2019 SPRING ISSUE
SPRING FEVER! DESPITE LOSING KEY PLAYERS FROM THE SUGAR BOWL WIN OVER GEORGIA THE FUTURE LOOKS PROMISING FOR TEXAS.
W W W. I N S I D E T E X A S . C O M
in this issue
Spring Game Recap |
by
6
Joe Cook
Joe looks at the notable takeaways from the spring game.
Spring Game Thoughts |
10
Scipio Tex Position-by-position observations by Scipio. by
Mike Blackwell Charles Omenihu and Kris Boyd highlight NFL-bound senior class.
16
5 Quick Thoughts - Spring Game |
22
Longhorns in the Draft |
by
Ian breaks down the Orange-White game.
by Ian
Boyd
Mike Blackwell Jordan Whittington is a quick study with abundant talent.
28
Recruiting Notes |
Justin Wells and Joe Cook The 2020 class is starting to take shape.
32
Hoops and Baseball Recaps |
38
Generational Jordan |
by
by
Joe Cook Basketball and Baseball teams have polar-opposite season endings. by
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SPRING GAME
Texas’ spring practice is officially over with the conclusion of the Orange-White game. Now, Texas fans will have to wait until September for the next action at DKR, but here are some observations from the scrimmage with an eye to the big picture coming later. 6
E TAKEAWAYS By Joe Cook
Photographs by Will Gallagher
T
he best performances of the
of offensive performance tonight,” Tom
DeMarvion Overshown on the game’s only
spring game on offense came
Herman said after the game. “Not only
score, while Johnson and Whittington had
from Casey Thompson, Jordan
difficult, almost impossible to do much with
several solid runs. Johnson did leave the
Whittington, and Kirk Johnson’s work on
the wind the way that it was. There’s really
game favoring his wrist late in the game.
the ground. Thompson had 15 total carries
no threat of throwing the football.”
for 42 yards and a score. Whittington had
Still, the work on the ground from those
a team-high 62 yards on 12 carries.
The defense teed off as a result, and that
three was one of the offenses’ biggest
was a beneficial outcome for that unit ac-
highlights.
Because of the gusting winds, most of the
cording to Herman.
best plays came on the ground for both
-Whittington looked natural at running
teams. Thompson had ample opportunity
“They had taken a few of these on the chin
back. Not comfortable, but natural. Accord-
to scramble because that seemed to be
lately in the previous few scrimmages,”
ing to Herman, he might look natural at
the only place the first-team defense gave
Herman said. “It was nice to send them
anything. “The guy could probably go drive the bus tomorrow too if we asked him to,” Herman said. “I’m amazed at how well he took to that position and just his ability, having never played that position, to do some of the things he has done throughout the course of the spring.” Texas made efforts to not only get Whittington the ball, but to do it in space from a variety of alignments. He lined up in the backfield, lined up in the backfield with another back, and split out wide. He caught four balls for 27 yards and almost had a touchdown reception if it weren’t for a great play from Joseph Ossai. Last year, Texas “formationed” success for Lil’Jordan Humphrey. There’s a good chance Texas “formations” success for Whittington as well. Though the wind did affect Thompson’s passing ability, the lack of protection seemed to have more to do with his
Casey Thompson
9-for-23, one interception evening as the white squad’s QB. Thompson was under pressure from the first-team defense often,
the second-team offense yards. He didn’t
into the offseason with a little bit of confi-
which lead to scrambles where he found
have much help from the elements. Nei-
dence.”
much of his success on the ground.
ther did Sam Ehlinger or any QB. So work on the ground was necessary
Once Thompson got behind the orange
“Obviously, I hope none of us are going to
for the offenses Saturday, and that trio
line, he went 5-for-8.
try and take anything away from any kind
provided it. Thompson took a lick from
8
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Herman has mentioned the second team
“I think he’s taken that to heart,” Herman
OL as a concern this spring, and it once
said of Green working toward adding more
again was a concern during the spring
physicality. “I think he wants to improve
Despite Thompson arriving one year
game. It often started at the snap with
that part of his game and you saw a little
earlier, both freshmen haven’t seen a live
Rafiti Ghirmai, who is learning the position,
bit of that tonight.
college snap, leaving Herman’s concern
offering some poor snaps to Thompson
backup job come fall camp.
about QB experience behind Ehlinger
that sometimes tanked the play. “Still a
-In a game where plenty of third string and
work in progress,” Herman said about that
walk-on players got a considerable amount
“High to quite high.”
unit. “We’ve got to accelerate their ability to slow the game down and think very quickly on their feet,” Herman continued. “ Right now, it always seems like they’re a step behind everything that’s going on. That’s why we have training camp. We’ve made progress. We’ve got to speed this up because chances are we’re going to need a couple of those guys.” -Defensive miscellany: Jeffrey McCulloch intercepted Sam Ehlinger on a poor decision early in the game. Ehlinger let the RB leak out of the backfield, square up both middle linebackers, then make a move toward the flat. McCulloch followed the RB the entire time, read Ehlinger, made a play on the ball, and almost brought it back for a score.
Jordan Whittington
Kobe Boyce recorded an interception on a poorly thrown ball from Thompson. Both teams combined for 12.0 TFLs and
of action, Roschon Johnson’s snaps were
“I think we all feel confident in the trajec-
limited in his first career spring game.
tory of Casey and the improvement and
5.0 sacks. Scholarship players that got to
strides he has made,” Herman said. “ I
the QB include Ossai, Ayodele Adeoye,
It’s because he’s behind Casey Thompson
don’t think there’s anybody in the country,
Ta’Quon Graham, and Byron Vaughns.
in reps, on field play, and time spent at
if you’ve got a redshirt freshman that
Ehlinger had to add a tackle on his inter-
Texas.
hasn’t played in any games as your back-
ception.
up quarterback, that’s a little concerning.” “Roschon knows that he’s not ready right
Marcus Tillman led Orange with 5 tackles,
now,” Herman said after the game. “That’s
He would say how pleased he was with his
Montrell Estell led White with 6.
okay. You’re not supposed to be after 15
redshirt freshman.
practices of college football. I don’t think Jalen Green had a standout performance,
that’s a huge concern of ours. He under-
“We’re happy,” Herman said. “We think
including a big hit and several pass break-
stands he needs to grow in this offense.”
we’ve got as good a situation there as pos-
ups. Postgame, Herman emphasized the
sible with Casey Thompson.”
importance for Green to make physical
Johnson completed one of his two passes,
plays like he did Saturday.
and will compete with Thompson for the
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9
In lieu of Ambien, I watched the Spring game again and wanted to share a few thoughts on players and positions. Injured starters sitting, wind conditions, zero sum games and stripped down playbook disclaimers are all mentioned now in obligatory fashion.
by Scipio Tex
Demarvion Overshown
First, the Defense....
he’s well ahead of schedule given his HS offense background. He’ll get a baptism by fire, but should be very good soon.
