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(From Alex Dunlap)The following position-by-position breakdown is based upon my initial projections for the SPRING football depth chart. While there could be a few changes once spring football starts regarding where the staff has guys aligned, I don't foresee things being too much different from what I have mapped out here. This projection is based on a 3-4 nickel base. Throughout the preview, certain sub-packages (particularly the 'lightning' dime package) and nuance regarding utilization of personnel in these contexts will be discussed.
This is a preview of spring football, therefore, players entering the program this summer will not be outlined. Furthermore, players who are projected to be OUT for the spring are listed, but at the bottom of each position group with a designation of (***). Finally, the order of the players listed within the group is indicative of my projection of their positioning within the depth chart EXCEPT WHEN THERE IS AN "OR". When two players are listed with an "OR" between them, it means they are interchangeable. It does not matter which player is "higher" up (or appears to be on top) when there is an "OR" between them. The order, in these cases, is arbitrary. Again, in all other cases, order should be considered indicative of depth-chart positioning within this final pre-spring-ball projection.
Can you believe it? Next week, we'll have real football to talk about again ... and everyone knows what position all the chatter is going to begin and end with so let's hop in ...
Quarterbacks
Sam Ehlinger (SO)
OR
Shane Buechele (JR)
Cameron Rising (FR)
Casey Thompson (FR)
The biggest question on the roster (yes, it's a bigger question than the offensive line which was not good last season but, at the same time, was not as bad as the average fan's negatively tainted selective memory of the unit) is clearly quarterback.
Sam Ehlinger played 520 regular-season snaps in 2017 which led the unit. Ehlinger played all of (or at least the vast majority of) the snaps in the games versus San Jose State (W), USC (L), Kansas State (W), Oklahoma (L), Oklahoma State (L), West Virginia (W) and Texas Tech (L) for a record of 3-4 as a starter. Of the games Ehlinger won, he did so by an average of 25.3 points. Of the games Ehlinger lost, he did so by an average of 3.8 points. He had a completion % of 57.45% and an interception-rate of one per every 74.2 snaps. Ehlinger was -- pathetically -- the team's leading rusher in 2017, tacking on 381 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.
Shane Buechele played 389 regular-season snaps in 2017. Buechele, who again had trouble staying healthy through the course of a Big 12 season, played all of (or at least the vast majority of) the snaps in the games versus Maryland (L), Iowa State (W), Baylor (W), TCU (L), and Kansas (W) for a record of 3-2 as a starter. Of the games Buechele won, he did so by an average of 18.7 points. Of the games Buechele lost, he did so by an average of 13.5 points. He had a completion % of 64.32% and an interception-rate of one per every 97.3 snaps. Buechele was largely ineffective as a rusher in 2017, tacking on 99 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.
Looking at some of the numbers outlined above, a few things stick out. Ehlinger had a worse record as a starter, but played a much harder group of teams, which may also help to explain his completion % and interception-rate not being as good as Buechele's. It's telling that even against a brutal schedule, Ehlinger's average margin-of-loss as starter was so small at just 3.8 points. What's NOT selective memory is recalling that Ehlinger, despite the bone-headed plays which single-handedly lost at least two games, usually at least had the Horns in the game until the last seconds. He is clearly the better rusher than Buechele, but if Texas wants to improve in 2018, Stan Drayton needs to start churning out some production from the RB position. The Sam Ehlinger Taysom-Hill-Style offense is unsustainable.
Regardless, it seems like Ehlinger is likely the player to come out of the initial "co-starter" situation with Buechele as the team's eventual signal-caller. He's an alpha-dog in the program and is a much better pure prospect than Buechele, who has been average at best through prolonged periods and can't stay healthy. That's not to say the two freshmen couldn't come in and seriously push for consideration.
