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(From Anwar)
The Texas football spring game is nearly a week from now, and this has been the most positive and upbeat this program has been during Tom Herman’s tenure.
Herman has been very comfortable during every media session this spring. He has expressed concerns about various positions, but there is not a sense of worry. Herman is not calling out his defensive lineman for being “fat.” He is not consumed with teaching the 1-0 mentality. Even though Herman has lost most of his defensive starters and key players on offense, he seems very happy with his team.
I asked Herman about his comfort level with this year’s Longhorns on Wednesday, and his response confirmed what I sensed this spring.
“It’s great,” Herman said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do on the field, but these guys are a joy to be around. I love coming to work every day. The guys do a good job of policing our culture, our players do. There’s never an ‘us versus them,’ or any kind of sentiment like that. We’re all in this together. I enjoy being around these guys. They’re a good group of guys.”
In addition to the great chemistry between players and coaches, there is also a lot of individual talent to talk about.
I asked multiple people who have been to each practice for their assessments, and received a lot of positive feedback. Here are the players I heard great things about this week.
Time for some nuggets – not crumbs.
--- Texas receiver Malcolm Epps is a stud. I have written a lot about him. With him out of the way, let us talk about a few different players.
--- Running backs Jordan Whittington and Keaontay Ingram practiced well this week. From what I was told, each running back had more explosive runs, which is great sign as they are becoming more comfortable in the offense.
--- The staff has been extremely cautious with receiver Devin Duvernay. He has received limited reps during every practice to make sure he does not wear down. Duvernay has not done a lot, but everyone associated with the program is confident he will have an impact when it counts.
--- Defensive back D’Shawn Jamison has caught the attention of people who matter this spring. Epps had a good scrimmage against him this past Saturday. However, aside from that day, I was told Jamison has made a lot of plays.
--- Here is a little defensive line nugget that should make you happy. I was told Ta’Quon Graham currently weighs 300 pounds. He is listed at 295 pounds, but that will need to be updated once training camp rolls around. When Graham stepped on campus, he weighed between 260 and 265 pounds. Needless to say, Graham is growing into his position.
--- Malcolm Roach has been playing great, according to my sources. I sense Roach will eventually become the leader of the defense this year.
--- Okay, I totally screwed up this week. I asked Herman which position battles would carry over to training camp, and he talked about the seniors he lost on the offensive line and mentioned the tackle position. Well, I thought he was talking about the left tackle position and Calvin Anderson. I thought that meant Sam Cosmi at left tackle was in question.
Yeah, total fail on my part.
I asked a person close to Herman about the coach’s comment and was told he was referring to right tackle, not left tackle.
Thank you, sir, may I have another?
I was told Zach Shackelford and Cosmi are viewed as all-conference players. Herman was referring to the battle at right tackle, and shame on me for not getting clarification.
Denzel Okafor and Derek Kerstetter are in the hunt for the right tackle position. Currently, they are getting trained at both spots. One day Okafor will play right tackle and Kerstetter is the right guard. The next day, they flip-flop.
This position will not be settled until August.
--- Junior Angilau is pushing to start at left guard. Keep an eye on this young man. One person who spoke to me seemed to think he has a good chance to start.
--- Tight end Cade Brewer will replace Andrew Beck. Once you get past Brewer, Reese Leitao is expected to contribute this season. Leitao sprained his ankle last week and has been limited this week. However, Leitao is a solid number two tight end, and if the offense has a two tight end set, I am told he will not blink if his number is called.
--- Casey Thompson is as good as a player can be as a number two quarterbackwho has never taken a snap in college before, according to my sources. The same can be said about Roschon Johnson.
******
The Texas football staff was forced to deal with the new college football landscape earlier this year.
Longhorn quarterback Sam Ehlinger had an outstanding season, and as a result, he nearly scared away every passer in his room. Cameron Rising, Casey Thompson and Shane Buechele entered the transfer portal after this past season. Rising transferred to Utah, while Buechele is headed to SMU. Thompson decided to stay at UT.
I asked a source if Texas will try to sign multiple quarterbacks in next year’s class, or be content with Hudson Card, and here is what I was told.
To start, Texas is extremely happy with the verbal commitment of Card. I spoke to multiple people about him, and each person believes Texas hit the jackpot.
Texas is not opposed to signing another quarterback in this class, but under one condition.
I was told Texas would like to sign a player who could play quarterback in college, or excel at another position.
Basically, Texas has a high interest in Duncanville’s Ja'Quinden Jackson.
The Longhorns would love to obtain Jackson and see what he can do on the next level. Jackson can play quarterback, running back, H-back, linebacker, or tight end. He can be an offensive threat at whatever position he decides to play.
