Jahquez Robinson Visiting Texas

– Super K

A few weeks ago I went out to Jacksonville (FL) to see 2020 Alabama CB commit, Jahquez Robinson.

At the time, Robinson was planning on taking an official visit to Oklahoma for their Spring Game, which, as you know, coincides with the Texas Spring Game.

Recently, he let me know that he will no longer be attending the OU Spring game and is instead attending the Texas Spring game.

Robinson actually told me via text that Texas is actually in his top three.

This is one to keep an eye on because based in my in-person conversation with him, I came away with the belief that a school could overtake Bama in this recruitment.

Injury Updates | Tuesday

– Will Baizer

– QB Sam Ehlinger (illness) was limited today. Should be back to full in practice tomorrow.

– DB BJ Foster (concussion) was limited to non-contact. He should be back to full contact tomorrow.

– WR Bru McCoy (shoulder) separated his shoulder last week. He was back as a full-participant at practice today.

– RB Kirk Johnson (stinger) missed the second part of practice today. To be evaluated further.

– DE Marqez Bimage (shoulder) returned to live contact this past Monday.

– LB De’Gabriel Floyd (neck) has a herniated disc. Will know more by the end of the day.

– LB Caleb Johnson (shoulder) was cleared and is now a full participant.

– OL Christian Jones (ankle) rolled an ankle. He will be out for another week.

– DT Keondre Coburn (kidney) has normal blood levels now. He is back to full contact.

– DB Chris Brown (lung) went to the hospital for a lung issue. Nothing life-threatening. No updates yet.

– DB Caden Sterns (knee) out 6-8 weeks after minor surgery on his knee. Will be back for summer. U

– WR Collin Johnson (knee) has begun practicing with the team at full speed. He’s being worked in slowly and will likely be full go by the end of the week or next week.

Quick Hitters | Good News, Bad News

– Will Baizer

Good news, bad news post here.

Bad News:

Freshman LB De’Gabriel Floyd has gotten his results back on his neck, and they are not favorable. He will definitely be missing the rest of the Spring. He will need to have additional tests on the disc in his neck and more therapy for recovery. The time table is up in the air, but it could take a bit.

Good News:

According to a source, the NCAA’s decision on freshman WR Bru McCoy‘s eligibility could be coming out as soon as mid-to-late next week. Parties in Texas’ athletic department and the McCoy household appear to be optimistic.

In his Wednesday post-practice press conference, Tom Herman confirmed the above report on De’Gabriel Floyd:

“We’re going to evaluate him after the spring and see if some of his issues have calmed down with some more rest and rehab and all that stuff.”

As I stated in the comments, this won’t likely be a career-ending injury. Just a setback.

Spring Practice Notes | April 3rd

– CJ Vogel

Practice was back in session, and we have some notes for ya!

OFFENSE

The first time offensive line remained unchanged, however there was a small change on the second team.

First Team:

LT: Sam Cosmi

LG: Tope Imade

C: Zach Shackleford

RG: Derek Kerstetter

RT: Denzel Okafor

Second Team:

LT: Tyler Johnson

LG: Junior Angilau

C: Rafiti Ghirmai

RG: JP Urquidez

RT: Christian Jones

No Reese Moore on the two deep, who was replaced by early enrollee Tyler Johnson at LT.

The offensive line was working the crowther sled which emphasizes half-man leverage. Coach Hand emphasizes the half-man leverage technique in every practice we’ve seen so far this spring and is a big part of his coaching philosophy. The OL did this for the majority of the time we were out there.

Christian Jones was out there working with the 2s. He was sporting an ankle brace, and only participated in non-contact individual drills.

Running backs

The RBs were as expected, however were without Kirk Johnson.

Keaontay Ingram Daniel Young Jordan Whittington

Johnson is recovering from a stinger he suffered in practice yesterday. He is not expected to miss much time.

During the media time, the RBs were working with Corby Meekins doing slot WR routes with Josh Moore. Hands out of the backfield will not be a problem for anybody Texas puts back there. Keaontay Ingram made a few diving grabs during the drill.

WIDE RECEIVERS

The Texas WR core was back to full strength Wednesday. Collin Johnson was a participating in 1v1 drills, though was non-contact and Devin Duvernay was a fully participant as well.

John Burt is still at Track & Field practice for the time being.

Bru McCoy, who had been dealing with a shoulder injury, was seen stretching by himself and a team trainer for the first half of the individual drills. However the good news is McCoy did rejoin the WR group for routes on air.