DEFENSIVE BACK
Montrell Estell did a fine job getting involved as a tackler and led the scrimmage in stops.
With players like Josh Thompson, Brandon Jones and Caden Sterns sitting on the sideline, the first string unit still looked like a credible FBS secondary. A big portion of the credit for that goes to safety Chris Brown, who played QB for the defense and tackled very well throughout. He’s tough and he plays with good anticipation that offsets his physical deficits.
of wrapping up and allowed a 5 yard gain to go for 20. Despite his quickness, he can’t get snaps without better tackling. Demarvion Overshown flows really well to the ball and has a terrific
BJ Foster looked like himself (2 PBUs) and I loved what I saw from young Jalen Green at CB (2 PBUs, two powerful tackles, always in the right spot). We already knew about Green’s length and quickness. The physicality he displayed was surprising and, in my mind,
10
D’shawn Jamison threw a weak shoulder into Duvernay instead
first step. I know he wants to be a safety, but he’d help us more as a utility LB given the riches and experience we have in our safety personnel. Orlando will likely just tell him he’s a safety...while playing him in the box.
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Assembling a coherent secondary with multiple missing starters
pairing him with Adeoye, unless we start a dime look behind them
checking out Pom squad girls on the sideline is a testament to this
to prevent teams from isolating RBs on our LBs.
unit’s depth. Guys like Watson and Adimora arriving this summer will only add to the fun.
Regarding McCulloch, I was probably most pleased to see him make some routine linebacking plays on inside zone. There wasn’t
Speaking of depth (or its lack)...
much to test his eye discipline or footwork in the Longhorn offense, so we’ll see how that goes once we see RPOs and misdirection.
LINEBACKER
Joseph Ossai played primarily as a de facto rush end, but also showed his own versatility carrying up a RB route to the end zone.
Jeffrey McCulloch stood out to me. The big LB is moving better and
He’s an interesting player in that I can’t point to any one over-
reprised last year’s KU game when he ran the route on a RB dump
whelming attribute he possesses. He’s just pretty good at football.
off and nearly sealed the pick six on the poor read by Ehlinger.
Pretty good against the run. Pretty good pass rusher. Pretty good in
He also did a very credible job covering Ingram on a wheel route,
coverage.
notching a PBU with active hands. While clearly more comfortable in space, that’s also the place where he had a negative play, miss-
Marcus Tillman looks the part and is an athletic fit. He just doesn’t
ing an open field tackle on Whittington late. That’s the danger of
know what he’s doing yet.
Jeffrey McCulloch
11
Luke Brockermeyer didn’t look out of place athletically, but obvi-
just 8 months ago. Moro Ojomo did better against the run than
ously we don’t want to be in a position of playing a young walk on.
as a pass rusher, which surprised me. Obviously, given that he’s fourteen years old, he still has plenty of upside.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Jacoby Jones flashed a couple of times lined up wide with his ears pinned back. He’s a naturally skilled pass rusher. It’s clear to me
The first team OL struggled to get a consistent push on them.
that we’ve already identified him as a useful situational pass rusher
Orlando didn’t do much in terms of twists or stunts to free them as
and will incorporate him accordingly if he can do the same on game
pass rushers, but their ability to create a constricted pocket with an
day.
honest up field rush was encouraging. Daniel Carson is now solidly 300+ and I was a bit surprised by his Coburn is getting some ink for his flashes and explosiveness, but
immensity.
in my mind he’s a 25-40 snap player and won’t be able to play extended snaps against any opponent that wants to run tempo. While I appreciate the attempt at Chris Nelson comps, likening him
FINAL THOUGHT
to a fully developed senior with a much better conditioning base isn’t instructive of what he’ll bring in 2019. Good thing we have the
My main takeaway is that Orlando should be able to field good
steady Gerald Wilbon to split time with him and Roach/Graham/Ojo-
personnel and scheme looks to stop the run situationally (good
mo having the ability to play nose in certain pass rush looks. Roach
physical DL, solid tackling box safeties) and stop the pass situ-
and Graham both did a nice job against the run and will show better
ationally (a dime look with one LB and multiple pass rushers). That
as we put in some twists that play to their mobility. I like TQ Graham
would be a welcome rebound from a pretty miserable money down
but I need to see more from him as a pass rusher when his initial
performance in 2018.
momentum gets thwarted. He’s standing and looking for batted balls instead of trying to get push every time.
The upside of the defense will rest in how Texas plays more neutral offenses, both by scheme and personnel.
Roach looks every bit of 290. Our starting LB against Maryland
Taquon Graham
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Casey Thompson
...The Offense
looks good in his new body, Whittington is elusive and multifaceted and Kirk, If Healthy (this is his legal middle name), is a legitimate slashing change of pace runner who doesn’t mind running inside. Daniel Young is at least solid depth.
QUARTERBACK Ehlinger, Thompson and Johnson were a combined 24 of 54 for 152 yards passing and two interceptions. Is that good?
The fact that all of the Texas RBs can catch is an added bonus and should be featured prominently. I can’t say they are all blockers though, after seeing Jordan Whittington in pass pro. As expected for a freshman who logged his HS snaps scoring touchdowns
All of the disclaimers apply in spades, but man. The good news is that we have a lot of data points on Ehlinger under live fire and
instead of blocking for them.
they don’t look like anything we just saw. WIDE RECEIVER
On the positive side, Thompson is legitimately elusive.
I saw too many drops and some bad routes, though we didn’t open
That’s all I’ve got.
the playbook past Page 1. On the positive side, we have enough talent, diverse skill sets and
RUNNING BACK
bodies.