Jackson took an unofficial visit to Texas prior to spring break. Texas, LSU and Oklahoma are believed to be among his top choices. The Longhorns are definitely in contention to land Jackson, a player who rarely talks to the media.
He is expected to announce his decision during the Under Armor All-American game, but there is chance that is a formality and he decides before that contest.
******
(From Suchomel)
We released our first installment of the 2020 recruiting board on Thursday afternoon (click here if you missed it). For the recruiting portion of this week’s War Room, let’s take a look at why I have each player slotted where I do in terms of UT’s chances of landing a commitment …
QUARTERBACKS
Hudson Card – Lake Travis – Texas commit - Card is completely locked in with his commitment and an excellent starting point for the Longhorns’ recruiting class. Elite talent, tremendous leadership and character and the type of player around which you can build.
Ja'Quinden Jackson – Duncanville – 60% - Jackson rarely (pretty much never) does interviews and when he does, he doesn’t really tip his hand so it’s hard to get a true read on what he’s thinking. But he has visited UT a few times, including very recently, and the Longhorns have always been in good standing with him. Texas was the school he mentioned to me first when I asked a few weeks ago who was recruiting him at quarterback the hardest (he does want to play QB in college), which is a small sign. Schools like Oklahoma and LSU are also heavily involved, but OU did take a similar type of player in Mikey Henderson. Jackson doesn’t want to decide for a while but his skill set has been successful in Tom Herman’s offense, he has connections to UT by the way of Ra’Shaad Samples (father is the head coach at Duncanville) and Jackson hasn’t hidden the fact that he likes the Longhorns.
RUNNING BACKS
Zachary Evans – North Shore – 60% - Like Jackson, there’s a lot about this one that just makes sense. Evans knows Texas has a major need at running back, and he’d almost certainly be a major contributor from the time he steps on campus. He and his family have developed a good relationship with the UT coaches and with Director of Recruiting Bryan Carrington. He is pretty open and schools like A&M, Georgia, LSU and Clemson will be factors, but if I’m forced to make a pick right now my money is on the Longhorns.
Kendall Milton – Clovis (CA) Buchanan – 30% - Oklahoma has always been thought to be the team to beat here, and nothing has changed. Texas did make a strong impression when Milton visited this spring and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him return, but the Longhorns do have ground to make up here.
Bijan Robinson - Tucson (AZ) Salpointe – 40% - This may seem a bit optimistic, but I’m buying into the success the Longhorns have had in recruiting the state of Arizona of late. Robinson told OB recently he’d be visiting Texas this spring (I need to confirm the date) so the interest does seem legitimate. He’s tough to read sometimes but assuming he does wind up making his way to campus, I’d expect Texas to be near the top of his list by the time he leaves.
Jase McClellan – Aledo – 35% - A bit of projection in this one. He’s committed to Oklahoma, but is taking visits and the Longhorns should get an official visit (in addition to several UOVs he’s already taken). If OU lands a player like Milton, this one could get really interesting.
MarShawn Lloyd - Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha – 15% - Just feels like a longshot.
Ty Jordan - West Mesquite – 55% - He’d be a nice compliment to an every-down back like Zachary Evans, and Jordan really likes Texas. He does want to take his time which should allow for some things to sort out, but if Texas pushes here I like UT’s chances.
EJ Smith - Dallas Jesuit – 25% - Texas just offered and he and I missed each other this week. I’ll catch up with him in the coming days to pick his brain a bit more, but everything I know of him is that he’s pretty open. He does of course have ties to Florida as Emmitt Smith’s son.
Jo'quavious Marks - Atlanta Carver – 20% - This one feels like a bit of a longshot. If he visits, that number will obviously go up.
Sam Adams - Sammamish (WA) Eastside Catholic – His dad is an A&M legacy, for cryin’ out loud. Just seems like an uphill battle.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Jaden Hullaby - Dallas Bishop Dunne – Texas commit – Admittedly, Hullaby is an ATH if there ever was one and I need to officially add that position to the recruiting board, but he’s a versatile weapon on offense that can help out of the backfield, as a receiving tight end or even lined up in the slot.
Troy Omeire - Fort Bend Austin – 60% - He didn’t exactly tip his hand after his recent UT visit, but the fact is the Longhorns have had the last two chances to make an impression if you’re counting him being on campus for Texas Relays. A&M is still going to be a major threat here and Notre Dame is supposed to get a visit as well. Official visits could be the deciding factor in this one but Texas does seem to have recent momentum.
