Texas Card House is the official sponsor of this week's War Room.
Visit www.TexasCardHouse.com for more information.
The big recruiting news this week was the commitment of speedster wide receiver Rondale Moore, who gave the Longhorns a pledge one week after taking an unofficial visit to check out the UT program and the city of Austin.
I caught up with Moore today in Beaverton (OR), where he’s taking part in The Opening, to talk about his decision.
“It feels great. I can definitely start building better relationships with the guys that are actually thinking about committing or even being recruited,” Moore said. “I get to talk to those guys, on top of the guys that are already committed. I’m building relationships with those guys, and then obviously my coaches.”
Top UT wide receiver targets Brennan Eagles and Al’Vonte Woodard are also competing at The Opening, and Moore said he’s already been in close contact with both prospects. With Eagles and Woodard both set to announce in July, things continue to look good for Texas.
“Those are probably the two I talk to the most. I talk to those dudes every day, at least four or five times a day,” Moore said.
Moore chose the Longhorns over a lengthy list of other offers, with Ohio State and Purdue giving Texas the toughest competition. More said he actually had a pretty good idea he was going to commit to Texas before he even visited, and once he spent a couple days in Austin and around the UT coaches, it was an easy decision.
“Austin is just a great city to live in, first and foremost. Second of all, McCombs, the business school, that was outstanding to me, stood out to me when I went down there. Then we started talking about offense, and how I fit in their offense, how I would be used at the H (slot). That was great for me and my uncle. He thought it was great,” Moore said. “I talked to my coaches, my trainer, my family when I got home and we felt like it was the right decision.
“Man, I had a general idea (he would commit) on the way down there. I had been doing my research before I went down there. Before they even offered me, we had been talking for a good month or two. I had been doing my research that whole time.”
I’ve mentioned it before, but Moore isn’t only a fantastic athlete. He takes his academics seriously and reiterated how important UT’s business school was in his decision.
“Definitely, McComb’s, the business school. I definitely want to try to get in there and then be great after football is over,” Moore said. “Education will take me further than football ever will, so that’s something big for me.”
Some of you have asked if Moore is likely to stick with his commitment, especially if Ohio State applies some pressure. He doesn’t strike me as a person who makes flippant decisions and Moore said he’s not planning on taking any other visits.
“I’m 100 percent,” Moore said. “I actually called everyone on my top six and thanked them for offering me a scholarship, believing in me, being able to talk to them and just say thank you.”
Moore will compete in the fastest man challenge here at The Opening (he’ll probably win), and his goal is to run a laser-timed 4.29.
As for what he’ll bring to the Texas offense …
“I’m very versatile. I believe with the jet game, I can get other guys open because people are so focused on the jet game, that leaves verticals open as far as safeties looking down and linebackers looking at me, leaving other guys open downfield,” Moore said. “Just being versatile. The return game, that’s something I definitely specialize in. It’s something I’ve got to get better at, but it’s something I plan to keep doing when I get to the next level.” (Suchomel)
******
Corona (CA) Centennial QB Tanner McKee has kind of flown under the radar in terms of media coverage since Texas already has two QB commitments in the 2018 class, but McKee has visited Texas once and told me at The Opening he’ll definitely be returning for an official visit in the fall.
The 6-6, 220-pounder said his relationship with the UT coaches has Texas “really high on (his) list.” He has a group of about seven or eight schools that he’s considering (he’ll release that list in a couple weeks) and Texas is in that group of finalist. McKee’s plan is to commit after his senior season.
“I would say the coaching staff (has Texas under consideration),” McKee said. “Coach (Tom) Herman, coach (Tim) Beck, they’re a great coaching staff, they’ve been very successful, they’re attention to detail is awesome.
Along with his plans for a return trip to Texas (he said he may actually visit two more times if he can squeeze in an unofficial visit this summer, McKee has a few other places he wants to see.
“I really like Washington, I like BYU, I like Alabama, UCLA. I’m just trying to make it to as many places as possible,” he said.
With two QBs committed, the numbers seem odd for Texas but McKee’s situation is a bit different. He’ll take two years off from football once he graduates as part of a Mormon mission, which means he won’t actually sign a letter of intent or enroll in a college until 2020. He said he could sign this year, but will wait things out to protect himself against something unexpected like a coaching change.
McKee obviously has some good options on the West Coast, but said he is willing to leave that region if he finds the right situation.
“You have to go where the best fit is, no matter where you’re from,” McKee said. “Of course, it would be nice to stay close with family, be able to come home on the weekends. But you’re going to live there for four years, so I feel like you have to find the best fit.”
