(Anwar)
* The deadline for Longhorn players to report back to the facility was Thursday at 4 p.m. I checked in with multiple sources before the deadline, and it appeared the players stayed focused during the Christmas break. The staff believed they had a group of players they could trust to do the right thing while away from UT, and they were not disappointed. I was told everyone was looking forward to hitting the ground running this week.
* Texas will conduct practice in Austin on Friday and Saturday before flying to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl on Sunday.
* The staff is optimistic that Longhorn receiver Isaiah Bond will play against Arizona State. However, I was told they are prepared to play without Bond if his ankle isn't good to go by Wednesday.
* Jake Majors and Cam Williams are expected to play against Arizona State, according to my sources. Nobody I spoke with on Thursday seemed concerned about either player.
* I asked if Texas wanted to pursue any players through the transfer portal at the moment. The staff prefers to keep those plans under wraps for now. All I can say is they are looking for someone to replace the productivity of Jahdae Barron and Michael Taaffe, assuming Taaffe decides to skip his senior season. Steve Sarkisian’s staff prefers to be proactive rather than reactive.
* Additionally, I was told there is no indication that any current Longhorns are considering entering the portal before the December 28 deadline. One source said everyone appears dialed in at the moment. I was also told that Sydir Mitchell was the only player who entered the transfer portal whom the staff would have liked to retain.
*****
(Ketch)
* Talked to one source who spent some holiday time with a number of players and was told that the excitement level within the walls of the locker room is sky high. "This is a group of players that believes that it is exactly where it wants to be. There's a lot of confidence that they are in the midst of what will be proven to be a championship run.
* Beating Clemson in controlling fashion did this team a lot of good. "We have such a good vibe," one source said. "Everyone is confident and believes in the players around them. I don't sense that they are feeling any pressure at all. These (players) are excited to play Arizona State."
* Multiple sources mentioned this week that there's a feeling that true freshman Colin Simmons has reached a new maintained level of play in the last few weeks. "He's got a game inside of him (in the next few weeks) where he just takes it over," one team source told me this week.
* "Trevor Goosby is the poster boy for what we like from our players," a team source told me this week. "He didn't come here with a big NIL deal by any stretch, but he's played his way into becoming a really critical player. I would imagine he'll have significant NIL opportunities as a byproduct of his performance on the field. We'll point out to other players on the team that they need to be more like him. 'You want more NIL money? Do what Trevor's done.' He's a starter for us and he'll be treated as such."
* I've kept an eye on Clemson starting defensive tackle Peter Woods this week, but as far as I can tell, things are pretty calm in those waters. There has been some discussion that he might be a player who would look to explore his NIL value on an open market, but perhaps Clemson has done whatever is needed behind the scenes to keep him out of the Portal because it doesn't appear to be anything anyone close to that program would see coming from 100 miles away.
* Been keeping an eye on the recruitments of Zachariah and Zion Branch, as most of the focus continues to be on Georgia and Arizona State. There's a sense that keeping both of the brothers in a situation that is inviting for both might lead them to Tempe, but reporting from both schools seems to sit in a bit of a box of uncertainty.
*****
(Suchomel)
With the holidays and with the coaches focused on their upcoming game against Arizona State, it was a very slow week in recruiting.
Last week, we took a look at which Texas commitments and recruiting targets will be competing in the Under Armour All-American Game. This week, we take a look at the upcoming Navy All-American Bowl (formerly the Army All-American Bowl and then just the Army All-American Bowl). Like the UA game, the Navy AA Bowl will now host both seniors and juniors, which adds a bit more recruiting interest compared to recent years. The Navy AA Bowl, as always, will be played in San Antonio with the first practice set for January 7.
A look at some of the names of interest for Longhorn fans …
Texas commitments
WR Michael Terry – San Antonio Alamo Heights – He’s listed as a WR on the official roster, so that’s what we’ll go with as well. It’ll be interesting to see if the coaches get creative in using Terry in front of his hometown.
WR Jaime Ffrench – Jacksonville (FL) Mandarin – He’s still a five-star but it’s close so he’ll need to back up that ranking.
WR Kaliq Lockett – Sachse - Can Lockett have a big enough week to get into the 5-star discussion? It’s possible.
WR Daylan McCutcheon – Lucas Lovejoy – This is the kind of setting where McCutcheon has thrived in the past.
DB Kade Phillips – Missouri City Hightower – I expect Phillips to get a bump from his current rating of No. 148 nationally.
Texas targets
DL Jamarion Carlton – Temple – Plans to visit UT in January and the Longhorns will make the cut when he trims his list very soon.
WR Jordan Clay – San Antonio Madison – I thought this dude might be an early Texas commit when the Longhorns offered but he’s kept an open mind and Texas will have to work here.
DL Bryce Perry-Wright – Buford (GA) – Big-time player who has already visited Texas and the Longhorns have had success in Buford before.
LB Tyler Atkinson – Loganville (GA) Grayson – Texas has already hosted this 5-star stud for a couple of visits.
LB Xavier Griffin – Gainesville (GA) - He committed to USC in July but Texas has offered and Lincoln Riley doesn’t exactly have it rolling at USC.
WR Devin Carter – Douglasville (GA) Douglas County – A one-time Florida State offer and potential 5-star guy, Carter holds a Texas offer (side note … what the hell is in the water in the state of Georgia?).
S Bralan Womack – Brandon (MS) Hartfield Academy – He’s visited Texas a couple of times already, including in July, but Ohio State is the early team to beat in this one.
RB Davian Groce – Frisco Lone Star – He doesn’t hold a Texas offer but that could change for the Rivals100 member so we’ll monitor his situation.
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