Because would it really surprise anyone if we came out of this spring ball period with a small bit of a good-old-fashioned QB controversy to fill in the doldrums of the summer months? Casey Thompson is a better pure runner than any QB prospect on campus. He can make most of the throws and he's athletic enough to do some of the same things on the move that Greg Ward did for Herman and Co. down in Houston. The offense at Texas isn't necessarily one that will take a lifetime to wrap your head around, especially as an early enrollee. Then, there's Cameron Rising who has some very sneaky wheels himself and seemingly every bit of the arm talent that Ehlinger came to Texas with. If that guy is moving around and throwing on-the-mark darts at practice and spring scrimmages, do you really think the staff is going to keep that bottled up and on the sidelines if Ehlinger and/or Buechele are still looking like the same guys from 2017?
Texas fans can't stand the idea of yet another year with yet another true freshman quarterback under center, but now, on the cusp of spring football's kickoff, it's time to realize that a greater possibility exists that this could be a reality in 2018 than some may think, albeit admittedly somewhat of a longshot. And what's more, it's likely in the best interest of long-term success for this scenario to happen in this way, because we know that if the dog is going to bite as an adult, he's going to also bite as a pup.
Texas fans should hope like hell that Rising or Thompson come in start dealing like a boss right off -- and putting both incumbent co-starters in a really uncomfortable position.
Running Backs
Daniel Young (SO)
OR
Toneil Carter (SO)
Kyle Porter (JR)
Tristan Houston (JR)
Kirk Johnson (JR)***
As mentioned above, this group needs to get better in 2018 and RBs coach Stan Drayton needs to be a better coach in all aspects -- teaching of fundamentals, understanding of schemes, and most importantly, distribution of touches. Gone are Chris Warren's 416 snaps (a team-lead among RBs) for 2017. Still on the roster are Kyle Porter (290 snaps), Daniel Young (184 snaps), Toneil Carter (121 snaps), Tristian Houston (0 snaps) and Kirk Johnson, who will miss the spring with injury (0 snaps).
Daniel Young appears to be in the cat-bird's seat to start spring as the team's primary option and the best use of the current stable of running backs on campus is as follows: Daniel Young as your 1a with a good amount of volume and Toneil Carter as your 1b and change-up. Forget the crazy substitutions every series and allow a more consolidated core of talent get going with the flow of the game. Stop completely neutering any one runner's ability to develop a hot hand. Kyle Porter needs to be relegated to more of a fullback role. He's not the answer at RB and likely needs to be phased out. His 3.1 yards per attempt in 2017 was/is putrid. Hopefully the carries left on the offense with Warren's departure are not spread as evenly and ineffectively as they were before and this will be, by far, the most important aspect to monitor within what has been a huge disappointment of a position group under the most ballyhooed position-coach hire of Herman's initial staff at Texas.
Wide Receivers
(X)
Collin Johnson (JR)
Brennan Eagles (FR)
OR
Jerrod Heard (SR)
(Z)
Jerrod Heard (SR)
OR
John Burt (SR)
Devin Duvernay (JR)
Jordan Pouncey (RS FR)
(Slot)
Lil'Jordan Humphrey (JR)
Davion Curtis (SO)
We spoke on the Orangebloods Podcast this week, and when thinking about the best player on the Texas offense, the answer should probably be Collin Johnson. If Johnson can receive good enough coaching to put him in position to succeed as a third-year junior, we'll possibly be talking about him as a player who'll be preparing for the NFL draft next season. Johnson led all receivers in snap share last season and that is sure to continue in 2018 should he stay healthy as he's clearly the most talented overall weapon in the room.
Between Dorian Leonard, Lorenzo Joe and Armanti Foreman, who left the program as seniors, and Reggie Hemphill-Mapps, who left as a transfer, there are currently 1,238 snaps left open to whoever will step into their roles. This will certainly mean an introduction to some new faces in the spring as well as something of a reintroduction to others.
Brennan Eagles will be the biggest wild card as a true-freshman early enrollee and a true dynamo of a prospect. If the offense is indeed "fixed" from the mess that was 2017, there will be ample opportunities in the game plan to get the ball in the hands of the X receivers in Johnson and Eagles, so, correspondingly, fans should hope to hear reports of both players flashing big-play potential in spring ball early and often. A quiet spring from these two could be a harbinger of offensive struggles similar to 2017.