McKee said when it does come time for him to sort through his options, he’ll look at a variety of factors, but relationships with the coaches and team members may be paramount.
“It’s a mixture of all – academics, how the network is after you get out is ultimately huge. And your experience, the relationship you have with the guys on the team, the coaches,” McKee said. “You’re going to be with them year-round so that’s who you want to surround yourself with.”
McKee said he hasn’t talked to any of the UT players yet but said he “loved all the coaches” and labeled Texas a very strong contender. (Suchomel)
******
Let’s call this Terrace Marshall Jr. update, part I …
After today’s two-hour session of The Opening that was available to the media, we had a tight 15 minutes to do interviews. I talked to Rondale Moore and Tanner McKee, and then tried to grab five-star receiver Terrace Marshall as he was finishing up another interview.
I got all of one question in, with Marshall confirming he will take at least one more visit to UT, before a representative from The Opening came and dragged him off. I said I’d walk with him to get a couple more questions in but was shot down on that request as well. Tough sledding at this event.
At any rate, there’s not a ton of new information to report from Marshall, who told us at the Five-Star Challenge earlier this month that Texas was one of his five favorites (LSU, Texas A&M, Miami and TCU). I did overhear him talking up LSU and a recent visit he took there. He told another reporter TCU is out of it, but don’t buy into that one bit. The Horned Frogs are very much in the mix.
Marshall did visit Texas A&M recently and word from College Station is that the Aggies made one heck of an impression. Some people feel LSU leads. Some feel it’s TCU. Others feel A&M may actually be the team to beat.
I’ll try to get more information from Marshall on Friday if time permits (we’re on a similarly tight schedule tomorrow), but it sounds like more of the same with this one – Texas is in the mix, but is trailing others. Assuming Texas lands Al’Vonte Woodard and Brennan Eagles, as expected, I’m not expecting this one to go UT’s way. (Suchomel)
******
A quick update on UT running back commitment Keaontay Ingram ...
The Carthage standout is at the State 7-on-7 Tournament this weekend (OB will see him tomorrow) and it sounds like other schools continue to work him pretty hard. LSU has been discussed quite a bit but Texas A&M has been staying in touch with Ingram consistently despite his UT pledge.
I wouldn’t worry about this one though. Ingram signing anywhere but Texas would be a huge shock, and I’m not sure we’ll even see him take any other visits. (Suchomel)
******
When B.J. Foster committed to Texas, he announced to Longhorn fans that he was proud to be staying home. The Angleton defensive back recently took a visit to his future home for the Longhorns’ Texas Heat Wave event, and he said it was business as usual in Austin.
“It was the same feeling (I’ve always had),” Foster said. “I knew I was going to commit (to Texas) for a while.”
The Longhorns’ highest-ranked pledge and seemingly one of the leaders in Texas’ recruiting class, many have wondered if Foster has been aggressively recruiting the Longhorns’ other top prospects. Foster insists, however, that he’s encouraging other players to take their time.
“I just told them you know to take their time and make their visits. Make the right choice,” Foster said.
His commitment behind him now, OB will see Foster at The Opening later this week, where he will compete in his first camp since his leg injury. Although he’ll be testing his leg for the first time in a competitive setting, Foster isn’t lacking in confidence.
“I’m going go up there and win,” Foster said. “I’ve got nothing to prove.” (Robert Larkin)
******
It’s undeniable that the Texas Longhorns are one of college football’s hottest teams on the recruiting trail right now. With head coach Tom Herman’s ‘RevolUTion’ already picking up steam with recruits across the country in the class of 2018, his staff is now shifting its attention to some of 2019’s biggest prospects.
Dekaney (Houston) cornerback Marcus Banks is one target the Longhorns staff is actively working on in the 2019 class, and the highly touted defensive back recently made his way to Austin for the Texas Heat Wave event.
Following the visit, Banks wasn’t shy to admit the Longhorns were high on his list.
“Texas right now is number one so far,” Banks said. “I like how (the coaches) treat me like I go to Texas, and I feel comfortable here and don’t feel any shadiness here.”
The Houston-area defensive standout said that one of the memorable highlights of his recent visit was his ability to connect with a lot of the current players and the family atmosphere he feels on the 40 Acres.
“I met a couple players and they treated me like family,” Banks said. “It was like I was already committed to the University.”
Holding early offers from other local schools like Baylor and Texas A&M, Banks is still waiting for his recruitment to pick up more steam before he rushes into any decision. The Longhorns, however, have put themselves in an early lead with the talented prospect. (Robert Larkin)
******
Covering Texas Basketball has kept me on my toes the last few years, but I’ve never encountered a story like the one that emerged late Wednesday.