Can a glaring weakness become a mild to moderate strength in the course of one half of an offseason?
The starters and most helpful role players will be the athletes that can catch the ball, run reliable routes, make sight adjustments and
A bulked up Ingram, a highly adaptable Jordan Whittington and a healthy Kirk Johnson seems to suggest that it’s possible. Ingram
take what Big 12 defenses concede by scheme in complement to Collin Johnson in what should otherwise be a broadly distributed offense. I don’t think theoretical upside will determine our pass
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13
Denzel Okafor (78), Junior Angilau (75), and Samuel Cosmi (52)
catchers. I think it will be largely be about dependability.
reliable.
Al’vonte Woodard and Josh Moore have the talent we want. Can TIGHT END
they be dependable? Moore had a drop. Woodard had a route miscue.
Poor jobs all around. I wouldn’t want to be in their film room. Cade Malcolm Epps caught five balls running the same route and I think
Brewer had an easy drop and an offside penalty. Jared Wiley had
he’ll have some situational value, largely predicated on whether our
two easy drops. Reese Leitao left the dog house to log some late
opponents play the matchup or just run their coverage. His catch
snaps.
radius is huge, but he’s a slow starter and not yet very physical when pressed and crowded early.
None of them blocked particularly well either, though Wiley’s upside as a potential blocker in space and in-line is pretty apparent once
As a defensive coordinator, I’d walk up a mature cornerback and
he gets stronger and learns the trade.
ask him to win. He should be productive against defenses that don’t challenge him, allow an easy release or concede 6-7 yard gains. Circle the LSU and Oklahoma State games to see how he adapts
OFFENSIVE LINE
to physical coverage. Zach Shackelford and Sam Cosmi are good to go. Shack was Bru McCoy’s physical maturity is pretty shocking for a freshman.
deprived of a lot of strength and conditioning development early in
He’ll get heavy rotation early if he can learn the playbook and be
his career due to injuries, prior management and starting before he
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was ready and he’s a much stronger player with two years of real
needs to find some answers to a speed rusher.
strength and conditioning under his belt. Cosmi is one of the best half dozen players on the team.
Rafiti Ghirmai needs to drill 100 snaps a day before and after every practice. His reps were bad enough to actually disrupt the timing of
I liked some of the things I saw from Junior Angilau, particularly with
the offense, but the good news is that this is correctable with simple
respect to his general athleticism, massive size and his ability to
repetition. The guards flanking him did a credible job on the 2nd
punch a pass rusher.
team and I like some of the things I saw from Imade.
However, he’s not helping himself when he lunges or gets out of po-
Adding Parker Braun to this mix will create some interesting battles.
sition. He’ll be a better guard than Patrick Vahe in short order if he
This OL will really get solved if Angilau can continue to come on
can just nail some of the fundamentals. Once Junior realizes that
and we can figure out the best positional fits in the Kerstetter/Oka-
he’s huge and athletic and that he’s not going to lose in a phone
for dynamic.
booth, he’ll stop beating himself. Denzel Okafor and Derek Kerstetter had their moments and Oka-
FINAL THOUGHT
for’s footwork has improved when lined up outside at tackle, but he can’t always translate his technique into athletic fluidity. Kerstetter
I’m not sure what can be taken from that offensive performance
has a high and light base but the ability to move and aggression are
except to say that I hope that counted as our season opener.
there. From a purely physical standpoint, Christian Jones was carved by
Join the Conversation
ancient gods. He has all of the requisite base attributes, but you can tell he’s still thinking instead of doing. His potential upside is
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huge, but it will take a while. Reese Moore is similarly green and
YOU HYD R AT E
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WE DON ATE
15
by Mike Blackwell
Charles Omenihu
LONGHORNS
2019 DRAFT
Armanti Foreman
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Kris Boyd Photos by Will Gallagher
- 2019 NFL DRAFT -
CHARLES OMENIHU
“It’s a blessing, definitely a blessing,” said Omenihu, who was born
5th Round | Houston Texans
in Houston. “My friends and family can definitely come and watch me play. Just a dream that’s finally been fulfilled and like I said, just
Charles Omenihu wore number seven at Rowlett High School in
a blessing. I can’t thank the Houston Texans enough for giving me
deference to his favorite pass rusher, Jadeveon Clowney, who
this opportunity.”
wore the same number while terrorizing quarterbacks for the South Carolina Gamecocks in college.
Omenihu earned the opportunity by playing well enough in his senior season to be named Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year
When he arrived at Texas, Omenihu switched to number 90, the
and First-Team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press and the league’s
number Clowney wears now while he’s disrupting offenses in the
coaches. The 6-5, 280-pound Omenihu played in 51 games - with
National Football League for the Houston Texans.
33 starts - while in Austin, with 99 total tackles and 17 sacks.
Perhaps it’s serendipitous that Omenihu will now find himself on the
KRIS BOYD
same team as Clowney: the Texans drafted the former University of
7th Round | Minnesota Vikings
Texas defensive end in the fifth round (the 161st pick overall) in the NFL Draft, the highest Longhorn draftee this year.
Kris Boyd was the other Texas player picked in the draft, taken in the seventh round by the Minnesota Vikings. Boyd was a bit of an enigma for the Longhorns during his career: he was a physically gifted player prone to being penalized and damaged by doublemoves in the secondary. Several scouts indicated that Boyd has a fourth-round skill set, which obviously means the Vikings received big-time value in plucking the Gilmer High School graduate who picked Texas over Texas A&M when choosing a school. Another member of the 2015 class, Holton Hill, is also a defensive back for Minnesota. Boyd participated in 45 games for Texas (starting 33) and recorded 54 tackles in his 2018 senior year. He had just two interceptions in his career, and “the book” on him says he often struggles to pick up the ball in the air. However, he also has attributes that scouts covet: size, physicality, a willingness mix it up with receivers, and is a strong tackler, which should make Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer - a defensive guy - extremely happy. Boyd also returned kicks at Texas, and as a 7th-round draft choice, he will likely be asked to compete on special teams. LIL’JORDAN HUMPHREY Free Agent | New Orleans Saints Receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey probably has mixed emotions following the draft, to say the very least. He declared himself eligible for the draft with a year of collegiate eligibility remaining, then ran slow
Lil’ Jordan Humphrey
18
times for scouts. The result? He didn’t get drafted.