In the slot, fans will see LJ Humphrey with another year under year under his belt, and I think most would view him as poised to break out based on major flashes shown through two years. With presumably only Davion Curtis vying for snaps inside through spring, Humphrey is another player who will need to be effective and who will be depended on to create explosive plays.
Speaking of explosive plays, Devin Duvernay was perhaps the greatest casualty of the 2017 offensive malaise at Texas under Tim Beck. Duvernay went from a borderline all-Conference-type of weapon in Sterlin Gilbert's wide-open 2016 version of the Texas offense to a guy who caught an unacceptable and embarrassing nine (9!) passes during the 2017 season under Beck and WRs coach Drew Mehringer. We know what John Burt and Jerrod Heard can bring to the table at the Z receiver position, but Duvernay is a guy who can pop the top on the defense unlike any other player on the Texas roster. He needs to be more involved and Mehringer, like every offensive position coach hand-picked by Tom Herman and currently employed by Texas, needs to do a much better job of putting his players (Duvernay certainly included) in better position to succeed in 2018.
These are very good players that 90% of Division I coaches would give up a pinky (or maybe more) for as a group. Fans should never forget that.
Tight End
Andrew Beck (SR)
Reese Leitao (RS FR)
Max Cummins (RS FR)
Cade Brewer (SO)***
Andrew Beck is set to return from a broken foot that cost him his entire 2017 season and if you listened to Tom Herman's reasoning for a bad 2017 at Texas, the frequency of finger-pointing at the loss of Beck would make you believe Beck is the next Tony Gonzalez. We all know this is not the exact case, but the fact is that Herman sees him as a key piece to what the TE does in the Texas offense which is ... a) to first block as an h-back, b) to second block as an inline TE, and c) to occasionally sneak out on a quick dump-route and catch a football. Beck is a good blocker and will be an important "glue"-piece to the offense, especially as a piece mixed in to the blocking scheme of an offensive line that should be improved, but will still be assimilating with some new pieces in new places.
Last year's snap leader at TE, freshman Cade Brewer, will miss spring football as he recovers from his 2017 in-season ACL tear. This makes the greatest amount of intrigue surround the two redshirt freshmen, Reese Leitao and recently-converted DE Max Cummins. Leitao has immense upside as a receiving weapon and his high school film shows lots of positive signs regarding his projection as a blocker. Leitao drew rave reviews in workouts last summer and should be considered a possible breakout candidate this spring.
Offensive Line
(LT)
Denzel Okafor (JR)
Samuel Cosmi (RS FR)
(LG)
Patrick Vahe (SR)
Tope Imade (SO)
(C)
Zach Shackelford (JR)
Elijah Rodriguez (SR)
(RG)
Elijah Rodriguez (SR)
Mikey Grandy (SO)
Patrick Hudson (SO)***
(RT)
Derek Kerstetter (SO)
J.P. Urquidez (SO)
Until Calvin Anderson gets to town this summer, things could be touch-and-go along the offensive line for the Longhorns for one more spring. It's why the signing of Anderson was so important -- it's not necessarily what the graduate transfer from Rice brings to the table himself as much as it's a mix of that along with what he allows for personnel-wise once assuming the starting LT role.
For the spring, that starter will presumably be Denzel Okafor who was OK at times in 2017 and was at others atrocious. Okafor allowed the third-most disruption on the team last season at once per every 20.4 snaps, only beaten out by Terrell Cuney and Tristan Nickelson, who are now gone from the program and should sadly be considered additions via subtraction. Despite playing fewer snaps than any qualifying offensive lineman (389) not including an injured Connor Williams last season, Okafor gave up seven sacks which was more than twice the number of his nearest competition. Those players were Derek Kerstetter who gave up 3 as well as Terrell Cuney, who also gave up 3. It's telling that both players gave up less than half the sacks of Okafor while playing much greater snap numbers. Kerstetter played 684 snaps on offense while Cuney played 589. Okafor has always been suited to play inside at guard optimally, but his length gives him the ability to work as a swing tackle at the college level if he can get his feet, positioning and balance corrected. This spring serves as the litmus test for Okafor to show whether continued work at LT is warranted behind Calvin Anderson as a junior to groom him for a senior season at the position or if a permanent move to guard is in order.