Ibrahim Johnson, the half-brother of freshman Mohamed Bamba, used Facebook Live yesterday to deliver a bizarre, often incoherent, and troubling 22-minute long rant in an effort to “expose” Bamba; more specifically, expose his relationship with a longtime mentor. Basically, Johnson’s allegations focus entirely on the relationship between Bamba and his longtime mentor, Greer Love. At no time during the rant did Johnson paint Texas in a negative light, and even stated in the comments section below the video that Texas did no wrong and he’s not accusing it of anything.
Before we get to Love, let’s start with the most important thing in all of this:
“We’re aware of the recent social media post regarding our men’s basketball student-athlete Mohamed Bamba. As is usual practice by the NCAA, Mo’s amateur status was previously reviewed and final certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center. The NCAA has not informed us of any pending issues or eligibility concerns at this time regarding Mo. If there are further questions, we certainly will cooperate with the NCAA to the fullest.”
That was the statement Texas released to the local media today, and the part to focus on is Bamba’s amateur status already being reviewed and approved by the NCAA. Plus, the NCAA, at this time, is not looking into Bamba’a eligibility status.
Keep in mind that the NCAA does a substantial amount of homework on top hoops prospects prior to their arrival. As we reported earlier today, there is a zero percent chance that the NCAA didn’t already know about Bamba and Love’s relationship. In fact, multiple sources told me the NCAA already inspected that relationship at length and approved it.
From Love's bio online at Huron Capital:
“Greer remains actively involved in “Locke’s Lions,” an academic and athletic mentorship program for students who attended Public School 208 in Harlem. He is a sports nut who will play almost anything with a score, but his most significant athletic achievement is finishing runner-up at the University of Michigan’s all-campus intramural ping pong championship in both singles and doubles. Unfortunately there were no points for second place.”
Bamba attended P.S. 208 in Harlem, was a part of the Locke's Lions mentorship program, and Love was his basketball coach in elementary school. The NCAA - and it has probably already done this since it knew of the relationship and cleared Bamba - would very likely classify this as a preexisting, longterm relationship before Bamba became a potential NCAA student-athlete. (NCAA bylaw 12.1.1.1.6). Love is not a booster for any program.
Here’s how the NCAA language begins when discussing that bylaw:
“Boosters are prohibited from providing any type of benefit to a current or prospective student-athlete. NCAA Bylaw 12.1.1.1.6 specifically prohibits providing preferential treatment, benefits, or services because of the student’s athletics reputation, skill, or pay-back potential as a professional athlete. The only exception to this rule is where there is a clear preexisting relationship between the athletics representative (booster) and the student-athlete.”
Love, in an exclusive statement released to Andrew Slater of 247Sports.com, stated that he worked with compliance offices at four programs (Big 12 and Big Ten) once Bamba asked for his help to navigate the recruiting process, and he took “several additional measures” to make sure Bamba was compliant the entire way.
As for Johnson, he’s recently had several run-ins with the law in multiple states, including five outstanding warrants, per 247Sports.com.
At one point, Johnson tried to involve himself in the recruitment, and was seen at AAU and Team USA events with Bamba, although the two hardly ever interacted. Once it became increasingly clear, which wasn’t the case initially, that Johnson could be a negative influence, and look out for his own benefit in Bamba’s recruitment, distance was put between Bamba and his half-brother. Over the last few months, Bamba and Johnson have essentially had no relationship and don’t speak. Johnson’s aim was to remain close to Bamba, follow him, and become his agent, according to his Facebook Live video.
Should Texas and Texas fans be worried? According to multiple sources I’ve spoken with, no. Again, Bamba and Love’s relationship has already been thoroughly examined and approved by the NCAA, and there are no issues with his eligibility status right now.
Based on what I know about Love and what’s been reported today, he took guiding Bamba through the recruiting process very seriously, making sure that everything that happened kept Bamba on the right path. One person described Love’s involvement, which began around 10 years ago, in Bamba’s life as being a “saint.” Growing up in Harlem where Bamba did can lead to people going down the wrong path, and Bamba is not only very proud of where he came from, but also of the person he’s become.
Unfortunately, what we’re seeing now is the type of mess some top prospects in basketball deal with, only we’re seeing it in the form of a vindictive, egomaniacal public Facebook video that’s purpose is to be self-serving because someone can’t benefit from Bamba’s hard work and talent and is upset about it and the guidance he received. Frankly, it screamed of someone needing help.
As long as the NCAA doesn’t begin to again examine Bamba’s relationship with Love, which I’m told is unlikely, his eligibility status should be fine. But there’s no doubt that all of this has to be tough on Bamba. (McComas)
