Winter Workouts 2017

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After talking to [several coaches], here are some notables heading into the beginning of spring football on March 7:

Junior Breckyn Hager, who finished second on the team in tackles and led the team in TFLs (13.5) and sacks (6) in 2016, will definitely get a look at MLB as well as OLB.

[Todd] Orlando, the LB coach, wants a physical, contact-craving middle linebacker who can "bark" calls with confidence over the noise of 100,000 fans.

"There are two or three guys we want to take a look at middle linebacker," Orlando said, declining to name names. But when I asked specifically about Hager, Orlando said Hager was one of them.

It sounds like LB Jeffrey McCulloch will be another one who gets a look at MLB, because Orlando said McCulloch "will cross-train at inside and outside linebacker."

It sounds like Orlando definitely sees junior Malik Jefferson as an outside linebacker - most likely the weak side linebacker, where Jefferson's versatile talents are probably best put to use.

"The Will linebacker has to be dynamic - rush the passer, drop into coverage and play in space - sideline to sideline," Orlando said.

On incoming JUCO transfer LB Gary Johnson, Orlando said he thinks Johnson has the versatility to play inside or outside. "He can blitz," Orlando said. "He's got some wiggle. He runs well. We need to put some weight on him."

Orlando said Johnson is probably 215 and needs to be at least 225.

Orlando wants to have his three best LBs on the field the most and not rotate as much to build familiarity and cohesion.

"Apparently, there has been a lot of guys in waves at the linebacker position," Orlando said. "We'll try to shave that down and get the best three guys out there together."

Sophomore Malcolm Roach, who played primarily at OLB last season, could be seeing a lot more time at defensive end in both the three-man and four-man fronts, because he's nearly 270 pounds.

At defensive tackle, Orlando said he thinks there will be a rotation of "five or six" players.

Nose tackle will be competitive. Orlando said he expects to have two nose tackles who can hold the point of attack. Obviously, undersized NT senior Poona Ford has the most experience and finished fourth on the team in tackles last season.

"Poona has played," Orlando said. "But we've got some other, bigger bodies we want to take a look at."

I keep hearing DT Marcel Southall's name as one to watch. While junior Chris Nelson has the most experience at the 3-technique DT, there will be fierce competition at that spot.

I've heard there are high hopes for Jordan Elliott, as a 3-technique DT or even DE in a three-man front whose explosiveness has drawn at least one comparison to Houston's Ed Oliver. Look for D'Andre Christmas to push for time at the 3-technique DT and/or DE in a three-man line as well.

When safeties coach Craig Naivar was asked about leaders at his position, the first name out of his mouth was P.J. Locke III, then DeShon Elliott, then Jason Hall and Brandon Jones.

CB John Bonney has gotten praise for his work in winter conditioning and it sounds like CBs Holton Hill and Davante Davis are buying in.

"We'll determine X, Y and Z player should be on the field 65 percent of the time - let's say," Orlando said. "And then which guys should be on the field 35 percent of the time or less - depending on what each player can do to help us. We've got a lot of guys who've worked hard and looked great in shorts," Orlando said. "But when I ask a guy to run into another player as hard as he can, that's the final piece to the buy-in for me."

Orlando on Tom Herman having players divided up into two groups each morning with a point system that determines which group won that morning's workout – with the winners getting a loaded breakfast buffet inside while the losers go outside and eat watery eggs, burnt biscuits and drink from a hose....

"When you win, there should be a reward for winning and a consequence for losing," Orlando said. "Every play, you either won your assignment or lost. So how do you win? It's the training and commitment to winning at every turn. It's the purpose with which you do every single thing that's asked of you. That's how you win on each play. We want our guys to be constantly reminded that the fun is in winning and that it sucks to lose."
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[CoachEmUp64]

Per TFB:

– Team Notes: Below are a few sourced notes regarding the team. Competition is at an all time high…

Defensively everything going to be to be simple so the players can play faster…they can line up and just play. Bedford’s defense was more complex. Strong simplified the defense in the second half of the season and the defense improved. Expect the new defense to focus on simplicity, pressure and competition.

The team will tackle all spring. This is a mark of an Urban Meyer defense and is something Strong did his first year but then backed off it as time wore on (presumably due to injuries).

There is “no let up”, even the coaches compete. “they want their position group to be the best…they want their position group to be better than the rest…it’s a ‘f your dbs my wide receivers are the best’ or a ‘f your offensive line my dline is the best'”

Interesting note is that I’m told the S&C staff doesn’t run the team nearly as much as the previous staff. I actually think that’s a good thing. Football isn’t a marathon. It’s played in spurts and requires 3-6 seconds of explosive energy repeatedly.

Reggie Hemphill is making big improvements. Still expect guys like Foreman, Heard, etc to be the main guys but source noted Hemphill has made big improvements.

