Image via FoxSports.com

– Team Note | Tyrone Swoopes: Back on August 20th in a Saturday Open Post we noted that coach Strong had made a decision about a starter and it was looking more and more like Swoopes would be the guy.

I spoke with a few people this week and this is what I’ve been told.

Texas is splitting their team period into “halves” and in the “first half” Swoopes is with the first team and in the “second half” Buechele is with the first team.

Also a source noted that when they install a new plan, Swoopes gets the majority of those reps.

I asked how Swoopes looks this week and was told he looks “aggressive”.

Was also told that Sterlin Gilbert has been really working to get Swoopes to play “backyard football”, to trust himself and just make the throw. One source said, “he’s telling Tyrone to throw the ball out there and trust the receivers to go up and get it”. Swoopes has notoriously struggled with hesitancy in pulling the trigger…patting the ball and not throwing guys open. They continue to push him to “just throw it”. And at least based on what we are hearing from practice this week, he’s doing that more and more.

Related to the note above, they are also impressing on him the need to trust himself. Source said, “they’re telling him if he’s unsure of something then just hand it off or tuck it and run”. Again, trying to take the “thinking” out of it and push Tyrone to believe in his abilities and play on instinct.

My personal feeling is this is exactly the kind of message Swoopes needs to hear. And hearing that he is playing “aggressive” in practice is a positive sign. Whether that aggression shows up on Sunday remains to be seen. But I will say that even for those who believe Swoopes was always a good practice player (an assertion I personally disagree with having seen him with my own eyes in practice multiple times in the past) few would argue that he was ever “aggressive” with his passing attack in practice. – (Super K)

– Texas Coaches Feeling Confident: Also spoke with a couple sources on how the coaches are actually feeling inside the program. I continue to hear that the coaches have a genuine sense of confidence that the team is going to perform well not just against Notre Dame but this season. I keep hearing, “they’ve got a different feeling about them this year”. Multiple people I’ve spoken to have indicated to me that the coaches and the team feel a degree of confidence that just hasn’t existed in that building in a while. – (Super K)

– More Redshirts: Earlier this week we noted that WR Reggie Hemphell-Mapps is expected to redshirt. A source confirmed a couple other redshirts that are expected in DB, Eric Cuffee and OL, Patrick Hudson.

On Hudson I was told that while he is extremely strong, he has some work to do on his overall footwork. – (Super K)

– Alston Orji: In case you missed it, the Texas visitor list for this weekend continues to grow. Add, 2018 LB, Alston Orji (Rockwall, TX). Orji doesn’t currently hold a Texas offer but one could be coming soon . He already holds offers from Oklahoma, Texas A&M and others. Edit (8:57 am via Andrew King): Alston Orji does currently hold a Texas offer. Apologies for the error.

Rockwall (TX) '18 LB Alston Orji (@TheAOrji28) tells me he plans to visit #Texas on Sunday. @SuperK_TFB — Andrew King (@Andrew_TFB) August 30, 2016

– Taquon Graham: And grow…

Star TX DE, Taquon Graham (@Quon_49) tells me he will be at #Texas vs #ND. List continues to grow. — Super K (@SuperK_TFB) August 31, 2016

– Omar Manning: I have not been able to confirm directly with 2017 WR, Omar Manning (Lancaster, TX) whether he will be at the Notre Dame game. However a source close to Manning said, “he may go”. – (Super K)