At the left guard, Patrick Vahe should be a plus-player for the OL on the whole, but still has a good bit to prove as I wrote about in his player audit from Wednesday. Moving down the line, center becomes an interesting discussion with Zach Shackelford and the only other real option for spring being Elijah Rodriguez. Early on, it feels like the optimal mix of players will include Shack at center and Rodriguez at right guard, but it only takes one injury (fingers crossed we have a healthier spring than usual around here) or a player such as Mikey Grandy or possibly Tope Imade stepping up and demanding PT with the starters at RG to make it a Shackelford/Rodriguez competition at center. This same dynamic comes into play with Patrick Hudson vying for RG duties once healed for football activities this summer and fall.
Arguably, the highest-upside player of the whole offensive line room is starting RT Derek Kerstetter, who thrived as a freshman thrown into the fire in 2017 outside of his one major problem which was getting beat with outside speed, which in turn led to his team-lead in both QB pressures allowed (15) as well as penalties (8) ... mostly holding when beat. This spring is big for Kerstetter in showing that this specific deficiency in his game is in the process of being remedied, and surely it is a recurring hiccup that Herb Hand has identified even if previous OL coach Derek Warehime was somehow impervious (which seems impossible). J.P. Urquidez is about due to start breaking out in one way or another and his development at tackle, beginning during this spring period (along with projected backup LT Samuel Cosmi), are critical pieces of information when projecting the line forward to a post-Calvin Anderson 2019 at left tackle.
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Defensive line
(Anchor DE/3-tech/4i)
Ta’quon Graham (SO)
Jamari Chisolm (SR)
(Nose/Shade)
Chris Nelson (SR)
Gerald Wilbon (JR)
D'Andre Christmas (JR)
(Weak DE/4/5-tech)
Breckyn Hager (SR)
OR
Charles Omenihu (SR)
Andrew Fitzgerald (SO)
Before we even get started on this defensive line preview, let me explain this: I expect the most frequent personnel across the defensive front to be Charles Omenihu, Chris Nelson and Breckyn Hager. The fact that Hager and Omenihu are listed at the same position does not mean that I don't think they'll be on the field simultaneously early and often. However, when the defense is a true 3-4 nickel base and in need of a more anchoring presence at the 3-tech or 4i-end, the player they like best in that role from what I understand is Ta’quon Graham.
Spring will be important for this defensive line group for a number of reasons. First, it will be Ta’quon Graham's time to truly burst onto the scene and set the stage for a breakout. He's up to 290 pounds and he has the same athletic makeup of guys like Hassan Ridgeway and Malcom Brown, who we began seeing the beastly NFL flashes of in year two. Because secondly, don't look now, but the Big 12 defensive lineman of the year from 2017, Poona Ford, has left the building. This means, third, that Chris Nelson can hopefully make a bit of a Poona Ford-type senior year coming-onto-the-scene outing at nose tackle position in Orlando's defense if he can stay healthy and focused. The odds are against Nelson, though, as he only generated defensive production on one per every 11.04 snaps in 2017 (on 370 total) playing the same position as Ford who generated production at a much-more-frequent once per every 6.3 snaps (on 518 total). The positive news for Nelson is that we saw Ford make a big jump in snaps/production caused from his junior to senior season (8.28 as a junior to 6.3 as a senior). The negative news is that Nelson's number fell precipitously in the change from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense spanning 2016 to 2017 (production-caused once every 7.41 snaps in 2016 versus every 11.04 in 2017). It could be that Nelson is a better one-gap penetrator in a 4-3 than he is a two-gapping anchor in a 3-4. This spring will be a key indicator of how that all-important storyline is developing as much of Texas' defensive success in 2017 was thanks to Poona Ford keeping the linebackers clean with an anchoring and run-stuffing (albeit sometimes thankless) role in the teeth of the trenches. Speaking of linebackers ...