Defensive notes are scarce since the defense doesn’t go into a full team-like drill while media is there.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Keondre Coburn and Gerald Wilbon ran together as the two nose guards for the first team defensive line. Coburn is completely healthy and was participating in all drills that we saw this morning.

Behind Coburn and Wilbon is DeAndre Christmas-Giles and Jamari Chisholm ran as the twos on the interior.

First Team DE:

Malcolm Roach Ta’Quon Graham

Second Team DE:

Moro Ojomo Jacoby Jones

LINEBACKERS

With De’Gabriel Floyd done for the spring, the already-thin linebacking core gets even thinner.

Early enrollee Marcus Tillman was in the two deep at LB and was joined by JUCO transfer Caleb Johnson. The two are having to catch up to speed very quickly with the lack of depth at the position so far.

Sidenote on Tillman: He looks the part so far. Very impressive physically for an early enrollee. He was rather a forgotten guy on a list of impressive recruits in the last class, but there’s no doubt he can contribute next year if need be.

The starters of course remain the same in Ayodele Adeoye and Jeffrey McCulloch.

B-Backer:

First team: Joseph Ossai

Second team: Byron Vaughns

SECONDARY

BJ Foster, who suffered a concussion last week, was back on the field Wednesday. Foster was joined by Montrell Estelle as the two deep safeties with Josh Thompson taking the reps at nickel.

DeMarvion Overshown was with the second team at safety, however when the defensive backs went into a route recognition drill with six DBs on the field, Overshown was slotted in at one of the down safety positions.

At corner, the two starters were D’Shawn Jamison and Jalen Green, a flip-flop from the usual Kobe Boyce and Anthony Cook that we had seen so far this spring.

Cook is still working back to 100% from a hamstring issue.

Donovan Duvernay and walk-on Turner Symonds topped out the rest of the corner group.

It’s worth noting that Jason Washington got onto Kobe Boyce turning a Cover 2 release drill where the corners practiced funneling the WR inside while flipping their backs to the sideline and shuffling back into coverage. It wasn’t anything super serious, but none of the other CBs received the criticism from a technique perspective.

Vernon Broughton Visiting Texas

– Super K

Top defensive lineman, Vernon Broughton has a few visits coming up. His mother tells me that they will be at both the Texas A&M and Texas Spring Games.

Both Spring Games are the same day but according to his mother, Broughton plans to attend both.

She also tells me that he may take a return visit to LSU this weekend.

As we’ve previously noted, Vernon’s mother used to coach basketball at LSU.

Right now, in my estimation, LSU, Texas A&M and Alabama pose the most significant threats to Texas.

Thirsty Thursday | Bumps & Bruises, Commit Analysis, & Looking Forward

– Darius Terrell

Welcome back to another edition of Thirsty Thursdays!

As always, I’m here to try to help quench your thirst for Longhorn Football in the drought of the offseason, along with other topics of interest in Longhorn sports this week. I’ve got a ton of content for you guys this week, hope you enjoy!

We have reached the halfway point for spring football practices. Based on what we’ve learned to this point, the following players will not be participating in Texas’ scrimmages this weekend:

Senior WR Collin Johnson

Senior WR Devin Duvernay (limited)

Senior S Brandon Jones

Sophomore S Caden Sterns

Junior S Chris Brown

Freshman LB De’Gabriel Floyd

Freshman OT Christian Jones

Johnson, Burt, Jones and Duvernay’s absences were all anticipated and expected. Caden Sterns had a procedure done for tendonitis in his knee last week and will be out until the summer.

What this means is that opportunity has presented itself for other players in the program to step up. As the saying goes, “The show must go on.” Today, we take a look at a couple of guys that have opportunities in front of them over the next week and a half that they must take advantage of.

Malcolm Epps

Epps is a guy that Texas has kept at WR, despite many people outside of the program expecting him to eventually make the move to Tight End. Epps is massive (6’6 245) but he appears to have improved his footwork substantially since last Fall. He has been running with the second-team at X for most of camp (especially in Bru McCoy’s absence) and his play has allowed the staff to start experimenting with Brennan Eagles at the Z in Devin Duvernay’s absence. Epps could carve himself out a role in the redzone with his size and leaping ability as long as he is able to continue to consistently make plays like this one:

DeMarvion Overshown and Montrell Estell

With the injury to Chris Brown this week and BJ Foster needing to be protected from himself at times, these two young men find themselves in rare situations entering the main stretch of spring practices. It’s not common in the world of big-time college football that players find themselves on the field without having the pressure of there being options behind them that can replace them. Both Sophomores will be running with the first-team the rest of the way and have opportunities that young players across the country dream of. They don’t have to worry about looking behind them if they make a mistake. They should be loose and free to fly around playing football instead of thinking.