Kirk Johnson is a guy to keep a close eye on. He’s gotten bigger and he’s explosive.

Brandon Jones is an athletic freak (which we all know) but it sounds like if he isn’t able to crack the starting line-up it’ll be because of an inability to pick up the defense as quickly as everyone else seems to be. Safety is a tricky position.

Bonney is working on the dime back position but I’m told the staff feels like he’s a guy they can trust to play and understand each position.

Deshon Elliot is starting and playing a lot faster

Starting cornerbacks will likely be Kris Boyd and Holton Hill. Holton has regained his confidence and is looking more like the guy folks expected him to be after his freshman year.

Overall, the whole team has bought in. A large portion of the team is doing extra work and even working with outside private trainers.

A ton of competition on the field, and no one wants to lose. The losing team has to eat outside on the ground and they will burn their toast or pour water on their eggs. Herman constantly challenges players and coaches constantly and the players are looking to hate losing at anything and everything.

Herman is opening up more. He came in as a “bad ass…no nonsense guy” but now the players are connecting with him. He’s showing his real side, his loving side but he’s going to be hard on them because he wants them to win.

Naashon Hughles is a freak. They will use him to blitz off the edge and up the middle.

Kris Boyd is the alpha male. When he talks everyone listens. He pushes everyone and will get in your face if you’re slacking

Sam Ehlinger is another alpha as well. He’s been throwing extra with the wide receivers. – (Super K)

 

[CoachEmUp64]

Per Chip Brown:
Bill Belichick as the speaker at Texas’ high school coaches’ clinic did three big things for Tom Herman and the Longhorns:

#1 … Most high school coaches who were thinking of going to watch one of his former players in the spring games at Texas A&M, OU or TCU that weekend, now is almost certainly making plans to be in Austin.

#2 … Restored the luster to a coaching clinic that had fallen off the priority list for a bunch of high school coaches the past few years.

#3 … Keeps the buzz around the Texas program going - not only to the high school coaches who feel Herman is showing his commitment to them with such a get, but also to recruits who think it’s badass Herman has the stick to bring in the five-time Super Bowl champion head coach fresh off of his fifth ring in the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Tom Herman it’s that he knows how to create messaging and branding that connects with his core audience - 17-year-old recruits.

At Houston, it was his savvy #HTOWNTAKEOVER patterned after the Miami Hurricanes of the early 1980s (winning big with local kids) … and now it’s #REVOLUTION18 at Texas and all the images we’ve seen already from new graphics designer Matt Lange, who came to UT from Alabama.

I’m told Herman has added seven new staffers to the UT payroll whose jobs didn’t exist previously.

The latest is new UT director of student services Brett Wohlers, who came to Texas from Ohio State and will oversee football academics.

Apparently, Wohlers’ presentation to recruits during Junior Day was so polished and featured so many visual references to successful, prominent UT alums in various business fields that recruits walked out all but feeling like they’d have a job waiting for them through those connections if football didn’t work out.

And why wouldn’t the head of the UT football program reference that UT alum and billionaire Robert Rowling owns Gold’s Gym and Omni Hotels? Or that Jeffery Hildebrand, founder and CEO of Houston-based Hilcorp Energy Co., gave each of his employees - all 1,400 - a $100,000 bonus for making their five-year goal in 2015? Or that UT alum Bill Duval presides over Lincoln Properties, one of the largest real estate companies in the world?

That’s just smart. Attention to detail.

“Tom Herman’s OCD nature about everything he has ideas about is just what Texas needed,” said one, long-time employee connected to the UT athletic department. “His staff’s approach to social media, to all the messaging, to redoing the locker room and weight room. He’s already said he has big ideas about enhancing the game-day atmosphere.

“And he’s not really taking no for an answer. He knows he’s never going to have more leverage than he has right now, and if things aren’t moving fast enough to get things done, he keeps going up the food chain until he knows it’s going to get done.”

One area that frustrated former football coach Charlie Strong was having to get approval from women’s athletic director Chris Plonsky, who also oversees athletic licensing and marketing, before sending out imaging to recruits.

During the Rio Olympics last summer, Strong wanted to send out some imaging that featured Kevin Durant prominently among several Longhorns’ who were having success at the Olympics. Plonsky indicated to Strong that a female Longhorn Olympian should be displayed as prominently as Durant before the imaging went out, sources said. Unable to agree on how the imaging should be presented, Strong became exasperated and gave up, I’m told.

After Texas’ win over previously unbeaten and then-No. 8 Baylor last season, Strong wanted to send out some imaging to recruits the next day talking about the Longhorns’ win over a Top 10 team.

But when someone from the football office contacted Plonsky’s marketing staff to create the imaging, football was told no one was working in that area on Sunday but would be able to help on Monday. Sensing the momentum for such imaging would be lost by Monday, nothing was ever sent out, sources said.

