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Here are a few notes from Thursday's practice, the second of 2018 spring football:
- It was again just shorts and helmets, and the media window for availability was only for the first seven-or-so periods.
- Lots of special guests in attendance: Malik Jefferson, Jackson Jeffcoat and Armanti Foreman were all there as far as ex-Horns.
- Calvin Anderson, a future horn, was also at practice, taking in OL drills. Obviously, he looks like a different cat than the others given his grown-man size. I noticed that his feet look like he's wearing clown shoes. He's put on weight since his senior year at Rice and is not as slender as he was in his tape but if he has a few extra pounds on him now, they'll be outta here by the time summer workouts hit.
- Speaking of the OL, we saw a lot more of a first unit that featured Tope Imade at RG and Elijah Rodriguez at RT. I was not able to spot Derek Kerstetter during the portions of practice I saw this grouping, so maybe it was only being used when he was off working with the field goal unit or some similar special team. Regardless, we know what will happen if Kerstetter is unavailable this spring.
- Derek Warehime is technically coaching the TEs now, but you can tell he wants to do some OL coaching. An OL coach is an OL coach is an OL coach. They are their own breed.
- None of the QBs were as sharp in the period open to the media as they were on Day 1. It was a really nice, cool and windy day and the wind got the best out of a number of deep balls for everyone.
- Receivers who stood out in drills were Devin Duvernay, Davion Curtis, Jordan Pouncey and Collin Johnson. Duvernay is going to have a big year if the offense gets going as the starter at Z. He has the jets. Curtis showed nice burst into and out of cuts underneath as the backup to Duvernay at the Z and should push John Burt for playing time, especially when considering he can looked pretty polished as a route-runner for a guy who will usually be pegged as a pop-the-lid-type. Finally, Collin Johnson is beasting. He will break out nationally in 2018 if the offense reasonably potent, he's just looking too sick out there. Pouncey could be the biggest surprise of all this year as the second-team slot WR behind Jerrod Heard. Pouncey has an interesting physical makeup and frame to combine with a very sneaky twitchiness. The receivers on the roster at Texas are outstanding and the group is deep.
- Don't tell Corby Meekins, though, because he thinks all these guys are sh-tty at stalk-blocking. It doesn't take much to tell he's very interested in having them bring their hips through engagement as blockers in the open field rather than play patty-cake.
- Freshman WR Brennan Eagles struggled today and heard about it early and often from passing-game coordinator Drew Mehringer. "Use your f-ing hands, Brennan!" and different things like that are what you would hear as he was running against Eagles in drills acting like a DB in over-the-top man coverage. McComas had a good point about Eagles, who will be an amazing player at Texas sooner than later: he looked like he was trying too hard today. He was too lumbering getting out of his breaks and Mehringer really got up in his head about the number of steps he needed to take before getting into his stems, etc.
- Expect to see a good bit of RB Tristian Houston this spring, we're quick to forget he's actually kind of good (or at least he was last spring when everyone else got hurt before getting hurt himself and leaving Toneil Carter as the literal lone man standing in the group). Houston got some work with the ones today in offensive walk-through stuff.
- On defense, I'm starting to wonder what's going on with Gerald Wilbon? He's definitely been running third team to start practices and that's a guy who I figured would factor in much more prominently than that. I still haven't noticed a peep out of his classmate D'Andre Christmas, either. Hopefully, those guys start to pop in the notes once the pads go on because Wilbon at least has one of the best-looking anchors on him physically of anyone out there.
- Speaking of players who are probably worried about being passed up by younger ones, LBs Demarco Boyd and Cameron Townsend probably both feel they have a lot to prove this spring after Dele Adeoye came right in and took over the second-team mike job, leaving both of those guys to third-string through the first two days.
- We didn't see any major changes from Tuesday as far as who was working with the ones and twos on defense except for at the free/field safety position where Montrell Estell was doing more work with the twos today whereas on Tuesday that was freshman Caden Sterns.