The time is now or never in my opinion for a guy like Estell. This year represents his third in the program. From my experience, the third year is usually the most pivotal. These reps won’t be available in the Summer or Fall.

Tope Imade

Imade is the most massive human being that Texas has in the program at a legitimate 6’5 340 lbs. Texas hasn’t done Imade many favors since he’s been on campus, after he was originally recruited out of Bowie High School (Arlington, TX) as a 3-Star Offensive Lineman in 2016. Due to depth concerns, he was moved to the Defensive Line before fall camp in 2017, before being switched back to the offensive side of the ball midway through that same season. He came into the program as a bit of a project and I believe that the indecision early in his career by the coaching staff may have stunted his development some. He now enters his fourth season in the program and this is a crucial spring for his collegiate playing career. Imade started camp with the first-team at LG but is being pushed by Redshirt Freshman Junior Angilau and Parker Braun arrives in June.

Al’Vonte Woodard

While there is still plenty of time left, I was expecting to hear Woodard’s name a bit more than I have in reports from practice. Woodard was a consensus top-150 recruit nationally and we know that he is very talented. My concerns for Woodard arise from the fact that Texas has started experimenting with Brennan Eagles at Z, even though he is a prototypical X Receiver from a physical standpoint. It would appear that Texas is trying to get their best players on the field in any capacity and currently Woodard is not a part of that group. He needs to have a strong finish to his Spring with a talented group of Freshmen arriving in June.

Texas was busy with a few “OOS” visitors in town over the weekend

The search for Defensive Line help continues to be a big priority and Texas has continued to cast their net nationwide in search for players. Texas played host to a few out-of-state visitors this weekend as the Texas Relays were taking place across the street at Mike A. Myers Stadium:

After a great visit yesterday, I’m truly blessed 🙏🏾 to say I have received an offer from the University of Texas🐂 #ThisIsTexas #HookEm pic.twitter.com/NShZ6vwLCw — Jalen Logan-Redding (@Jalen_Redd) March 31, 2019

Jalen Logan-Redding is currently rated a 3-Star Defensive End prospect across the three major publications. He is from Columbia (Rock Bridge HS), MO, with offers from regional P5 programs Iowa, Kansas, Iowa State, and Kansas State. You can now add the University of Texas to his offer list. Logan-Redding picked up an offer after making the trip to Austin on Saturday after visiting Texas A&M the day before. Despite his current ranking, Logan-Redding is no 3-Star talent. Below are his Junior season highlights:

On the left is Orlando (Jones HS), FL, DB Dominick Hill and on the right, is Winter Park (Winter Park HS), FL, DB Ethan Pouncey. Pouncey is the younger brother of Texas Redshirt Sophomore WR Jordan Pouncey. Kareem mentioned Pouncey a few months back as a guy that he liked as someone to keep an eye on as a potential Texas target. It appears he may be on to something. Texas is clearly keeping the lines of communication open with Pouncey, as evidenced by him making it in for an unofficial visit on his own. Hill attends the same high school as current Texas Freshman LB Marcus Tillman, so there’s a connection there. While I don’t think either guy are takes currently, they could become targets if there are some unexpected twists with the 2020 DB board.

Pouncey’s Tape: (Mute the first play!!!)

He won’t be included in my list next week since he’s not from Texas, but Houma (Terrebonne HS), LA, Defensive Lineman Maason Smith is a name to file away for 2021. He made his way to Austin over the weekend and left with a UT offer in hand. Already a listed 6’4 300lbs, it’s not hard to see why Texas felt comfortable pulling the trigger so early on an offer when you take a look at his clips below.

Sleeper Alert

It’s time for fans to start familiarizing themselves with a new name for the 2020 class: Jalin Conyers.

Conyers is a 6’5 215 lb. multi-sport athlete (football, basketball, track) from Gruver, TX. Gruver is a small 2A school in the Texas panhandle near Amarillo. He’s begun to blow up on the recruiting trail recently, picking up offers from Texas A&M, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Georgia in the past week.

Conyers set new class 2A State Championship Game records this past December when he tallied 12 receptions for 224 yards and 3 touchdowns in a loss to Mart High School (Quan Cosby’s old stomping grounds). He lines up literally everywhere for Gruver, playing five different positions on tape (QB, Slot WR, Outside WR, S, DE) and dominating the competition. The upside is outrageous (nearly a 43-foot Triple Jump this year) and I personally like him as an X Receiver or Tight End.

