situation is in a bit of a holding pattern. We'll continue to keep an eye on this situation, but both sides seem very comfortable with the pace of the current vetting. Don't be surprised if this is another situation that goes into the opening week of 2022.
* The Longhorns continue to be pretty quiet on the transfer portal front. The coaches just haven't been lobbing offers all over the place. In fact, when I asked Rivals analyst Mike Farrell on Thursday whether he'd heard of the Longhorns being mentioned with anyone, there wasn't a single name of interest from him that he could pass along. That being said, keep an eye on UTEP wide receiver Jacob Cowing, who is currently being followed by Jeff Banks, Assistant Director of Player Personnel JM Jones and ... wait for it ... Steve Sarkisian. Among the schools that have already offered Cowing, who ranked 7th nationally in 2021 with 1,367 yards receiving, are Oregon, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Arizona, Arizona State and Virginia Tech.
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(From Suchomel)
When word surfaced on Saturday morning that the Longhorns were targeting Tashard Choice as the replacement for Stan Drayton as running backs coach, the people we initially talked to gave glowing reviews of Choice, both as a coach and as a recruiter. We followed up with a Georgia Tech source who watched Choice as part of the Yellow Jackets’ staff for three seasons to get a bit more background on the Longhorns’ newest assistant coach.
On what makes Choice good as a recruiter:
He is very good at identifying talent early and getting in on kids, staying on them. That’s how he got Jahmyr Gibbs (Rivals100 member in the 2020 class). He was the first guy to really pick up on him before anyone figured out who he was. That’s why Gibbs went to Georgia Tech, because Choice stayed on him so long. It was his relationship with Choice that got him there.
Jamious Griffin, a 4-star running back, Tashard came in and closed him when he first got hired. The previous staff recruited him, and sometimes that can go south with a staff change. But Tashard came in, convinced him not to sign in the early period and then got him to sign with Georgia Tech.
On why Choice relates well to recruits:
He’s really personable, really a downhome honest guy. He’s just totally different from a lot of coaches. He’s comfortable talking to anyone from any background. He’s very easygoing. He finds a way to relate to people. Having played in the NFL, having played at different schools, he’s always been in a position where he was fighting, whether it was Adrian Peterson at OU, being behind guys at Georgia Tech, and definitely in the NFL too. He’s a guy that scraped and clawed to play in the NFL.
On his ability to develop backs:
When Gibbs went in the transfer portal (he committed to Alabama on Tuesday), Tashard was basically saying at the end of the day it’s his job to go find someone better than him. He wasn’t going to cry about him leaving. I think Gibbs got frustrated with the losing and some of the stuff with offensive play calling, not being used properly. But the running backs room has a lot of talent. Gibbs’ backup (Jordan Mason) declared for NFL Draft and will get drafted. The two other guys behind him would have started at a lot of the schools in the ACC. Tashard recruited two of those guys, and coached up the others.
On how big of a loss it is for Georgia Tech:
He was probably their best recruiter. Also, he’s almost like the team chaplain kind of guy, the guy that everyone was comfortable talking to and talking things out with. It’s a huge loss for Georgia Tech. For Texas, he’ll recruit his ass off. He loves recruiting Texas, loves recruiting the southeast. No one is going to outwork Tashard.
On why Choice made such a quick move to Texas after taking a position with USC:
His goal is to be a coordinator and head coach. He has the personality, but he needs to build that resume up. He understands he needs to work for some other people and get that experience. He’s looking to Sark to help him build him up, learn some things there that he can use.
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A bit more on Tashard Choice from 2023 running back Javin Simpkins, who was committed to Georgia Tech until Choice left (note: Simpkins says Texas will now get one of his official visits) …
“I like his energy. To me that’s big, and the bond I had with him. It’s not just to get me to come to his school. It’s more the relationship we have. It’s a general relationship, not him just trying to get me to his school. He’s an energetic dude, brings energy to everything he does, brings it to the team.”
Choice and Simpkins have already been in touch now that Choice has been announced as UT’s new running backs coach. Simpkins’ plan is to take things slowly now that he’s back on the market, but the Longhorns will be a strong contender if Choice prioritizes the Miami Norland product.
