Official Orangebloods Bullshit Meter
5 - Total and undeniable bullshit (Vince Young hurt his hand in a fight the night before Texas/OU)
4 - Probably bullshit, but we probably shouldn't be emphatic about it
3 - There's enough of a possibility of it being true, that we should file it away just in case.
2 - You think it's probably going to happen, but things can change in the blink of an eye. (It's Austin.)
1 - Total and undeniable truth
Let's get on with it.
Rumor No. 1 - Rodney Terry is out
Grade: 1
Quick breakdown: I spoke with sources this morning and nothing has changed. It's a matter of when and not if. Everyone can relax. "CDC is on it," a high-level university official told me on Thursday. "He's got this."
Rumor No. 2 -Texas is prepared to make a major NIL commitment in men's basketball in order to sign a top-level coach.
Grade: 3
Quick breakdown: There's ton of scuttlebutt about the subject of the future NIL commitment level to men's basketball, but when I've reached out to people about the subject matter, no one has been remotely emphatic about it. One person connected to NIL in football is curious to see the assurances that Del Conte makes in his quest to close a deal for a men's basketball coach because those connected to NIL in football haven't always felt that Cel Conte has been 100% locked in with heavy urgency. Wherever a commitment comes from, I haven't had it confirmed to me that it 100-percent exists.
Rumor No. 3 - Parker Livingstone is in line for a starting position
Grade: 3
Quick breakdown: It’s pretty well assumed that Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore will start at two of the receiver spots, but who gets that other outside spot? This spring and summer will obviously go a long way towards determining that and whoever wins the job will have to earn it, beginning next week, but there’s some chatter that redshirt freshman Parker Livingstone is in line to make a run for that third spot. We haven’t seen much of Livingstone over the past couple of years since he redshirted last year and missed most of his senior season due to injury (after an incredible start to the season, mind you), but people behind the scenes have praised his size, speed and ability to stretch the field. It’s not a mistake that Livingstone traveled to every single road game with the team last year as a true freshman.
Odda ands ends...
* As recently as last weekend, 5-star wide receiver Tristen Keys was talking about which official visits he’d take, and Texas was one of the schools mentioned to possibly get a visit. Word behind the scenes though was that Texas was too late to the party with its offer in January of this year, and it was going to be tough for the Longhorns to close the gap on the other schools high on Keys list. Then on Wednesday, after visiting LSU this week, Keys went ahead and gave the Tigers a bit of a surprise commitment.
* Nobody OB has talked to this week feels that Keys is completely off the market. Five-star guys like him don’t usually commit this early without some drama (or at least other visits) if for no other reason than to drive up his NIL numbers. I fully expect him to still take other visits. Will Texas be able to get him on campus? That remains to be seen.
* Jaimeon Winfield pulled a surprise and committed to USC on Friday morning of last week. Similar to Tristan Keys, nobody I’ve talked to expects that recruitment to be shut down. Look for Winfield to continue to take visits and a stop in Austin seems very possible. Even USC people last weekend were expecting as much.
* Recently reclassified 5-star corner Havon Finney Jr. continues to list Texas as a top option. Put this one at a 4 on the OB Bullshit meter. From everything we hear, LSU and USC are way out in front on this one. In talking to Finney last weekend, I didn’t get the vibe that Texas is close to being in that top grouping. Not yet anyway.
* Could Texas A&M wide receiver commitment Aaron Gregory flip to Texas? Put this one at about a 3 on the Bullshit meter. It’s certainly possible. I’ll have more on Gregory in the War Room tonight but he absolutely loves the development of the receiver position that Texas has had in the last few years. Gregory’s a unique kid in that he has a strong sense of loyalty and doesn’t like breaking his word, but he also understands that football is a business so if Texas gives him the best path to a better future, a flip could happen.
* What makes Steve Sarkisian such a good recruiter? It’s a combination of factors but I keep hearing from players and parents how relatable Sark is. Consider this quote from a top UT target who recently had a call with Sark … “I didn’t know he was the head coach. He talked to me like I was his best friend.”
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