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- 2019 NFL DRAFT -
But...
games played and 29 starts, including all 14 games last season. He had 39 tackles last season, with 5.5 tackles for loss and a couple of
He signed with the New Orleans Saints, a team coached by Sean
quarterback hurries.
Payton and quarterbacked by Drew Brees. A Lakeland, Fla., native, Nelson took a circuitous route to the 40 Humphrey’s decision to leave college early was certainly swayed by
Acres; he initially committed to Charlie Strong at Louisville, but
his numbers from 2018: 86 catches for 1,176 yards and nine touch-
flipped his allegiance to Texas once Strong was hired in January
downs. Perhaps the most telling stat for Humphrey is this: he led
of 2014. Though his odds of making the team are daunting, he left
the Big 12 in missed tackles forced after a catch, with 22. He was
Texas as a fifth-year senior, so he’s both mature and experienced.
also almost impossible to defend on contested catches, combining a big body with strong hands in a package Brees might love to utilize around the end zone, should he make the team. The Saints have had plenty of success in evaluating receivers, especially those of Humphrey’s size (see: Marquez Colston). New Orleans may very well have found a free agent gem with Humphrey. GARY JOHNSON Free Agent | Kansas City Chiefs Former Texas run-stuffer/linebacker Gary Johnson signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, and was the first Longhorn to sign after Omenihu and Boyd were drafted. Johnson is seen by most scouts as strong within the tackles, but perhaps with an unremarkable skill set as it pertains to the sidelineto-sideline requirements of the NFL; hence, he went undrafted. Still, a linebacker like Johnson could be valuable in the interior, where his hand-fighting and toughness should bode well. Johnson came to Texas from Dodge City Community College, and thus arChris Nelson
rived hungry and poised for a fight. That hunger was reflected in his final two seasons at Texas, which
DAVANTE DAVIS
culminated in the Sugar Bowl win last January.
Free Agent | Seattle Seahawks
CHRIS NELSON
Former Texas cornerback Davante Davis might become a part of
Free Agent | Pittsburgh Steelers
Legion of Boom II if he can make the Seattle Seahawks football team after signing a free agent contract. Davis, like Boyd, had
The man who created the “Nelly Rub” - defensive tackle Chris Nel-
an up-and-down career at Texas but is another willing hitter and
son - was a free agent signing by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nelson
tackler who should fit in well with the Seahawks’ physical defensive
was the stalwart of the Texas defensive line last season after the
mentality.
departure of Poona Ford following the 2018 draft. Davis’ talents were such that he got an invite to the NFL Combine, Chosen as a captain in 2018, Nelson finished his career with 45
where he made some scouts believe he might eventually be able to
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19
- 2019 NFL DRAFT -
convert to safety, though he played cornerback for the Longhorns.
Beck became a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2018 after missing all of 2017 with a broken foot.
Davis, a four-star recruit from Booker T. Washington high school in Miami, played in 48 games and started 26 in college. He recorded
BRECKYN HAGER
119 tackles and 24 pass breakups, with four interceptions. His eight
Free Agent | New York Giants
pass breakups as a senior placed him second on the team in that category.
Breckyn Hager’s senior year was not as statistically productive as his sophomore and junior seasons at Texas, but it was neverthe-
CALVIN ANDERSON
less good enough to land a contract with the New York Giants as an
Free Agent | New England Patriots
undrafted free agent.
Former Texas offensive tackle Calvin Anderson may have found the
The Giants are a franchise in a bit of disarray, which obviously
perfect landing spot in the New England Patriots, with whom he has
helps Hager’s chances of making the squad as a linebacker/pass
signed as an undrafted free agent. Anderson is highly intelligent - a
rush specialist. The MO for Hager has always been as a player who
prerequisite for anyone who hopes to play for Bill Belichick.
might be described as a “tweener” or hybrid linebacker/lineman, but after showing up at the UT pro day at 242-pounds, he clearly would
Anderson played at Rice before coming to Texas, where he started
like to be considered a linebacker, although he played defensive
and contributed immediately in his only season in Austin. The
end for the Longhorns.
Patriots also have a track record of taking undrafted free agents and turning them into productive players, and based on how quickly
He finished his senior season with 31 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, 7.5
they signed him, it appears the team had Anderson targeted.
tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries. To make the Giants’ roster, Hager will certainly have to “hurry” to make an impression in
Anderson started every game at left tackle for Texas in 2018, after
training camp.
starting the previous 36 games while with the Owls. ANTHONY BECK Free Agent | New England Patriots Just on numbers alone, Beck is probably happy to have landed in New England. He signed an undrafted free agent contract only weeks after hall of fame-bound tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement. New England quarterback Tom Brady loves tight ends, so if Beck can win him over in training camp, he has a chance to stick. Beck was not invited to the NFL Combine, which surprised and possibly annoyed Texas coach Tom Herman. “Andrew Beck can do it all as a tight end, an Hback or a fullback and was voted a team captain here,” Herman said. “You won’t find a tougher
Breckyn Hager
guy or more of a team guy.”
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- TEXAS vs IOWA STATE -
5
QUICK
thoughts 2019 Orange-White Game by Ian Boyd
A
ctually the white team won, which included the no. 1 defense, which is the reason they won. For the defense to perform like this was probably the most encouraging thing that could have happened. You’re nuts if you’re worried about this offense after they struggled in a exhibition/scrimmage setting playing against a 30 mph wind. Oklahoma looked similarly shaky a year ago in a similar setting and then had the most explosive offense in college football history. There were other issues of course, the orange offense dropped a number of good balls as did some of the members on the white offense, but the defense took advantage of the conditions and set the tone early and often with their play. But it was good to see the defense show out and it’s obvious that some of the players on that side are starting to put it together. Let’s start with…
#1 Jalen Green was a Revelation The Texas offense had a gameplan/script on
That’s no small matter either, Texas got a lot
offense designed to feature Malcolm Epps and
out of Holton Hill and then Davante Davis for
Jalen Green wasn’t having it. He put on a clinic
their ability to shut down bubble screens or
on how to use physicality to disrupt the timing
support the edge. Given the reports on where
and advantages of a bigger receiver, always
Anthony Cook was before his injury, it would
arriving with the ball on every toss Epps’ way
seem that Texas’ blue chip young cornerbacks
and even early on a slant where he bumped
are coming along nicely.