Herman, I’m told, blew up that protocol and the athletic department has now empowered his director of operations, Fernando Lovo, to get done whatever imaging needs to get done, so that it’s delivered exactly as the football staff wants (to connect with 17-year-old recruits) and is delivered on the football staff’s schedule.

“In the past, the process was so $#@!bersome and inconsistent, all the energy and creativity of coming up with branding and messaging that connected with recruits - the lifeblood of any program - would get trampled,” said one source close to the situation.

“Tom Herman has basically come in and shaken everyone into consciousness about how quickly things need to change and move - especially in terms of messaging and branding for recruits - or Texas will continue to fall further and further behind.”

I’m told the virtual reality video of what UT’s new locker room will look like - shown to recruits during Junior Day - was all done in-house by football.

Gauging by recruits’ reactions, the video made them feel as if they had already been inside the new locker room - which won’t be finished until this summer.

Herman’s 100 mph work ethic, unrelenting vision and attention to detail reminds me of an Andre Agassi Nike commercial that ended, “That oughta wake up the country club.”

 

[CoachEmUp64]

Per Nahlin:

We're just four days away from the first Spring practice. There will also be another practice on the 9th, and then the team will leave for Spring break. Upon return, I wouldn't be surprised by hellacious conditioning to see who has stayed hydrated. When Herman was first hired to Texas we had a U of H insider offer details of Herman's program. One of the biggest points he made was Herman was a stickler for hydration because it helps negate soft tissue injuries (muscle pulls). We're now hearing second-hand accounts of how serious Herman is about hydration, and nutrition/eating in general. We're hearing a whole lot of things in this Humidor.

ACCOUNTABILITY

"There are Five C's of Accountability - character, competent, consistent, committed, cohesive." - Tom Herman

Call it an obligation. Call it subjection. Call it a core value. Call it something. But under Texas coach Tom Herman and his staff, call it reality.

One of the staples of Herman's first offseason at Texas is servitude for not just one's self, but the man beside you. Taking care of yourself and your teammate. Being accountable.

That mindset is being driven into the chest of each player in the Texas Football program since early December.

There have already been a few instances where not being accountable or looking after the man to your left and right has cost them.

A few weeks ago one of the offensive players became dehydrated after an early morning workout. The player was quickly treated with fluids but his group paid the price. They were sent back out to the field for "accountability reps." It's hard enough pushing through these early morning grind sessions. But Herman wants the kids to look after each other as much as themselves. So when a player in your group gets hurt or sick, pay attention. If you don't, you pay for it until you learn how to pay attention.

It's just one of the things Herman and his staff thrive on, selflessness. Doing your job doesn't just entail taking care of you. It entails watching the guy next to you. Making sure he doesn't cut corners. Making sure he's at the facility on time. Make sure he's getting enough fluids. And make damn sure he's ok.

You may have noticed in the last few weeks coaches posting the "7-second Chug Challenge" on social media. That's why. It's so guys can understand the importance of hydration before, during, and especially after workouts. Just be sure and watch your teammates. If one guy doesn't get enough water, that's on the rest of your position group. And you will pay for it.

In another issue recently, a player started failing behind during drills and wasn't pulling his weight. He'd screw up a drill not once, or twice, but three times this particular morning. Then this player decided to arrive late to an academic advisor meeting, and even worse, fell asleep in the meeting.

Instead of Herman and the coaches getting involved, the players took responsibility. They let this particular player know early next morning in the locker room that it would not be tolerated. It got real heated, real fast, we were told. To the point an assistant and equipment manager had to intervene. No doubt Herman cracked a smile over the self-policing.

In Year 1, this is what Herman calls accountability. He doesn't want his kids going cowboy on a guy, he wants players taking responsibility, not only for themselves, but to the man beside them. Holding each other accountable.

"In Year 2, everyone knows the offseason program, understands accountability, bought into the principles, the way we practice, run Fridays, train. Everyone is in alignment," said Tom Herman.

Accountability isn't just a word to Herman, it's a lifestyle. The players are learning this more and more each day.

BUY-IN AND WORKOUTS

It would be inaccurate to say every member of the team has bought in, that's simply a numbers game (the August scholarship number might be in the low 80's, rather than 85), but for the most part they have. This is palpable even on social media. One Saturday you see Malik Jefferson doing a plyometric hill workout, the next weekend he's accompanied by numerous teammates. These guys are working hard within the program, and outside of it. I'll be interested to hear how many spend Spring Break because I know of some who are already planning workouts in lieu of the VW Cabriolet road-trips to the beach.

Extra work is a good sign because they're already working hard for Yancy McKnight. One particular circuit is called Tour of Duty, a bi-weekly workout specializing in agility drills. It's 15 three-minute rounds finished in an hour -- the same amount of time as an old school boxing match. Of course it's all centered around competition because everything is centered around competition in this environment.