- Expect Jerrod Heard to be the "get the ball in his hands"-guy this year. Jet sweeps, end-arounds, etc. He's also the odds-on favorite to handle punt-return duties. Others that have worked as returners through two days of practice on kick and/or punt return are: Kris Boyd, Josh Thompson, Daniel Young (he will not be working there long based on results), Devin Duvernay, Brandon Jones and Lil'Jordan Humphrey.
*****
(Anwar)
* Before I get into the specifics about spring practice on Thursday, let me begin by saying I thought the players moved a lot faster than when I saw them on Tuesday. The tempo of practice is probably something Texas football coach Tom Herman enjoyed seeing. On Tuesday, Herman reminded media members about how long it took to get through practice on the first day last year. I can definitely tell the players are very comfortable and just focused on improving their execution.
* Texas left tackle Calvin Anderson was at practice on Thursday. Anderson was glued next to Texas offensive line coach Herb Hand through the individual drills I watched. What was impressive about Anderson is he held the plays in his hand while watching his teammates practice. After each play, Hand and Anderson would discuss what just happened. I was not close enough to hear what their discussions, but it is safe to assume they talked verbiage, and there were times Hand visually demonstrated to Anderson what was happening on plays.
* On a side note, Anderson definitely looks like a starting offensive lineman. He may have enjoyed being wined and dined during the recent recruiting process, but the man has been in the gym. It is hard to imagine him not starting at left tackle this season.
* I thought Sam Ehlinger threw a much better deep ball today than on Tuesday. He connected a nice deep ball to Jerrod Heard, and was very accurate. Once again, he took first-team reps during the portion of practice we were allowed to watch, followed by Shane Buechele.
* The one thing that impressed me about Cameron Rising on Thursday was his attention to detail. I did not see Rising throw, but when Buechele and Ehlinger were in team drills, Rising was simulating the handoffs or passes he was watching. Rising was definitely making sure he got plenty of mental reps when he was not on the field. I am definitely not trying to get into a Cameron Rising vs. Casey Thompson debate. I just want to point out what I saw.
* Stop me if you heard this before – John Burt looked great at practice. Yes, once again, Burt was catching everything thrown to him. Burt primarily worked with the second-team, but did get some first-team looks. He displayed great football and hands. To be fair, we did not see Burt go one-on-one against any defensive backs, so it is probably safer to say he looked like a guy who practiced like a senior. However, he did look good.
* Now might be the time to hop on the Reese Leitao bandwagon. Leitao received work on the first and second-team during practice. He was not asked to make any dramatic catches, but he definitely did not drop anything thrown to him. Leitao never breaks stride when a ball is thrown to him. We will see how he progresses throughout the rest of this spring, but Leitao definitely looks like a player destined for playing time this season.
* Receiver Devin Duvernay and Ehlinger miscommunicated on one offensive team drill. Duvernay ran a short route and turned around in anticipation of Ehlinger’s pass. However, Ehlinger threw the ball long, and you know how bad plays like that look. Receivers coach Corby Meekins walked over to Duvernay and explained what was supposed to happen on that play. To Duvernay’s credit, he rebounded and did not have another mistake during the portion of practice I watched.
* Some of the receivers who received a lot of second-team looks on Thursday were Jordan Pouncey and Lil’ Jordan Humphrey. Receiver Brennan Eagles ran with the third-team, and was chewed out by Drew Mehringer because the receivers coach did not like the way his freshman was running a route.
* I felt bad for walk-on receiver Phillip Moeller. He dropped an easy pass during practice. The life of a walk-on is hard. When those guys finally get an opportunity, they have to make the most out of it.
* Toneil Carter received second-team reps, followed by Tristian Houston during offensive team drills. Carter displayed his typical burst of speed, while Houston looked strong. Again, they were not going against the defense, so it is hard to fairly judge them. I will say each running back hit the right hole and I never noticed Stan Drayton complaining.