Epps off his spot. Shark McCulloch was moving well out there Green was also ever-present and active on
as well, his INT was largely just a horrible
the edge in run defense. Whether he can hold
decision by Ehlinger who seemed to forget he
up down the sideline against top Big 12 WRs
was there, but he was running laterally with
wasn’t something that this scrimmage could
some nice giddyup all night. I didn’t watch the
prove one way or the other but that physical-
defense as closely on this watch but Luke
ity should translate. If Green ends up being a
Brockermeyer and Russell Hine also showed
guy that regularly gets help over the top and is
well and made some nice plays. We may never
asked to be an enforcer on the perimeter that
see them play on Saturdays at LB but they
would seem to be a role that he can execute
sure are big and solid guys to have as your
very well.
practice squad guys. Jalen Green
22
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#2 Texas Offense Shows Interesting Wrinkles Texas took advantage of their hybrid RBs regularly in this game and moved them all over the place to either do work in the passing game, catch the ball on screens, create matchups for the wide receivers, and clear up the middle of the field for QB runs or in routes. For instance, they motioned the RB out wide once to set up a slot fade route for Malcolm Epps. Thompson checked to it but the defense doubled Epps and left Danny Young alone in the flat, so Thompson Sam Ehlinger (11) and Malcolm Epps (85)
checked down and hit him but the ball was dropped.
The big gain to Devin Duvernay came when they motioned the RB outside him and a LB chased him to maintain man coverage matchups. Then Duvernay ran an under route and got a rub on D’Shawn Jamison, Sam Ehlinger hit him in stride, and then Jamison bounced off Duve as he took off for a big gain. The white offense mixed in a lot of the QB counter game that Oklahoma has utilized so effectively in recent years and that loosed Whittington on one bubble screen and Thompson on a few QB runs. Herman noted after the game that they’ve installed a number of new RPOs that they didn’t mix in for this game that they didn’t want to put on tape. They actually ran a fair number of concepts in this game, all stuff from the previous season, but it was still surprising how non-vanilla the game was at times and how often they were willing to run the ball and try to play smash mouth football.
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- 5 QUICK THOUGHTS | SPRING GAME -
#3 Flashes of Greatness from Jordan Whittington and Malcolm Epps Whittington played pretty well in this game, turning 12 carries into 62 yards at 5.2 ypc and then catching four balls for 27 yards. I’d have to check the film but I was suspicious that for the second half Herman had Orlando back his defenders off a little bit and pretend as though the wind wasn’t blowing in the offense’s face. He was hitting the traditional cutback on inside zone reasonably well but he had a particularly nice run on a GT counter-read play, a scheme that often lends itself to setting up the RB to bounce outside which Whittington does as well or better than anyone else on campus this year or for the last 10 or so.
Jordan Whittington
Texas had a number of slip and bubble screens drawn up for him, many of which were thwarted by a defense that had them all sniffed out, including one where Jalen Green arrived with the ball and lit him up. The execution on those will be cleaner in the fall and harder for defenses to key when packaged with a more multiple play script. Don’t write off Malcolm Epps. He was struggling with his route adjustments and Ehlinger was looking for him on a number of occasions and not finding him where he wanted to throw the ball against the coverage. I laughed the first time they ran a tunnel screen for the 6-6/245 pound monster, it was stuffed by B.J. Foster. The second time Epps had better blocking and found a lane,
open field. That time I just shook my head in amazement, this guy moves really well for such a big man. His non-catch on a comeback later in the game from Casey Thompson barely beat Jalen Green and ended up being ruled out of bounds but it was impressive. He was starting to put it together later in the contest and the attention he got from Ehlinger and Collin Johnson on the sideline after the drives made clear that they see him as worthy of investing in. When Epps won a circle drill against Foster I figured he was ready to go in this game but it took him a fair while to get going. Still, those hands and that athleticism makes him a pretty fascinating talent to watch moving forward.
then showed some nasty quickness and shake in the
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- 5 QUICK THOUGHTS | SPRING GAME -
That dude is really quick and he’s a pretty tough and willing runner for a 190-pounder. Overall it’s clear that Thompson is figuring
#4 Casey Thompson’s performance was a mixed bag Casey Thompson
out where the ball goes in the passing game and at times gets some pretty good balls out and on target. He doesn’t always handle the pocket well and is much more likely to scramble when his first read isn’t there, he doesn’t like the picture he’s getting, or there’s pressure. Currently if they needed Thompson to win them a game they’d need a gameplan that included heavy doses of RPOs and QB runs but he seems plenty capable of executing those at a high enough level to produce. Roschon Johnson obviously isn’t there yet. He didn’t get many snaps and what chances he did get were mostly runs or passes where he was clearly trying to adhere to a process rather than just taking off and things were just moving too fast. He’ll make a sizable leap before the season starts and isn’t on as fast a track as Sam Ehlinger was but hopefully he won’t need to be.
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- 5 QUICK THOUGHTS | SPRING GAME -
#5 Final scattershooting notes
Jospeh Ossai
Jordan Pouncey looked pretty good and seemed to be the guy
ton to drop it. He definitely flashed, he moves really easily out
Thompson trusted most, especially working to him on some
in space.
option routes in the seams. Most of the key conversions from Thompson weren’t to Bru McCoy, who looked promising but
Cameron Dicker is a real weapon, hopefully they don’t need
not always in the right spot, but to the older guys Pouncey and
him to pull out a lot of wins but it sure is nice to know that he
Al’vonte Woodard.
could. I didn’t pay much attention to the punting, that’s more of a @Scipio Tex move to take note of how a kicker looks and
We probably shouldn’t read too much into that just yet, espe-
making a note, but potentially Texas could have a very strong
cially with a summer and fall for McCoy ahead, but it should
kicking game this season. An easy way to produce better
have been encouraging for fans to see how those younger
margins of victory and some blowouts is to be excellent on
guys are picking up the system.
special teams.
Joseph Ossai had a sack due to inside pressure from Keondre
The RBs are going to be heavily involved in the passing game.