On other days they also do mat drills, which a great percentage of this board did in high school, I'm sure.

JUNIOR DAY

One of the things you always have to watch for exiting a Junior Day is hurt feelings. It happens often, and sometimes I think it's even understandable.

Aside a couple of quarterbacks, we heard nary a peep about this. I was wondering how the staff was able to pull this off.

Said a source, "They made it so there was no difference between players with offers and those without. Even though you know they have their tiers, they treated everyone equally. The conversations were all the same between the coaches/support staff and the higher profile players and the other ones. All the kids felt wanted. The current players who served as chaperones were also pushing them saying, 'this is where you need to be' and things like that."

The source continued on other things that stood out, "They had four stations that really helped explain the program: player panel, weight room, training room, and locker room. The player panel was good, recruits were able to ask current players anything they wanted. Yancy McKnight lead the presentation in the weight room and discussed how they're getting new equipment and upgrading the look. For the training room they mentioned they have four full-time football trainers and if you need a doctor, the doctor will come to you. For the locker room they showed a rendering of what it will look like. They also went over the meal plan; between their stipend and meal plan they're not going hungry. There are also protein powders, protein bars, and milk available 24 hours a day."

It was also conveyed to me that missing meals is a punishable offense, like being dehydrated.

An aside, D'Onta Foreman's recent comments about not knowing what to eat and when to eat are absurd, but obviously he wasn't being held accountable.

SOME INTERESTING RANDOM NOTES

Renovations: The price tag will be $11 million total with the locker room, weight room, and training room taking up much of the budget. Technology will be a big expenditure, especially in each locker, as well as graphics. The bulk of the work will be done between the end of finals and when players return, so mid-May to the beginning of June. There will be 24 hour crews to accomplish this. This will catch Texas up with other schools to a large degree, but expect a full remodel in a few years. Texas is back in the arms race and Herman has some grand ideas for a full reboot. That'll happen if he wins.

Saban helps Texas: I swore I'd never mention his name again in the Humidor but many of you will like this, and @lp2565 might actually combust. I have a buddy who spent some quality, relaxed time with the coaching legend. I was as shocked as anyone to find out he has "relaxed time" but apparently he does.

Knowing my buddy is a Texas guy the legendary coach had some interesting things to say, but not on the topic you might think.

- Saban and Herman have been in touch regarding USC. Saban had all the film Alabama used to prepare for USC last year sent over to Austin. He also offered some personal thoughts on USC, namely he questioned their physicality.

- Saban raved about Herman as a coach. Not long after helping Ohio State put 42 on Alabama in the National Championship Game, Herman took his new University of Houston staff to Tuscaloosa. There, Saban asked him to get up in front of everyone and tell them what he saw, and explain how Ohio State was able to exploit Alabama's weaknesses. Recounting this prompted Saban to state, "Texas has its first X's and O's coach in 20 years." It's actually longer than that, but you get the point.

- From the Texas side, I've heard Herman is very confident he'll have Texas ready to out-physical USC. That should come as no surprise given how his previous team showed up for big games, but a lot of work remains between now and early September. I'll be interested to see if he feels the same after Spring.

McRaven land deal: Before Tom Herman was hired it was loosely discussed that the politics between the University of Houston and Texas, namely the land deal where the UT system was supposed to build an intellectual hub, could be a sticking point. It was silly as a factor of whether or not Texas would be able to hire Herman, but the deal certainly has some potential broad implications for the university system.

UT System Chancellor McRaven disclosed on Wednesday that he "was not able to develop a shared vision" and he wasn't "able to get the stakeholders necessary to move forward."

The land in question is 300 acres purchased in pieces the last couple years after the BOR originally approved the move in November 2015. The whopping total price came to $215 million per the Houston Chronicle (and I'm sure government disclosures) after some speculated the cost would be between $39 million to $69 million. That initial speculation is largely irrelevant, but McRaven has recommended to the BOR they look to sell the "abandoned oil field."

I'm not going to pretend to know the intricacies of this whole thing, but I've heard from two people that McRaven's job is in jeopardy, though one mentioned it will likely evolve to his contract not being renewed when his term is up at the end of 2018.

USF games might be dropped: Texas is slated to play the University of South Florida in 2020, 2022, and 2024. I had someone tell me he thinks those games will be dropped because, to the effect, "Texas gave them enough money with the structuring of Charlie Strong's contract." I don't know for sure those games will be canceled, but it wouldn't surprise me. As you know USF made out like bandits by hiring Strong. They did what pretty much anyone else would do, but you know how Texas is. I don't have confirmation they'll be dropped, but I know it's a topic of discussion.

 

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Jaxon Shipley of Shipley Performance training up some Good Guys....