* It is hard not to be impressed with Kris Boyd when you see him in drills. Boyd has tremendous footwork, balance, can shift his body, and the young man does not make mistakes. He knows how to stay low while backpedaling through a football chute, and then explodes when it is time to make a move. He did so well during one drill, he went right up to cornerbacks coach Jason Washington to joke with him about how good it looked. Washington laughed as he told Boyd to get out of his way so he could continue coaching the other players.
* By the way, Boyd has leader written all over him. Not just because of how much he talks, but players seem to follow his lead.
* Defensive tackle Chris Nelson participated in individual drills, but nothing team related. He wore an brace on his left arm and a non-contact jersey during practice.
* Whenever linebacker Gary Johnson is on the field, he covers it with ease. When you look at some players, it is evident they are trying very hard. With Johnson, it seems like he is gliding and always getting to the right spots. He made one mistake during the portion of practice I watched, which prompted defensive coordinator Todd Orlando to have a conversation with his linebacker. After that talk, Johnson continued to excel. In addition, linebacker Anthony Wheeler is another guy who was always at the right spots.
* Former Texas linebacker Malik Jefferson and receiver Armanti Foreman were at practice.
*****
(Suchomel)
We’re expecting a handful of unofficial visitors to attend the Longhorns’ practice on Saturday morning. A few names who have confirmed they’ll be in attendance …
Marcus Major – The Oklahoma City Millwood prospect told us a few weeks ago he wanted to visit Texas soon, and he’ll make it in this weekend. Don’t be surprised to see him return for an official visit as well.
Demariyon Houston – A teammate of Major’s, the Rivals250 wide receiver will be in Austin as well. More on him (and Major) in a bit.
Jared Wiley – Texas offered Wiley, a tight end out of Temple, not too long after he visited for a junior day. Wiley really likes Texas but isn’t in a rush to make a decision. More on him in a bit as well.
NaNa Osafo-Mensah – The Rivals250LB out of Fort Worth Nolan Catholic told Rivals’ Nick Krueger that he’ll be at UT’s practice on Saturday. This one’s interesting because he’ll be back on campus the weekend of May 4 and plans to announce his commitment on May 19. That’s the good news. The bad news … he’ll take an official visit to Notre Dame after the Texas OV and the Irish are very strong contenders in this one. We’ll catch up with Osafo-Mensah on Sunday to get a better feel of where Texas fits in following this weekend’s visit.
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Oklahoma City Millwood receiver Demariyon Houston will be making a return visit to Austin (he came in last year with former teammate Israel Antwine, who Texas recruited).
“Me and my boy Marcus (Major) will be there Saturday at 9 a.m. Practice starts at 10. I’ve been down there before, but this time I’m just looking to get the full experience,” Houston said. “Just to see how the academics are, what majors they have.”
Houston said he’ll be releasing a list of about 10-12 favorites in the next couple weeks. Texas “will definitely be in there.”
This one could get interesting if the right things fall into place. Houston told me he and teammate Major are “trying to make it a package deal. A lot of schools don’t know that, but that’s what we’re trying to make” and he said it won’t be a problem at all for him to leave the state.
Oklahoma State has offered Houston. OU has not (and may not … I’m hearing OU feels good about its chances with other receivers like Theo Wease and Arjei Henderson). OU has offered Major, while OSU has not. According to Houston, the schools that have offered both are Texas, North Texas, Minnesota, Iowa State, Florida, Tulsa and Nebraska. Again, if things stay on their current course and the two want to play together in college, leaving the state may be their best option. Texas could a big step forward on Saturday.
“They like to win. Also they care about the kids outside of football,” Houston said about the Longhorns. “They care about how they’re going to be as men in life, how they’re going to treat their wife, how they’ll be successful after football.”
Both players will be at the Rivals camp on Sunday so we’ll catch up with them then to get their thoughts on the visit.
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Temple tight end Jared Wiley picked up a Texas offer in February and there was some thought that Wiley might jump on it right away since he was kind of an under-the-radar prospect. Wiley said after picking up the offer that he’d likely wait things out a bit and when we talked to him this week, he said he’s going to stick to that plan.