Linebackers
(Mack)
Anthony Wheeler (SR)
OR
Jeffrey McCulloch (JR)
Adele Adeoye (FR)
(Rover)
Gary Johnson (SR)
Edwin Freeman (SR)
OR
Demarco Boyd (SO)
Cameron Townsend (JR)
(B-Backer)
Malcolm Roach (JR)
OR
Edwin Freeman (SR)
Marquez Bimage (SO)
The first thing I'll be looking out for at the first open practice is where Malcolm Roach is aligned. We've heard all winter that the staff is finally moving Roach back to an outside linebacker role where he should be much more effective in 2018 than he was in a pretty miserable 2017 season. Despite all the wonderful things DC Todd Orlando brought to the Texas defense, Roach was somewhat of a casualty. Roach, the second-most productive player on the 2016 defense at Texas on a per-snap basis, fell all the way to ninth in 2017. Roach, who played in a linebacker/DE hybrid "FOX" position as a freshman, tallied TEN TIMES MORE QB hits in 2016 (when he was aligned as more of an linebacker than a down-lineman) than he did in 2017 and FIVE TIMES MORE QB pressures. Roach is a beast and everyone should hope that the rumored move to B-Backer sticks. This doesn't mean that Roach would always be aligned as an LB, because when the team goes to the lightning package with six DBs (two outside corners, three safeties -- two traditional and one LB/S hybrid -- and one nickel) we'll certainly see B-Backer players like Roach and possibly Marquez Bimage (should he manage to come on a little through spring) aligned as down linemen in more rush-type situations.
Will LB (or rover) Gary Johnson returns as the best player on the 2018 defense and is like a shark-human that lives on land and breathes air through his genetically modified gills. Assuming he stays healthy, he will be the breakout star of the 2018 unit en route to an NFL draft selection. At the Mack is where things become interesting. Jeffrey McCulloch is presumably moving inside to provide competition for Anthony Wheeler who has been a nice player for Texas but is not viewed by the staff currently as a difference-maker or a guy you necessarily feel like you need to have out there for the 100% participation-share of snaps that Todd Orlando likes for his linebackers. (Note to Stan Drayton: please take a page out of Orlando's book about concentration of snaps and distribution to your best players). McCulloch, now a junior, is coming to the point in his career where it's time to break out. McCulloch was an unbelievable prospect coming out. He was injured for most of 2017 playing only 101 snaps, but still generated production (once per 7.21 snaps) twice as often as Wheeler (once per 14.29 snaps) on a per-snap basis. If you look at McCulloch from 2016, no player was more effective on a per-snap basis at getting to the quarterback via hit, pressure or sack. This was incredible considering he played half of his snaps that season off the edge, but the other half off them from the mike linebacker spot behind Malik Jefferson, where it isn't necessarily easy to generate QB disruption. A guy like McCulloch, if developing properly alongside Johnson, has the chance to contribute to an LB corps that is every bit as dynamic as the 2017 group that featured Jefferson plus a mix of Wheeler and Johnson alongside him. Clearly, this spring is vital to figuring out how this new-look group will start to gel for Round 2 under Orlando.
Defensive Backs
(RCB)
Kris Boyd (SR)
Eric Cuffee (SO)
OR
Caden Sterns (FR)
OR
Anthony Cook (FR)
(LCB)
Davante Davis (SR)
Kobe Boyce (RS FR)
OR
Donovan Duvernay (SO)
(Nickel)
John Bonney (SR)
OR
Josh Thompson (SO)
OR
Chris Brown (RS FR)
(SS)
P.J. Locke (SR)
Brandon Foster (FR)
(FS)
Brandon Jones (JR)
Montrell Estell (RS FR)
The starters at every position except for nickel corner seem pretty locked down. Everyone knows that Kris Boyd, along with Charles Omenihu, were two guys with eyes for the NFL in the 2018 draft who actually decided to come back. Boyd is going to be star for the Texas defense in 2018 and given a general lack of replacement-level talent beneath him, might be the most important guy of the whole secondary as far as a need to stay healthy. Boyd's 15 PBUs in 2017 is as many as his nearest two competitors (Deshon Elliott and Holton Hill) combined.