Javian Hester - Tulsa Booker T. Washington – 40% - He really likes the Longhorns and the staff, although he does have other schools he likes as well. He’s talked about playing with a couple friends from the state of Oklahoma who aren’t really on UT’s radar at this point, but when I spoke to him a couple weeks ago he backed off the whole “package deal” talk. I’m not ready to predict him in the Texas class just yet, but he’s on the fringe, thus the 40% number.
Teriyon Cooper - St. Louis Trinity Catholic – 45% - Tough one to call because it’s rare a player decommits and then re-commits to the same school, but Cooper tells me he’s still in contact with the UT staff, still likes the Longhorns a lot and will return for an official visit. If Texas pushes on this one all the way until the end, I could certainly see a scenario where he rejoins high school teammate Marcus Washington and re-commits to Texas.
Johnny Wilson - Calabasas (CA) – 30% - Wilson’s a tough one to track down, but our West Coast guy (who always has good information) seems to think Wilson’s interest in the Longhorns is legitimate. Wilson has Texas in his top five and will visit, but my gut says he’ll ultimately stay out west, like Bru McCoy … wait, what?
Quentin Johnston – Temple - 45% - I’d probably put this one higher if I could just get a better read on what Johnston is thinking. That being said, on the surface, this one just makes sense. He lives right up I-35, he’s friends with Jared Wiley and Ta’Quon Graham and he’s the type of long, athletic receiver Texas needs. I think I just talked myself into the feeling that 45% is too low since I’d pick Texas if I had to make a prediction right now. Time for my first recruiting board update.
Kelvontay Dixon – Carthage – 35% - The younger brother of Texas running back Keaontay Ingram, this one just might come down to how hard the Longhorns push. If the staff makes him a priority, that 35% figure probably doubles.
TIGHT ENDS
Darnell Washington - Las Vegas Desert Pines – 20% - He’s told OB that he wants to visit Texas (most guys say that) but when pressed a bit further, he wasn’t extremely knowledgeable about the school or the coaching staff. That makes me think Texas is down the list, although it has been a couple months since I’ve checked in so I need to follow up.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Logan Parr - San Antonio O'Connor – Texas commit – Locked in. Nothing to worry about here.
Jake Majors – Prosper – Texas commit – Same as Logan Parr.
Jaylen Garth - Port Neches-Groves – Texas commit – Rinse, wash and repeat. Locked in.
Chad Lindberg - Clear Creek – 70% - The Stanford visit was worrisome from a Texas perspective and while there were elements from that visit that impressed him, there were other things he didn’t love. His brother is at Texas UT checks all the boxes from a football, academic and social perspective. This one just makes sense. The only reason I don’t have the percentage higher is that he does plan to see several other campuses.
Damieon George - North Shore – 35% - Tough one to put a percentage on, if I’m being honest, because so much of this one could be tied in with Zachary Evans. If the Longhorns land Evans and want George at that time, the percentage on this one is probably doubled. If Evans goes elsewhere, the percentage on this one is probably cut in half. Package deals rarely work out and George really likes a few SEC schools, which is why I have it at less than 50% that he winds up at Texas.
Chris Morris - Memphis Freedom Prep – 25% - He’s visited UT a couple times and told me recently he’ll be back again, so there’s obviously an interest there. But this is a guy who visits a lot of places, and there’s confidence on the Arkansas side that the Razorbacks will win out.
Tosh Baker - Phoenix Pinnacle – 20% - He lived in Indiana when he was young and has taken multiple unofficial visits to Notre Dame. If Texas gets him on campus, anything is possible, but this one feels like an uphill climb right now.
DEFENSIVE ENDS
Vernon Broughton - Cy Ridge – 60% - I’m still going with Texas in this one. Twenty hand-written notes to his mother this week was a nice touch, and Broughton will be on campus for the spring game. Broughton could easily be listed on the d-tackle list, for those of you worried about that position.
Princely Umanmielen – Manor – 55% - Another one that just makes sense, especially when you consider how many times he’s visited Texas this year. That being said, Umanmielen has never given me the impression in our several conversations that he’s a slam dunk for the Longhorns, and the Aggies did make a very strong impression on a recent visit. This one’s probably a no-bet for me right now, but if I’m having to place my money somewhere, it’s on burnt orange.
Prince Dorbah - Highland Park – 80% - That’s a pretty ambitious number for me, but I like the way this one is trending. Don’t be shocked to see him visit very soon.
Alfred Collins - Bastrop Cedar Creek – 60% - Another one that has a lot of signs pointing in UT’s direction, but another guy who has never indicated to me he’s a lock for the Longhorns. In fact, he’s told me any assumptions of him having his mind made up are inaccurate. All that being said, he lives close to campus (visited last weekend) and his mother played hoops at Texas. This one also makes sense, thus the 60%, which means I’m cautiously predicting him in the class for right now.