Coburn that flushed Ehlinger to him and also ran down Thomp-
They had Keaontay Ingram and Jordan Whittington working
son for a minimal gain on one of his many scrambles. Again,
the normal RB passing work that they utilized a year ago and
didn’t get a great look at the defense on this watch but he
you know there’s going to be so much more once it’s time to
seemed to be mostly working off the edge. He also carried a
start winning games. We probably won’t know what all they
vertical by Jordan Whittington pretty well but then got beat by
have in the works until they host LSU on September 7th.
an amazing back shoulder throw by Ehlinger only for Whitting-
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27
A GENERATIONAL JORDAN - TEXAS vs KANSAS -
by Mike Blackwell
F
ifty years ago, give or take a few months, the Texas
And in actuality, none of the Whittingtons probably believe
Longhorns won a national football championship,
their family’s generational game has “culminated” at all
thanks primarily to winning The Big Shootout against
merely with Jordan’s arrival in Austin. You see, they’ve seen
Arkansas. Jordan Whittington wasn’t around at that time, ob-
him play, they’ve watched him work, they’ve witnessed his
viously, but his path was born in that same autumn of 1969.
touchdowns. For the Whittingtons, the true culmination has
Funny how things work out.
yet to come; just you wait.
What does 1969 have to do with Whittington, UT’s freshman
Yes, young Jordan is talented, hard-working and mega-
phenom who has everyone on the Forty Acres downright
hyped; but the family has been around the game long enough
giddy, even though it’s only April?
by now to know that true culmination comes with wins and championships. Jordan still needs some more of those,
Simple. In 1969, his uncle Larry pulled on a green and white
though he’s already had plenty of both.
Cuero High School football jersey, thereby marrying the Whittingtons to a game that has culminated with Jordan pulling on
Certainly the path set a half-century ago has been well paved
the number 21 for the Longhorns this spring.
for him: his uncles played at Cuero, and one of them, Arthur,
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Jordan Whittington
played at Southern Methodist University and won a Super
was sports, and she encouraged that.”
Bowl with the Oakland Raiders, in addition to a state championship for the Gobblers. The Whittingtons and football glory
Two generations later, the latest in the Whittington string is
in Cuero go hand-in-hand.
making a huge impression with the Longhorns and their faithful. Long before arriving in Austin, Jordan had made a huge
“Every time I think of football, I think of Cuero football be-
impression on the high school level, racking up video-game
cause I started here,” Arthur told the Victoria Advocate. Larry
numbers before ending his high school career with a state
said the Whittington football tradition was actually born from
championship last December.
the character of their mother and Jordan’s grandmother, Ruby.
And about that state championship game...Jordan’s performance was almost extra-terrestrial in that it can’t be truly,
“My mother taught us right from wrong,” Larry told the Advo-
accurately described with words. If you saw it, you know. In a
cate. “She taught us if we want something we’ve got to go
40-28 win over Pleasant Grove, Whittington managed to win
get it, and to never lie or cheat. She didn’t have much of an
both the offensive and defensive MVP award awards, and a
education and she wanted us to get an education. Our thing
glance at his numbers from the game clearly reveals why.
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- JORDAN WHITTINGTON -
was 12 of 12 passing with a touchdown, too. Oh, and he returned kicks to boot. With those kinds of numbers, the problem - if you can accurately call it a problem - for Texas coach Tom Herman is: Where do I play Jordan Whittington? In the spring, the emphatic answer to that question was running back. However, listening to Herman talk about the all-purpose Whittington, it’s clear that he will not be spending all of his time at running back, although he quick and successfully assimilated. “Just getting the footwork down, the landmarks down, the timing, the patience and all of that, yeah, it was a bit surprising, “ Herman said of Whittington, who left high school early in order to participate in UT’s spring camp. “It was a pleasant surprise, certainly. For him to look and feel that comfortable...is impressive.” Herman has spoken specifically about Whittington’s efficiency of motion with the rock. “It doesn’t take him seven steps to change He set a championship game record with - yes, it’s true - 334 yards rushing on 28 yards; quick math reveals that that is 11.9 yards per carry. He broke records in the game held previously by former Longhorn running back Jonathan Gray and also somebody named Eric Dickerson.
His speed is top-end, too.
track fast. (Devin Duvernay) would probably beat him in the
He tied a championship game record with five rushing touchdowns, and added 43 receiving yards for another touchdown. And oh yeah, when he was not gaining yards, catching passes and scoring touchdowns, he was making eight tackles at defensive back. The Gobblers finished the season with a 15-1 record, and recorded its first state championship in 31 years.
100, but I think what makes him difficult for the defense is there’s no wasted movement.” With the numbers posted and the obvious passing of the eye test for anyone who has seen him play, Whittington has given plenty of evidence that living up to his great potential is mostly a matter of “when” rather than “if.” That assumption is made even more palatable with the realization that Whitting-
In his final three seasons at Cuero, the third-youngest of 10 siblings gained over 3,000 receiving yards, stepped off 5,400
30
really smooth.”
“Fast enough,” is Herman’s description. “I don’t know if he’s
But wait, there’s more.
all-purpose yards and scored 60 touchdowns. Oh, and he
direction,” Herman said. “I mean, it’s boomboom-boom, and accelerating. He’s got great patience. He’s
ton has also always shown not just a willingness but also a desire to work hard. Oh, and he’s smart, too.
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- JORDAN WHITTINGTON -
been spectacular, he’s been the perfect teammate, a dream “I knew he was going to be a special player the first time we
combination of hard work, athleticism and intelligence, a
got to work with him in junior high,” said Cuero head coach
once-in-a-generation player and a Texas high school football
Travis Reeve. “He’s a great athlete, but he’s also really smart.
legend.
He was the leader of his class. And yet, as is always the case on the Forty Acres, what is “As time went on, watching him work and how hard he
behind you is not nearly as important to burnt orange nation
worked in the offseason, he was just the perfect combination
as the dreams of what might become of you - and the Long-
of talent and work ethic and intelligence and leadership. Guys
horns - in the future.
like that don’t come around all the time. He maximized his potential. He’s a guy that’s exceptionally talented but he works
Fifty years ago, Whittington’s uncle Larry latched on a pair of
like he’s of average talent.”
shoulder pads, starting a family love affair with football that has resulted in Jordan’s arrival in Austin.