Davante Davis is similarly locked in over on the other side and it should be noted that Davis is an unbelievable physical prospect who really started to come on toward the end of the 2017 season. In the bowl game specifically, Davis had six solo tackles and two assists while also defending what was a VERY hyped-up Drew Lock-led Mizzou offense effectively, allowing only two completions of five targets into his coverage, causing a PBU, causing a fumble and intercepting a pass. The Texas defense needs him to keep it going this spring. He'll get good competition from RS FR Kobe Boyce who represents a great backup plan (albeit one that Deshon Elliott said at the combine was still too small to contribute) should Davis' late-blooming of 2017 prove to look like fool's gold. We have to remember that despite the nice end to the season, Davis led all qualifying Texas secondary members in snaps-per-burn allowed in the regular season (once every 34.66 snaps) with his nearest competition being P.J. Locke who only allowed one once per every 111 snaps.
Speaking of P.J. Locke, he has always been mostly a plus-player for Texas, but fans began to groan about his coverage against option-routes and run-stop abilities in the box at certain times in 2017. Locke's completion % when targeted (37.5%) was actually second-best on the team, but he also led the entire defense in 2017 in blown-contains allowed and was third on the team in coverage burns at 3 on the season. Many noted that Locke looked a little bit overgrown and muscle-bound for a traditional nickel corner and observed that perhaps some of the sideline-to-sideline and pursuit-and-coverage-angle speed we'd seen out of him as a freshman and sophomore had been a bit sapped with added weight. He looked more comfortable at safety to end the 2017 season and that's presumably where he'll stay. One guy who has no issues at all with sideline-to-sideline, closing, or any type of speed that exists is Brandon Jones. With one year as a starter under his belt, it will be imperative that Jones comes into the spring period looking like one of the best players on the defense. He was not only a good recruit, he was an elite one. It's time for Texas to cash in those chips when the games are actually played. The time is now for Brandon Jones to emerge as an apex predator among Big 12 DBs.
As for the nickel, it looks like sophomore Josh Thompson will have every opportunity to win the job, but it won't be as easy as things appear on the surface. John Bonney could figure in here, and despite what anyone thinks of Bonney (Lord knows I've been a critic at times) he did allow the lowest completion percentage into his coverage of the entire secondary last season (35.7%). With as athletic as he is, people don't like to mention that Thompson has very little experience (only 28 snaps on defense last season), and in that experience, he was bad. On 28 snaps, he was targeted aggressively by the opposition and allowed 3 completions on 4 targets into his coverage for a 75% completion rate and one burn, again, all in just 28 snaps. Clearly, his development will be one of the key markers to monitor through the spring should he really be in contention to earn a starting role on a defense that will have to make up for the loss of two NFL players in Deshon Elliott and Holton Hill on the back end.
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(From Suchomel)
It’s been a pretty slow week on the recruiting front compared to the last couple weeks, when Texas hosted some key weekend visitors. I did catch up with a couple top out-of-state targets, and it sounds like the Longhorns could be in line for some unofficial and official visits in the coming weeks/months.
Texas extended a scholarship offer to Apopka (FL) Wekiva linebacker/defensive end Rian Davis last week, and Davis told OB the Longhorns are very much in the mix. Davis played the last two years at Clear Lake in the Houston area before recently moving back to Florida, so there is quite a bit of familiarity with the UT program.
“That was big. Ever since when I had moved to Texas, I was waiting on that offer,” Davis said. “I was trying to get that offer. I went to one of their games and everything (Oklahoma State game).”
Though he’s now back in Florida, Davis said having some familiarity with the Texas program “does help” UT’s chances, and he’s trying to get back to the state very soon.
“I might be going to Texas on my spring break (next week). If I do, I’m supposed to be going to one of their spring practices,” Davis said.
A 6-3, 232-pounder, Davis said Texas is recruiting him at linebacker. He’d been in contact before he moved back to Florida and got the call last Monday on the offer.
“I’ve been talking to them before I even left, so I’ve been talking to them for a while,” Davis said. “They kept telling me they liked me, liked my film. I Facetimed coach (Todd) Orlando, he put coach (Tom) Herman on the phone. That’s when he offered me.”