Don’t be surprised to see the Longhorns throw their hat into the ring at some point soon. Conyers is a top-25 prospect in-state for 2020 and his rating should reflect that soon. Footage below:

Commitment Analysis

Over the weekend, Texas picked up its 5th commitment in the #cloUT2020 class when Bishop Dunne (Dallas, TX) ATH Jaden Hullaby made his intentions public on Twitter. For those that may not remember, Hullaby is a name that I had Texas projected to land a few weeks ago in my Spring Break edition of Thirsty Thursday, when we discussed what the 2020 class may look like in December of 2019.

So, what is Texas getting in Hullaby?

Ranking: 3-Star (247), 3-Star (Rivals), 3-Star (ESPN)

Top Offers: Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Florida, Michigan State, TCU

Size: 6’2 210lbs

Projected College Position: H-Back

Comparison: Dimitri Flowers (Oklahoma 2014-2017)

Analysis: First things first, Hullaby looks to be every bit of his listed height and weight on film. His frame suggests that he should be able to comfortably hold an additional 20+ lbs. at the next level. After spending most of his Sophomore year playing Quarterback, Hullaby moved to Running Back for his high school team as a Junior. As a runner, his best traits are his ability to accelerate to full speed after 3-4 steps (which is rare for a kid with his size) and his balance. He also flashes some smooth, natural pass-catching ability when utilized out of the backfield. Hullaby appears to be a physical player, (he can be seen seeking out contact and finishing runs with authority) although he doesn’t show much wiggle or ability to make guys miss. If he can develop some chops in the running game, Hullaby could be a Swiss army knife of sorts for the Texas offense in the future. He hasn’t spent a ton of time playing one position, which means he has a chance to develop quickly once he finds a permanent home on the football field. This commitment could end up paying off twice for the Longhorns as Hullaby’s younger brother, Landon, will very likely be a coveted Defensive Back recruit in the 2022 class.

After going back and looking at all of the different sets of national recruiting rankings across all of the major recruiting services over the past ten years, the data supports a conclusion that states that Offensive Linemen have the highest “bust” rate among all players outside of the Quarterback position.

I believe that Offensive Linemen are the most difficult prospects to gauge for a variety of reasons, but there are three “musts” that you need to look for when it comes to evaluating them. The most important traits that I look for in OLs are feet (can they keep their balance as they battle in traffic), ability to bend at the knees instead of the waist, and do they attempt to physically dominate the man across from them (compared to being satisfied just covering people up).

With that being said, the athletes listed below have been displaying these traits at very early stages of their development. Tommy Brockermeyer and Savion Byrd are my top Tackles, while Caleb Leonard and Bryce Foster are the top interior guys at this stage. Texas finds itself in position to sign another strong OL class following their 2020 haul.

2021 Texas “Class of Beef”

Tommy Brockermeyer 6’6 285 OT Fort Worth (All Saints)

Walker Little was the best Tackle prospect that I had ever seen in person prior to getting my eyes on Brockermeyer at The Opening in Dallas. Size? Check. Feet? Check. Technique? Check. Mean Streak? Check. Bloodlines? Check. Brockermeyer may be my #1 player in Texas regardless of class. For obvious reasons, Texas sits in very good position for both Tommy and his twin brother, James, who is a nice Center prospect in his own right.

Savion Byrd 6’5 260 OT Duncanville

While Brockermeyer is the total package, Savion Byrd is the most fluid athlete and has the best feet of all of the OL prospects in the class. He does a tremendous job of staying under control as a puller and finding work. He’s currently light at a listed 260lbs but the length is there and the frame should easily hold added weight in the future. Byrd plays with a nasty disposition and is not satisfied until a few counts after he hears a whistle. Pure Tackle prospect.

Caleb Leonard 6’3 305 OG Houston (Shadow Creek)

I LOVE Leonard’s highlight clips. He shows terrific footwork with feet that continue moving on contact, a violent strike with inside hands, and a mean streak with a desire to bury his opponent into the turf on every snap. He does an excellent job on tape of keeping his eyes up on double-teams, which can be extremely difficult to teach young players to do. I think he may be flying a bit under-the-radar right now, but that will change very soon. A pure Guard prospect, Leonard is one of my personal favorites in the entire class.

Hayden Conner 6’6 315 OG/OT Katy (Taylor)

A Maxpreps All-American, Conner has been a name that recruiting fans have been hearing about since he and Bryce Foster were Freshmen. Watching Conner on tape, it is evident that he has been coached or trained well technique-wise. He is massive and follows the trend of big guys in this class that aren’t just satisfied with just covering guys up. I think his feet are average, which causes me to view him as more of a mauling Right Tackle or interior prospect, where it won’t matter as much.