And now it’s time for Herman to reap what Reeve has sown. The expectation is that the ultimate culmination of that jour“He grinds,” Herman says. “He’s a worker. He’s a worker in
ney is yet to come.
the film room, he’s a worker in meetings. He loves ball.” So now the question becomes how Whittington will get the ball: as a runner? A pass catcher? A kick or punt returner? All of the above? Running back depth - or lack thereof - is probably going to mean Whittington will spend most of his time at running back, splitting carries with another highly-talented back, Keaontay Ingram. “That’s my boy,” Ingram says. “Jordan, he’s going to be the real deal in the future. He could still go play wide receiver if he wanted to.” He certainly could play receiver, specifically slot receiver, where his explosiveness would be matched up against lumbering linebackers who most assuredly would feel as though they’ve been tossed into the fiery pits of hell trying to cover the 6-1, 215-pound piece of dynamite. He could return kicks, where his quick feet could make the first tackler miss prior to delivering the ball to the house at DKR. And, most probably, he can play running back, where his pass catching and toughness between the tackles will make him a defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare.
But alas, all of this is speculation, isn’t it? He has
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31
RECRUITING NOTES We’re almost halfway through the 2020 cycle for Texas and it’s been slow, but steady progress in recruiting. Riding the recruiting wave after a 10-win, Sugar Bowl Championship started only days after the Longhorns players and staff were back from New Orleans.
U
T held an Elite Day for highly-pursued prospects on the proverbial big board for 2020 and
2021.
In between, Mookie Cooper, a four-star ATH from Trinity Catholic in Saint Louis, committed and decommitted in the space of a few months.
It was similar to a Junior Day, which Texas held the following month, usually in late February-early
His teammate, Marcus Washington, signed with
March. But with only 30+ in attendance, it gave the
Texas in its Class of 2019. Despite the early declara-
Horns more one-on-one time.
tions, Texas and Cooper are still on great terms and he’ll likely take an official visit this fall.
That carried over to Junior Day Weekend in late February, something this staff has created where
The last for 2020, to this point, is Bishop Dunne
it’s basically the state’s best from seniors to sopho-
(Dallas) ATH Jaden Hullaby. The 6-foot-2,
mores for two days. This allows more time individu-
215-pounder does a little bit of everything for the
ally, with parents and coaches who accompany the
Falcons, and Will first get a look at TE/H-back, a role
prospects during their visits.
Andrew Beck held for Herman last season.
This class started with Logan Parr, the four-star OL
The pace of the 2020 cycle will pickup soon. Texas
from San Antonio. Hudson Card, the four-star Elite
is hosting a strong group of priority targets like Ver-
11 bound quarterback from down the road at Lake
non Broughton, Kitan Crawford, Jahari Rogers, and
Travis, came in next.
Bijan Robinson this month for officials. UT is in excellent standing with all these prospects, and might
Prosper’s Jake Majors, another four-star OL, was
see a few drop between now and early August,
No. 3, followed by yet another four-star OL, Jaylen
when two-a-days begin.
Garth from Port Neches-Groves.
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BY JUSTIN WELLS AND JOE COOK
Logan Parr, OL Helotes O’Connor
Logan Parr | Photo courtesy Parr family
Parr is the primary center candidate in this class. During the spring camp circuit, we only saw him take reps at center even though O’Connor will likely continue to use him at LT similar to Belton’s usage of Zach Shackelford. Even from his tackle film, there are things you can see that translate well to the interior. His movement and bend is better than his strength right now, which translates well to moving to the second level on inside zone and finding a linebacker on outside zone plays. His strength will come (he possesses a good build), but that’s not the hallmark of his game. Parr was the second commit of the class and has joined Majors in recruiting in a more private than public manner, perfect for an OL.
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CLASS OF ‘20
CLASS OF ‘20
33
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Hudson Card, QB Lake Travis
Hudson Card | Justin Wells/IT
Much has been written about the first pledge in Texas’ 2020 class. His early commitment left it up for debate whether he was a QB or an athlete being told he had the opportunity to play under center. Ever since he forced into action for an injured Matthew Baldwin (2018 Ohio State signee) in the Cavs’ state finals run in 2017, Card has shown he has what it takes to be a quarterback in Tom Herman’s system. His passing ability for someone who moonlighted as a varsity QB his first few seasons is pretty advanced. In his first full-time season, and with the benefit of five-star wideout Garrett Wilson, Card accumulated 50 passing touchdowns and nine rushing touchdowns. In addition to his passing, he has receiver-level elusiveness that allows him to work in both designed runs and off-schedule plays. These traits were frequently on display this season against some of the better defenses LT faced. His elusiveness partly has to do with him measuring a very receiver-ish 6-foot-2, 179 pounds. This makes him dangerous and multi-dimensional, however, sometimes he relies too much on his natural athleticism which affects his mechanics. There are several cross-body, cross-field throws that will get him in trouble against better quality competition than what AISD typically has to offer. At this point, he is a high-quality quarterback with plus athleticism you’d expect to come out of Lake Travis.
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CLASS OF ‘20
RECRUITING NOTES CLASS OF ‘20
35
RECRUITING NOTES CLASS OF ‘20
Jake Majors, OL Prosper
Jaden Hullaby, ATH Dalla
Jaden Hullaby | Hullaby Family
Jake Majors | Joe Cook/IT
Majors has one of the best qualities in a highlight tape we believe offensive linemen can have: nastiness. In his first few clips it’s readily apparent that playing a 48 minute football game against Jake Majors would be an incredibly unenjoyable experience. While he looks to have good technique, it’s accentuated by a rare mean streak. The third play of his junior highlights where he and his teammate move to the next level on an RPO is something we see Texas coaches working on in practice constantly, and he made whoever he was going against look like a sled.
Jaylen Garth, OL Port Neches-Groves While the other two current OL commits project to the interior, Garth is a tackle the whole way.
Majors is a great fit in the offensive line class and a win over Stanford, something Texas fans haven’t seen a ton of recently on the offensive line.