A three-star prospect, Davis holds more than 25 scholarship offers. He does have a few schools that have caught his attention but says he’s mostly open.
“Right now, UT (Texas), Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State – really, a lot of schools standing out,” Davis said. He also listed the Longhorns as one of the schools that are recruiting him the hardest.
Davis said he’d like to have a decision done before his senior season starts, so if Texas can get him in for a spring visit and possibly follow that up with an official visit, it would greatly help the Longhorns’ chances. As for what he likes about Texas, Davis said it was the vibe he got from the UT fans when he was at the Oklahoma State game.
“The fans, that’s what stood out to me from the get go when I first got to the stadium, walking to the game. The fans are crazy,” Davis said. “Sitting in the recruit section, they were talking to me that they were telling me they need me over there. There’s so many, and they’re so faithful.”
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A few weeks ago, JUCO linebacker Lakia Henry was considering taking an unofficial visit to Texas, but the visit was a bit premature since NCAA rules would have prohibited him from actually meeting with the UT coaches.
That visit should happen pretty soon.
Henry told OB he talks to Orlando frequently and is planning to get to Austin this summer for an unofficial visit and then follow that up with an official visit.
“They’re top five. They’re always going to be top five,” Henry said. “Texas is a good school. I’m really going to consider Texas, but I have to weigh my options.”
Henry plays at Dodge City Community College, the same school current Longhorn Gary Johnson attended before transferring to Texas. Henry doesn’t know Johnson directly and didn’t play with him, but he did say he knows of Johnson and the two have crossed paths briefly. Henry recently got Johnson’s number and said the two will probably talk soon. Considering Johnson has been one of UT’s better recruiters with official visitors, getting those two connected can only help the Longhorns’ chances.
The 6-2, 230-pound Henry is being recruited as an inside linebacker. He said he doesn’t have a top five, but he “knows for sure” Texas would be included if he had one. Texas A&M is another school that’s heavily involved, and Henry said he’ll take visits to College Station as well.
His thoughts on Texas …
“Austin is a good city. I know that for a fact,” Henry said. “It’s big, nice, pretty. Texas has really nice facilities. They send people to the league. It’s one of those colleges you always see on TV when you watch highlights.”
It could be a busy summer for Henry. He wants to take all five visits and make a decision before he starts his 2018 season. Henry will graduate in December and will have three years to play two seasons of Division I ball. He and Todd Orlando have struck up a good relationship, but Texas will have some tough competition from schools like Alabama, Ole Miss, A&M and Nebraska.
“He’s a good coach. I can tell,” Henry said of Orlando. “He wants to have a good relationship with me, things like that. He’s telling me how he can develop me as a player and a person.”
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We recapped last weekend’s visit from five-star offensive lineman Kenyon Green in our 3-2-1 column earlier this week, and Green gave a very positive review of the visit.
In checking around this week, it’s not just lip service from Green. I’m hearing Texas made an extremely strong impression on the Humble Atascocita standout and his family, and there’s some thought that the Longhorns may have moved up to or near the top of Green’s list. Texas will need to fight off schools like LSU and A&M, and this is a recruitment in which the UT staff will have to consistently chip away, but last weekend’s visit was one heck of a starting point from what I’ve heard.
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Waxahachie safety and Texas A&M commitment Demani Richardson doesn’t talk much, but another non-UT reporter told me this week that someone close to Richardson told him he’ll be in Austin for a visit in the next couple weekends. I’ll work on pinning down the specifics of that visit, but Richardson is a player Texas has continued to aggressively target despite his A&M pledge and he almost visited Texas a couple weeks ago. Look for him to show up for a UT spring practice soon.
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Rivals250 offensive lineman Branson Bragg will be in Austin for the Texas Relays later this month, and I’m told he’s planning to swing by the Texas football offices for a visit while in Austin. Bragg is a player who has had Texas high on his list for a long while, but schools like Stanford and A&M are also heavily involved.