He’ll be at practice on Saturday, so Texas will have a chance to make a strong impression and lay some important groundwork.
“I’m hoping to see a lot of intensity, a lot of urgency,” Wiley said. “I think I’ll be able to see the coaches’ real side, so I’m pretty excited about that.”
Wiley attended UT’s game against TCU last year and attended UT junior day earlier this year. Since picking up the UT offer in mid-February, he said things have slowed down on the recruiting front, but that’s partly because he’s been focused on school and playing baseball. The only visit he’s taken this spring besides the Texas junior day visit was a trip to Houston.
Of note … it sounds like Wiley is also one heck of a baseball player. He told me he’s batting .385 with 5 home runs this year and “it’s in the picture” that he might want to try both in college. He’s hoping to talk to Texas about that possibility this weekend.
On the recruiting front, he said he may try to graduate in December, but wants to wait until he takes some official visits before making a commitment.
“I’m still going to wait. I’ve been talking to my parents, all my family. Depending on how this season goes baseball wise and I fi get any looks or not, I might enroll early. But that’s pretty far off,” Wiley said. “As of now, everything is still leaning to after the season to commit. I want to take my time and make sure I make the best decision.”
Like Houston, Major and Osafo-Mensah, Wiley is scheduled to be at the Rivals 3-Stripe Camp on Sunday so I’ll get a chance to pick his brain there about Saturday’s visit.
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I mentioned it in early February when I talked to Rivals250 safety Jalen Catalon following a UT unofficial visit, but this one feels like Texas has a great chance. Catalon had another good UT visit last weekend and got a bunch of time with safeties coach Craig Naivar. On his first visit, he told me his dad was really high on Texas, which can’t hurt, and he said the same thing after last weekend’s visit.
“He likes Texas, likes the fact that I can play baseball there too. He was a baseball player. He’s a baseball junkie too, like coach Naivar,” Catalon said. “We’ll see how everything plays out though.”
Catalon’s not in a rush to make a decision and will take his official visits in the fall before making a commitment, but Texas is in a really good spot here. As I mentioned on the board earlier in the week, Catalon is a fantastic prospect on the field, but he’s also a high character guy, and seems to fit the mold of the type of player Texas usually has success recruiting.
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Some comments from top Texas targets who were at Sunday’s Rivals 3-Stripe Camp in Houston …
David Gbenda – LB – Katy Cinco Ranch
On where Texas fits:
“Texas is a really great school and is really high on my list right now. Other schools high on my list are Texas A&M, TCU and OU if I was able to get that offer because OU is a pretty good program also.”
On the possibility of a return visit to Texas (he’ll hit A&M this Friday and maybe TCU on Saturday:
“Me and my dad will have to coordinate that but we would really like to get down for a spring practice to see how the coaches are and how they’re developing as a team.”
On his conversations with Todd Orlando:
“He’s just basically saying here’s where we’re at, here’s what we’re doing. He’s really just trying to be 100 percent real and authentic with me about what they want me at, where they see me at and how he develops players.”
On a timeline for a decision (he said he’ll probably wait until the fall for official visits):
“My timeline really, I’m seeing a bunch of people dropping top 10s. I’ll probably drop a list sometime in the summer, because that summer time is really my development period and gives me time to see how the season is going to go.”
On what he likes about Todd Orlando:
“Really, I’ve watched some of their games and I really like the packages he has and his authenticity and the player development. He’s dealt with Gary Johnson and Malik Jefferson, so he has shown very good progress of what he can do.”
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Jaylen Ellis – WR – Round Rock Cedar Ridge (Baylor commitment)
On his contact with Texas:
“They’re showing me a lot. They said if I do get the offer, it will be later. They need to get my film in front of coach Herman first. I talk to Mehringer, I talk to Beck, really everyone big in the offense.”
On Texas monitoring him this spring/summer:
“They’ve already visited the school twice earlier this year and they said they’ll be there this spring again.”