Garth maintains an athletic base in his sets. Even when defenders almost rip loose, he manages to re-engage and keep
His Prosper film is all left tackle. He’s an interior player at the next level, and could be a center long-term if classmate Logan Parr isn’t.
moving. He finds players well at the next level. He’s part of a three-man class currently that will swell to five
He obviously has the disposition and ability for the interior, and the size for it as well. First reports around the time of his commitment had him in the 6-foot-4 range. He’s cleared that up this spring and has told reporters he is 6-foot-3, 290 pounds. That’s a little shorter than some of the other OL Texas has recruited in recent years, but his on-field demeanor and how he treats others on the football field more than makes up for that difference in height.
or six. Chad Lindberg is one of the main targets for one of those spots for Texas. The remaining 1-2 could go to a handful of players. Lindberg could be a tackle or a guard, but Garth’s career on the football field will be on the outside in my opinion. He is comfortable playing both tackle spots. His floor is more exciting to us than Parr’s or Majors’.
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as Bishop Dunne We believe the best case scenario for Hullaby is he becomes Chris Warren with give-a-darn. Warren flashed some ability late in 2017 to be that h-back type player that would provide an additional constraint for defenses to have to worry about. He wasn’t likely to get carries, but he could if needed. He also was imposing and had blocking ability, but was one of the offense’s best backfield/matchup threats because of his size. Hullaby can be that, but it will take a while to realize that potential. He provides a positive step for Texas recruiting Bishop Dunne, a school that regularly fields Power 5 prospects. He addresses a need. Clear targets at tight end for the 2020 class haven’t materialized yet, so the Longhorns gained a commitment from someone who could serve as another positional hybrid in place of the tight end on the field. He isn’t the sexiest take, but he won’t be playing a sexy position at Texas.
Jaylen Garth | Justin Wells/IT
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CLASS OF ‘20
RECRUITING NOTES CLASS OF ‘20
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STRONG FINISH I by Joe Cook
T
exas won the NIT with its win over Lipscomb.
Texas.
Any discussion has to begin with the fact Texas didn’t make
If your view is a little more generous than that, Texas played
the NCAA Tournament. Texas should be in it every year.
some very good basketball during the five game stretch, good basketball more often than bad basketball.
The Longhorns still played five additional games in the NIT after not making the tournament, and often looked pretty
They played with energy on both ends of the floor, looked
good doing it.
as smooth as it has on offense all season, and added contributions from departing seniors and freshmen who look to
If your view of the NIT is that it is a competition to be the
contribute more next year.
69th best team in the country, it doesn’t change that Texas went on a five game winning streak. That is tied for Shaka
This opens up the very valid questions of where this team
Smart’s second longest winning streak as head coach of
was all season and why couldn’t they play like this when it
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IN THE BIG APPLE
mattered, like the second TCU game. That frustration would
that can win consistently. The end of this season suggested
suggest Texas could play like the 69th best team, or top 30
it’s still something he can accomplish at Texas. The middle
or so by other metrics, more often next year.
part of this season suggested otherwise.
The basketball featured at the end of Texas’ season is the
Smart has now recruited every player in this program. The
type of basketball that translates well against any opponent.
program’s successes are his, the program’s failures are his, too. They have been for quite some time.
It was there for this team against Kansas, North Carolina, and for part of Michigan State. It wasn’t there against Rad-
2018-19 was a failure to reach program expectations, but it
ford or VCU, or plenty of other examples.
was capped as well as one of those types of seasons can be capped.
Smart’s responsibility heading into his fifth season is to do something he has yet to do in Austin; put together a team
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39
- Elite College Coaching Jobs -
Kraken_Texas_mechanical.indd 1
5/19/11 2:17:09 PM
LOST SEASON by Joe Cook
A
fter losing the final series of
The team finished with a 27-27 record
was on its way to defending its regu-
the season to Oklahoma, the
and 7-16 record in Big XII conference
lar season crown, but a difficult series
Texas Longhorns failed to
play. Not good enough to make the
loss at TCU — when a sweep was
qualify for the Big 12 Tournament, a
trip to Oklahoma City for the confer-
within grasp — started what would be
jarring thing to read for anyone after
ence tournament.
a tailspin during conference play.
season will go down as one of the
The young team with a young relief
Eric Kennedy is the only Texas player
most disappointing seasons ever for
staff and several freshman starters
who hit above .300 on the season,
Texas baseball.
navigated the difficult, early portion of
so it makes sense that the offense
the schedule about as well as it could.
struggled.
sky, two players expected to make
Capped by a sweep of then No. 1
One pitcher, reliever Matteo Bocchi,
considerable contributions, went
LSU, the Longhorns looked to be on
has a WHIP of under 1.00. No other
down either before or in the early
the right path heading into conference
Longhorn pitcher has a WHIP under
stages of the season. However, no
play.
1.20.
Taking two of three from Texas Tech
Longhorn pitchers were forced to
provided even more hope that Texas
deal with at least one baserunner per
last year’s run to Omaha. The 2019
Sure, David Hamilton and DJ Petrin-
one has even come close to making up for their lost production.
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inning, and often more, because of a
Not reaching the 30-win plateau and
the Longhorns played poorly and lost
problem throwing strikes.
completely whiffing on any postsea-
more games than they won, steadily
son appearance is nowhere near the
falling down in the standings.
Other than Bryce Elder, who has
standard the program expects.
received limited run support, Blair
The end game for Texas was missing
Henley, who is spotty in his effective-
the NCAA Tournament for the fourth
ness, and Kennedy, who has missed
Head coach David Pierce and staff
portions of the season this year and
had a final chance at the postseason.
committed similar mistakes to other
It would have required a sweep of
As head coach, responsibility ulti-
teammates, there isn’t much to say as
Oklahoma, and the Sooners took care
mately falls upon Pierce. The Big
far as positive.
of that possibility by winning the first
12 Championship in 2018 is still an
two games of the series, the second
achievement. The problem for Pierce
For a program as storied as Texas,
victory a 13-0 thumping that served
is that coaching is a ‘what have you
to defend the Big 12 Champion-
as an exclamation point to a disap-
done for me lately’ business.
ship in this manner is an extremely
pointing season.
significant step down for the program.
time this decade.
Was 2018 indicative of where he will
Texas Longhorn baseball is associ-
Completely missing the post-season
lead the Longhorn program? Or was
ated with excellence, Omaha, etc.
would have been unthinkable in
2019? It’s up to Pierce to show which
February. But after a promising start,
was the anomaly.
Blair Henley
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