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Duncanville 2020 DB Chris Thompson Jr. holds a Texas offer and was in Austin last month for a UT junior day. During that visit, he spent a lot of time with UT football support staff member Ra’Shaad Samples, whose father is the head coach at Duncanville.
I’m told Thompson will return for another UT visit this spring, and people close to Thompson are saying the Longhorns are doing the best job of recruiting him and could probably be pinned as the early leaders. Thompson will likely be a top national prospect in the 2020 class.
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(Ketch)
As I work to put together the debut of the 2020 LSR Top 100, I thought I would provide an early snapshot of where Texas stands with the key in-state prospects that have already received scholarship offers.
Look for the 2020 LSR debut to be released in the next couple of weeks.
Demond Demus (WR- Houston North Forest)
Sophomore Highlights
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Although Demus already has 47 different football scholarship offers, the two-sport star seems like a kid that is at the beginning of his recruiting process. Gave glowing remarks to Texas A&M after a recent visit and is scheduled to visit Oklahoma and Texas in the next couple of weeks/months. Camped in Austin last summer. Don't be surprised if this becomes a Texas/Texas A&M slugfest.
Zachary Evans (RB - North Shore)
Sophomore Highlights
Has Texas offered: Yes.
Where UT Stands: Following the Texas Junior Day last month, Evans listed the Longhorns as his No.1 school. Already has nearly 30 offers and figures to be one of the top running back recruits in the country. Has already visited a host of top national programs, so he's further along in his recruitment process than most of his 2020 peers.
Quotable: “Texas has definitely separated itself,” Evans said after the Texas Junior Day in February.
“My opinion of them is that they’re a great program,” Evans said last November.“They’re definitely on my mind and closer to home too - I don’t mind going far out, but that’s another thing. I’m building a bond with the running backs coach [Stan Drayton], I started talking with him at TSU [Texas Southern's summer satellite camp].”
Ja'quinden Jackson (Ath - Duncanvile)
Sophomore Highlights
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: The offers from all of the regional powers have started to pour in for Jackson, who was extended an offer by Tom Herman and Co. less than a week ago. Jackson's a guy we need to get in touch with for an update, but things seem to be in the infancy stages of his recruitment.
Jase McClellan (RB - Aledo)
Sophomore Highlights
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: McClellan committed to Oklahoma last summer and at this point, he seems pretty solid, but it's possible that the new flood of offers he's received in the last couple of months could make him open things back up.
Dwight McGlothern (DB - New Caney)
Sophomore Highlights
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Just as recent as six weeks ago, McGlothern was listing Penn State as his top school (Penn State actually offered McGlothern on Thursday evening), but there's reason to believe a lot of movement will take place throughout the rest of the spring. When he visited Texas three weeks ago, McGlothern indicated that the visit had been a game-changer. Texas A&M also made a big impression when he visited. We'll follow up with him this week.
Quotable: “They’ve been the top school that I have been talking to lately,” McGlothern said at the end of January. “We always facetime and stuff. They should be coming down to see me … I’ve been talking with Coach Terry (Smith), [assistant recruiting coordinator] Justin (King), I’ve been talking with everyone.” “They really want me up there and I’m trying to go up there,” he said. “It’s nice up there they showed me how it is on facetime and stuff. I talked to Coach (James) Franklin, I like them.”
Darius Snow (DB - Lewisville Hebron)
Sophomore Highlights
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: The son of former Michigan State and NBA point guard Eric Snow, and nephew of Michigan State linebacker Percy Snow, said his visit to Texas In January was a good one overall. The Texas coaches showed him how it runs a ton of dime packages and that they could showcase his versatility. Of the schools that have offered, Texas is one of the teams at the top of his list.
Chris Thompson (DB - Duncanville)
Sophomore Highlights
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Visited last month and said it was a good visit overall. He liked the stadium, the time spent with the coaches and what he saw of the lifestyle of the athletes and general students. Thompson is big on academics, so Texas did a good job of emphasizing UT’s academic strengths. Education was the first thing that was presented and he spent some time talking to academic counselors. Texas, Oklahoma State, TCU and Baylor are showing the most interest.
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