Sav'ell Smalls - Burien (WA) Kennedy – 25% - Feels like a longshot, but he did tell Rivals early in the spring that Texas was a school he wants to visit.
Jason Harris - Gilbert (AZ) Higley – 30% - He’s already visited once and Texas could get him back on campus again if the staff pushes here. He told me after his UT visit that he and his family loved what they saw, but he’s pretty low-key so it’s tough to say for sure where he’s leaning.
DEFENSIVE TACKLES
Jaquelin Roy - Baton Rouge (LA) University Lab – 25% - The one-time LSU commitment is back on the market and does have an interest in Texas, but I’ve never got the impression that the Longhorns are extremely high on his list.
Jacobian Guillory - Alexandria (LA) – 20% - Feels like a longshot.
LINEBACKERS
Justin Flowe - Upland (CA) – 30% - There was a time earlier in the spring, I thought Texas might be the team to beat. But he has yet to visit, and it’s impossible to ignore the rumors that he was close to committing to Georgia after visiting there. If Texas gets him on campus – which I fully expect to happen – I expect this number to go up.
Brennon Scott - Dallas Bishop Dunne – 50% - Texas did just land a commitment from his teammate, Jaden Hullaby, which would seem to help. If the staff pushes, I like UT’s chances more than the 50%, I’m just now sure how aggressive UT will be in the long run.
Josh White - Cypress Creek – 40% - LSU, Texas and Oklahoma (to a lesser degree) are the main players here. There was an outside shot White could have committed to the Longhorns when he visited earlier this spring, but when he decided to wait and then took a recent trip to LSU, that seemed to provide a shift. Texas needs him to hold off for a while and come back for another visit or two.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Bryson Washington - Houston King – 75% - He’s been on the UT campus a ton, he’s never hidden how much he likes the Longhorns and he’s a priority target. Add it all up and this one looks good.
Kelee Ringo - Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro – 65% - You all know the score on this one. He’s taken three unofficial visits to Austin, including a weeklong stay for his spring break. He has taken several other visits as well and will continue to do so, but this one is trending well for Texas right now.
Kitan Crawford - John Tyler – 75% - He hasn’t drawn the fanfare he deserves, maybe because he’s fairly new to the radar or maybe because he’s more of an “athlete” but this is a guy Texas fans need to be paying attention to. He visited before spring break and the Longhorns feel like the clear team to beat in my conversations with Crawford. He does want to take his time though, so numbers could be something to watch.
Jalen Kimber - Mansfield Timberview – 40% - A lot of people are underestimating the impression Texas made when he visited about a month ago. I’ve talked to Kimber in person a couple times since that trip and his words and expressions are a good indicator that the Longhorns made a significant move up his list. He is still evaluating a bunch of schools and visited several in the Southeast last week, so this one probably has a lot of movement remaining but Texas is definitely in the race.
Chris Thompson – Duncanville – 70% - I have Texas as the team to beat here and am predicting Thompson in UT’s class, but he’s not nearly the lock that some have made him out to be. Schools like LSU and A&M are still very much involved here, but Thompson’s size and versatility would do well at Texas, he’s been on campus numerous times (including a couple weeks ago) and the chance of landing him and teammate Ja’Quinden Jackson should help UT’s efforts.
Ryan Watts - Little Elm – 35% - Lots of OU buzz and lots of chatter that he and 7-on-7 teammate Jahari Rogers want to play together. Watts didn’t necessarily deny those claims when I spoke to him recently, but did say he’s not locked in to play with Rogers either. He already has three OVs set up – none of which are to Texas – so that’s a bit of a sign, although he said he’ll probably take multiple official visits to UT if he doesn’t take an OV.
Lathan Ransom - Tucson (AZ) Salpointe – 25% - When I talked to him this spring, he said he’d visit Texas at some point so there is an interest there. UT’s odds will go up if/when that visit happens.
Xavion Alford - Pearland Shadow Creek – 55% - He’ll be at Alabama next weekend for his second visit this spring, so that can’t be ignored. But Alford does like Texas a lot and if the Longhorns push, they have a great chance of landing his pledge.
Jahari Rogers – Arlington – 35% - He has ties to OU (grandfather played there) and the Sooners seem to be the team to beat, but anyone completely ruling the Longhorns out is making a mistake. Earlier this year, Rogers told me his Texas visit was the best one he’d taken.
Joshua Eaton - Aldine MacArthur – 55% - He’s told me he wants to take his time with the process but Eaton really does like Texas and it wouldn’t be a complete shock to see him make an earlier-than-expected move behind the scenes.