Bryce Foster 6’4 315 OG Katy (Taylor)

Foster is a powerful interior prospect that pairs his functional play strength with a terrific mean streak. Like his teammate Conner, it is clear that Foster has received some very good teaching with his technique and footwork. He’s a knee-bender, that does a very good job of keeping his shoulders square while he zone-steps and repeatedly puts his hat and hands in good position to execute his assignment. Foster is high on Oklahoma and Texas early.

(Single-game clips)

Reuben Fatheree II 6’8 275 OT Richmond (Foster)

The first thing that stands out about Fatheree on tape is his obvious length. I’d be willing to wager that his wingspan exceeds 7’0. He appears to have only average feet and he naturally has a tendency to struggle with his pad level. What he does do a great job of is executing his down-blocks and once he locks on to a defender at the High School level it’s over. I’m a bigger fan of his upside as a Right Tackle opposed to his upside on the Left side. Texas has been in regular contact with the big man.

(Single-game clips)

Jacoby Jackson 6’5 290 OT Mansfield Summit

Jackson is raw, but the tools are all there and he puts some very nice things on tape in one of the tougher districts in the state. It is easy to envision what he could become if it all comes together for him. I believe that Jackson has one of the highest ceilings in the class as a pure Tackle prospect. With offers from Illinois State and William & Mary currently, Jackson is going to blow up in the spring. He visited Texas back in January unofficially and is high on UT.

Donovan Jackson 6’3 305 OG/OT Houston (Episcopal)

Jackson is a known name in recruiting circles with multiple big-time offers under his belt already. He’s a guy that I think has G/T versatility but may be better suited for the interior in the long run due to his build. He doesn’t have ideal Tackle height, but he does have Tackle length. He doesn’t play against great competition and I didn’t see quite the same nastiness from Jackson that some of his peers have shown on tape, but there’s a ton to like about him as a prospect. Similar to Bryce Foster, Jackson is high on Texas and OL Coach Herb Hand.

Cullen Montgomery 6’5 290 OG/OT Houston (Episcopal)

A teammate of the more popular Jackson, Montgomery appears to be a high-quality prospect in his own right. Montgomery shows a mean streak and above-average feet. He’s going to need time in the weight room and has a habit of playing with his pads too high, but Montgomery is a nice ball of clay that any college OL Coach would love to have an opportunity to mold.

Elijah Bowser 6’6 320 OT Cedar Hill (Trinity Christian)

Transferred to Trinity Christian after spending his Freshman year at Cypress Springs High School in Houston. I saw Bowser in person at the UA Dallas Camp and didn’t realize that he was a 2021 kid. The upside is enormous, as you don’t find many kids that are as athletic and coordinated as he is at his age. I couldn’t find any clips from this past season a Trinity. I’m seeing some project him as a DT but kids his size rarely stay on defense.:

Erick Cade 6’7 295 OT Denton (Braswell)

On tape, Cade is exciting as developmental RT prospect. He displays only average feet and flexibility, but I love the nasty that he shows when he’s trying to finish a play. There are no clips of him in pass protection in his highlights, which I found to be a bit of a red flag. I’ve been able to see him in person, so I can verify that the listed size is legitimate. He will need time to overhaul his technique and change his body, but Cade could be a multi-year starter down the road for a program that has a plan for him and can afford to bring him along slowly. Texas has been in touch regularly.

Carson Walker 6’3 290 OG Midlothian (Heritage)

Walker is a guy that appears to be able to do everything well without being a standout in any one particular area. He is an athletic mover with good feet and does a very nice job of keeping a base on contact. He isn’t a nasty guy and the motor does appear to run hot and cold at times. I haven’t seen any reported offers yet, but Walker is a virtual lock to be a D1 signee a few years from now with his size and athleticism.

Tee Kellum 6’0 295 C/OG Carthage

I’m not sure how tall he is and he is surely carrying some bad weight, but I had a heck of a lot of fun watching this kid’s highlights. Big fella is an athlete, with very nice feet and a motor to match. He still has plenty of time for his body to change and develop. He won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think he’s a very, very good football player.

Trent Robinson 6’2 275 C Lovejoy

Robinson has vice grip hands that lock on and control defenders if he’s able to get them inside first. Although he doesn’t do it often in his highlights, he also shows the ability to climb to the next level and appears to have good enough feet, even if he doesn’t always keep them moving on contact at this stage.