Recruiting Quick-Hitters | Latest Shhh Sighting & More

– Super K

***Sorry for the delay on this folks. As you know, yesterday, Bryan Carrington put out a shhh.

🤫 — Bryan Carrington (@BCarringtonUT) November 20, 2018

Should be out sometime this week but I’m told it could happen as early as today.

Not really any clues I can give without giving it away. It should be pretty cool obvious to you all who it is now that Myron Warren has committed.

***I know it’s hard to get excited about a 2021 prospect but Texas offered an electric slot WR in JoJo Earle (Aledo).

Excited to say I have received my second offer from The University of Texas #HookEm 🤘🏾 pic.twitter.com/eWUwZ19zo8 — JoJo💕🌴 (@kvshy_J) November 18, 2018

This is Earle’s second offer. First came from Texas Tech. Earle is teammates with Sooners 5-star 2020 running back commit, Jase McClellan. Jase’s mother told us that he would be visiting Texas along with JoJo this weekend. We have no reason to believe he didn’t make it but we’ll check on that.

***Two guys that didn’t make it in were Texas A&M 2020 OL commits, Akinola Ogunbiyi and Smart Chibuzo. They ended up going to Texas A&M. It was a last minute decision. Akinola told me that they both traveled with a trainer who made a late change of plans.

***A 5-star 2020 CB made it in though. Dwight McGlothern made the trip down to Texas. McGlothern has been on TAMU’s campus…A LOT. So, I’m going to curious to see what he thought about Texas after yesterday’s visit.

You can just feel a shift happening in the perception of Texas. A change in the winds. It’s an uprising. I want to know if the 2020 recruits are feeling that as well.

***And Zach Evans did finally make it back to Texas. I actually got a little worried because I texted a family member of his yesterday to confirm if they had made it and they hadn’t left yet. So, I thought it may not happen.

But it did…

Zach isn’t anywhere near a decision but you wanted to get him on campus for at least one game this season and they did. Again, we’ll be checking with these prospects throughout the week.

In-Depth with 2021 LB Kendrick Blackshire

– CJ Vogel

Easily one of the most impressive physical specimens I have covered this year is 2021 linebacker Kendrick Blackshire out of Mesquite Horn High School.

Blackshire is every bit of his 6-foot, 2-inch, 250 pound frame. For a kid that size, he has tremendous speed in route to the ball, however I would have liked to see a higher motor at times from Blackshire.

The massive linebacker was quite influential in Horn’s 41-34 upset victory over 8-2 Temple in the first round of playoffs. Blackshire was a key component in causing a fumble from Temple QB Jared Wiley in the second quarter.

The recruiting process is still in the real early stages for Blackshire, however he has made visits to Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and is fresh off a trip to Georgia. Not to mention a trip to the Texas-Oklahoma game in Dallas. But Blackshire is still a ways away from coming to any sort of decision.

“Probably during my junior year I’m going to post my top five, then I’m going to wait a little bit and then I’m going to commit,” said Blackshire after the game.

For the time being, Blackshire will focus on the remainder of his season and Horn’s run in the playoffs. He was slated to visit Austin this past weekend, however those plans fell through with a sickness in the family.

While Blackshire doesn’t currently hold a Texas offer, a communication line has begun between the two side and that should continue for the remainder of his recruitment.

“We just starting to build a relationship, so I haven’t heard too much about [Texas],” said Blackshire. “Hopefully [an offer] is coming.”

I would expect Blackshire to have pretty good interest in the Longhorns if an offer is extended in the near future. Still, it will be tough to keep him in-state when his commitment date rolls around.

At the moment it appears the Sooners have been the most in-depth relationship with Blackshire but that may change once the big dogs from the SEC and Big 10 start knockin’ at the door.

Tom Herman’s Monday Press Conference

– CJ Vogel

A win on Friday against Kansas and the Longhorns are going to the Big 12 Championship Game for the first time since 2009. How’s that for improvement from year one to year two under Tom Herman.

As everyone knows, quarterback Sam Ehlinger was unable to finish to finish the Iowa State game with a re-aggravated shoulder injury. Luckily for the Longhorns, Herman said Sam’s injury “is not as severe as last time.”

The idea of starting Shane Buechele and resting Ehlinger is not on the table according to Herman.

“We’re going to play the best players, the players that give us the best chance to win, regardless of opponent.”

As for the topic of Texas returning to Lawrence for the first time since the infamous 24-21 overtime loss in 2016, Herman wants nothing to do with it.

“We’re so far past that point in our program. There’s no hidden significance of it,” said Herman during his Monday press conference. “That was two years ago, it seems like 50 years ago.”

While Kansas is currently 3-8 and currently riding a three-game losing streak, for the most part, they have been competitive at some point in most games this season.

“They’ve been in pretty much every game that they’ve played [this year],” said Herman.

Texas is coming off the best defensive performance of the year against Iowa State, and there’s reason to believe it will carry over into next week. According to Herman, the key has been keeping opponents behind the chains on third down.

“I think the biggest key to [the Iowa State] game defensively was first and second down. When we have teams in 3rd and 12, 13, 10, you can be a lot more creative with pressures that you bring and the coverages that you play.”

Obviously, the stakes are high. Getting to the Big 12 Championship in year two under Herman will help in every facet of the program. But like Herman always says, Texas must go 1-0 again this week before looking onward to a trip to Jerry World.

Sourced Notes | Zach Evans and Kelee Ringo

– Super K

Hope everyone is having a good start to their Thanksgiving week!

Here’s a couple sourced notes on two 5-star 2020 prospects who were on campus.

***I asked how things went with 2020 running back, Zach Evans. Was told, “he and his brother really liked the visit. I think they like where the program is headed now. It’s a tough program and it’s working but it doesn’t mean you can be yourself. Texas still has guys with unique personalities. Hager is a character.”

The source joked, “It’s like everyone has a super hero character. You can go to Texas and be a marvel character”.

I have to say that it is interesting how Herman is able to maintain a program that is disciplined and intensely regimented and demanding but still give players the freedom to be themselves. They don’t come off publicly like an Alabama where everyone answers the media questions the same way, has the same public personality, etc. It’s certainly noteworthy.

***5-star CB, Kelee Ringo is a guy I think Texas put themselves very much in contention for. I’m set to speak with Ringo later this week but I wanted to note that sources around the Texas program feel like they did what they needed to on this first visit to ensure that they are a player in this recruitment.

“Had a very good time. Actually, unbelievable time if you ask me. His coach (former Texas DB, Bryant Westbrook) has praised Texas and he’s heard that. So, going in Kelee had high expectations of the visit and I think those expectations were met and exceeded”.

I asked source if Ringo was expected to return to Texas. To which I was told, “he will be back in the near near near future”.

Again, I’m scheduled to speak with Ringo later this week so we’ll have more for you.