On the possibility of hitting a couple Texas spring practices:
“I’ll be there for a couple spring practices since it’s right down the road. I’ll definitely be visiting there.”
On what he likes about Texas:
“It’s home. Everyone in my family is in bordering cities. We have Pflugerville, Round Rock, Austin, Buda. Everyone is close so that’s big.”
On what it would mean to get an offer from Texas:
“It would be special. My grandma loves UT. My grandpa loves UT. Just being able to say I have an offer from Texas, it would be very special to be able to say that.”
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Fort Bend Bush Erick Young said after his Texas junior day visit that Texas surprised him. He said it again when I talked to him at the 3-Stripe Camp, but it does sound like the Longhorns are still trailing by a decent margin.
On the UT junior day visit:
“I was shocked by everything. What stood out, coach Naivar. His energy, I liked his energy when he was talking to us.”
On where Texas fits in:
“I don’t know right now. I don’t know. It’s hard.”
On some schools that are standing out:
“I have A&M, Oklahoma, Bama, LSU.”
On what Texas would have to do to get in the mix:
“I’d have to visit again. If I visit again, I might like it more.”
Young went on to say that he may visit Texas again at some point this spring but he’s not sure. He listed OU and A&M as the schools that are talking to him the most, and he has one official visit set up (A&M on April 13). Young would like to commit sometime this summer.
Basically, Texas has to get him back on campus to have any shot at all, and really would need to get him back in for an official visit as well.
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Amite (LA) wide receiver Devonta Lee is a Rivals100 member with tons of offers, including Texas. The Longhorns will face an uphill battle to get him out of the Southeast, but Lee did say he’s planning to visit Texas sometime this spring.
On his contact with Texas:
“I talk to Drew Mehringer and coach (Corby) Meekins. We have a great relationship. I’m going to be up there this spring. I’m probably going to go up there.”
On what has Texas on his radar:
I like their offense a lot and I’ve heard how nice it is up there so I want to get there soon to see it for myself.
On what Texas would have to do to win him over:
It won’t be hard. They just need to show me a lot of love and show me how I can fit in there.
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Demond Demas – WR – Houston North Forest (2020)
On schools standing out:
“Right now, I’m not putting a final stamp on anything. I’ve got two years. I love the coaching staff, the facilities and everything. I’ve only been there like three times. I’m looking forward to going back soon.”
Demas said he stays in touch with Corby Meekins and Tom Herman. He doesn’t have any visits locked in for this spring, but does plan to take some. A Texas spring practice is a possibility.
On his conversations with the UT coaches:
“We just talk, they tell me to stay humble, keep a cool head, keep my grades right. They ask me when I’m going to have the next opportunity to visit.”
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Dwight McGlothern – CB – New Caney (2020)
On where Texas fits in:
“Texas is definitely a top school for me. When I visited there a couple weeks ago for junior day, they really opened my eyes up. I had a better picture of Texas after I visited. At first I was kind of like ‘Oh, it’s just Texas.’ But when I went up there, I loved it. It’s definitely a top school for me and I’m happy they offered me.”
On which schools are standing out:
“There are a lot of schools. It’s hard to say. Sometimes I even forget some schools. LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, Oregon, Penn State, Clemson, Florida, Florida State … I don’t really know.”
On which coach he talked to the most on his junior day visit:
“Coach Huff, I was really with him the whole time. He was with me when I was eating, when I was in the locker room. He was just hyping me up. It’s just great there. The players there, it’s family. When I came in, they were acting like I go there or something. That really stood out to me. Texas felt like home.”
On if proximity helps a school like Texas or Texas A&M:
“For sure. I can always make it up to Austin and College Station. So they have a better advantage over most schools.”
McGlothern said he stays in touch with Naivar for Texas. He may hit Texas or Texas A&M for a spring practice in the next week or two.
*****
(McComas)
For the 2018-19 Texas Longhorns to meet the 13-scholarship limit for next season, roster movement must happen. It’s a fact.