“I’m going to wait and take all five of my visits. I don’t want to go to Texas, say I love it and commit, then go somewhere and feel the same thing,” Simpkins said. “I’m going to wait until I take all five of my visits.”
Simpkins on his strengths and weaknesses:
“My versatility is one of my biggest factors. I don’t have to just be used in the run game. In the pass game, I can catch out of the backfield. I need to work on my breakaway speed, once I get through the holes, hitting that second gear. I’m in track now, working on that. I also have to get my strength back up because I had a shoulder injury.”
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If there’s been a recruiting even in Austin dating back to the summer, Ashton Porter has been in attendance. That once again held true a couple weeks ago when the Cy Ranch product was one of a handful of 2023 players that were in town on the same weekend when Texas hosted some of its current commitments and guys like Quinn Ewers. For Porter, it felt like he was at home.
“When I walked in, everybody started greeting me. That was very important to me. Sometimes on other visits, I don’t really get that,” Porter said. “It was more exciting there. Coach Sark greeted me to, said ‘Welcome big guy’ and things like that.
“It seemed like they really wanted me to be a Longhorn. I was really excited.”
If we’re placing bets on guys that are likely to be in the Longhorns’ 2023 class, Porter’s odds might be the highest on the board. He’ll be back in Austin in January for a UT junior day that has yet to be officially scheduled. Porter was also in town for the Horns’ game against Texas Tech in September.
“It’s pretty much the culture,” Porter said about what stands out at Texas. “I went to the game, fans were going crazy. Some fans took pictures of me, said to come be a Longhorn. I just told them, we’ll see.”
Along with Texas, Porter said he likes Arizona State and Colorado among some other schools. He says distance won’t be a pivotal factor in his decision, but it’s something he’ll consider.
“I’m open to going anywhere. But if I stay home, my parents can catch home games. That could be a big factor to me, have my parents and my sisters be at my games.”
Along with a stop in Austin in January, Porter mentioned that he might hit up Arkansas once the dead period lifts. The Longhorns have already made a strong impression here and seem to be in a good position early on.
“I really like Texas. They showed me they really want me,” Porter said. “I really like Texas a lot. But I’m keeping my options open at all times.”
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(From Cole Patterson)
Texas added 2022 Grand Prairie athlete Savion Red to its recruiting class on Wednesday afternoon, as he announced his intentions to sign with the Longhorns in front of his classmates and peers. SMU, where Red was previously committed, was the other finalist on the table.
The Longhorns targeted Red late in the process. Texas extended an offer to the Grand Prairie standout at the end of November, days after he backed off his pledge to the Mustangs. Sonny Dykes leaving for TCU forced Red to rethink things, and the Longhorns took advantage.
Red officially visited Texas last weekend as Steve Sarkisian and staff hosted recruits one more time before the start of the early signing period. The Grand Prairie product couldn’t say enough good things about his experience on the 40 Acres.
“(The visit) was good, like I really loved the visit. I wish that I could go on a second one,” Red laughed.
Texas tight ends and special teams coach Jeff Banks led the recruitment for Red. Banks targeted a player that had experience playing all over the field during his high school career. Red said that Banks and the Longhorns staff made him feel at home.
“It was really coach Banks. He really showed me love. Love, love, love,” Red told Orangebloods. “I feel at home at Texas.”
Red took snaps at quarterback, all over the offense, and in multiple spots on defense for the Gophers. The Texas staff had a clear message for him in their pitch. They kept it simple.
“You’re a really big piece to the puzzle that we’re missing. We just need you,” Red said about what Texas was telling him. “I liked what they were talking about.”
Savion Red said that he has a great relationship with fellow Texas signee Xavion Brice, who flipped from Oklahoma on Wednesday morning, and that he is among the recruits in the Longhorns class pushing for Arlington Bowie 5-star offensive lineman Devon Campbell to join them.
Red is thrilled to be a Longhorn and is looking to represent the city of Grand Prairie once he begins his collegiate career.
“I got all the pressure on myself, so I got to put on for my city,” Red said.
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