And when we reported before the season Texas was going to take four and maybe even five in its 2018 recruiting class, it meant that a transfer or transfers were very likely to occur after the season because of numbers. Roster movement isn’t uncommon at the high-major college basketball level, and it’s been a consistent theme at Texas over the years.
Currently, the Longhorns have four future freshmen signed in the 2018 recruiting class, and remain in heavy pursuit – and perhaps at the top of the list – for 2018 point guard Courtney Ramey. Speaking of him, he recently won a state championship, and recruiting should become more of a focus for him and his family now. I was told nothing has really changed in his recruitment, and he’ll probably take some official visits before deciding.
Incoming class: Gerald Liddell (wing/small-ball four), Kamaka Hepa (wing/four), Brock Cunningham (four), Jaxson Hayes (five).
Entering the 2017-18 season, Texas had 12 players on scholarship.
Freshmen: Matt Coleman, Jericho Sims, Royce Hamm, Jr., Jase Febres, Mohamed Bamba
Sophomores: Andrew Jones, Jacob Young, James Banks
Juniors: Dylan Osetkowski, Kerwin Roach II, Eric Davis, Jr., Elijah Long (sat out season as a transfer)
Seniors: None
Bamba is officially off to the NBA, and earlier today, Jacob Young unsurprisingly announced he will transfer from Texas, which brings the number down to 10. Throw in the four signees, and the number bumps up to 14, which is over the limit by one. Texas will take Ramey if it can get him, and if it did, that would bring the scholarship total up to 15.
Typically, the future roster doesn’t immediately sort itself out less than a week following the season. Texas players have classes to complete in the spring semester, and decisions to make just like coaches must eventually enter reflection mode about the past season and begin work on the next one. From what I’ve heard, Smart has been, and will continue to meet with each player individually to talk about the past season and that player’s future when Smart isn’t on the road recruiting.
Basically, there are more than a couple of ways next year’s roster gets to 13 scholarship players.
Transfers: Young became official earlier today, and don’t be surprised if another player transfers from Texas. If you’ve followed the hoops team throughout the year, then you already know James Banks is the name to follow.
Eric Davis, Jr.: Davis, according to documents of former agent Christian Dawkins obtained by Yahoo! Sports, allegedly accepted $1,500 from Dawkins, and since then has been held out of game action by Texas. He practiced, and was around the team. But he has been held out of games after his inclusion in the report.
From what I’ve gathered from multiple conversations, Davis’s status at Texas hasn’t changed, and Texas continues to wait for a resolution or more information. Remember, when this first broke and Texas Compliance began looking into it, Davis’s issue involved legal counsel, and continues to.
Although Texas took a more thorough approach than most programs to getting to the bottom of the alleged rules violation, Davis’s status isn’t as simple as being a UT decision right now. Basically, no one is quite sure which direction his situation will go, and the options and resolution remain undefined and undetermined currently.
Andrew Jones: Jones is determined to play basketball again soon at Texas, and fulfill his dream of being a NBA player. I’m not betting against him. However, it’s impossible to know for sure right now whether he’d be medically cleared, and able to play next season or not. Frankly, it’s asking a lot of a young man batting leukemia, but Jones continues to make strides and wants to get back on the court as soon as possible.
If he can’t rejoin the team fully next season, the question then becomes how does he count towards the scholarship limit? That’s not known right now. Obviously, everyone is hoping the alternative – Jones returning next season – happens because it would mean his health is in a good place.
Kerwin Roach II: In the locker room following Texas’s NCAA Tournament loss to Nevada, Roach was asked about his NBA Draft future, and kind of laughed as he said he wasn’t thinking about that right now. Something to keep in mind is Roach thought he’d be off to the NBA following his sophomore season before his sophomore season fell flat. Now as a junior, it would make sense for him to enter his name without an agent to participate in workouts and receive feedback.
Early, the thought is it’s unlikely he’ll turn pro, but it’s not a lock.
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