Inside Texas 2019 Recruiting Review by Inside Texas

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

THE REAL MCCOY Bru McCoy headlines the second straight Top-5 class for the Longhorns

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January/February 2019

in this issue Inside The Gameplan | Ian breaks down the 2019 recruiting class.

by Ian

Big Win in the Big Easy |

Boyd

Joe Cook

6 14

Texas dominated Georgia in the Sugar Bowl

Sugar Bowl Post Mortem |

Confetti Angles |

By Scipio Tex The keys to the Sugar Bowl win were on defense and special teams.

Jeff Conner

Jeff recounts his trip to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.

The IT Top 100 |

Eric Nahlin

Ericâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual list of the Top 100 players in the state of Texas.

Down the Stretch |

Mike Blackwell

An NCAA Tournament bid is still up in the air for Texas Basketball.

Publishers -- Michael Pearle, Clendon Ross | Managing Editor--Clendon Ross | Editor-- Mike Blackwell InsideTexas.com Editor -- Justin Wells | Lead Writer -- Bill Frisbie | Contributor -- Ian Boyd Designer/Photographer -- Will Gallagher | Recruiting Analyst -- Eric Nahlin To Subscribe/Customer Service -- Phone: 512-249-8916 | Email: help@insidetexas.com January/February - 2019

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LONGHORNS GO NATION

Jacoby Jones El Dorado, KS Bru McCoy Santa Ana, CA

Jake Smith Scottsdale, AZ Deâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Gariel Floyd Westlake Village, CA

Chris Adimora Lakewood, CA

Kennedy L Huntsville, TX

Brayden Liebrock Chandler, AZ Caleb Johnson Fullerton, CA

Jared Wiley Temple, TX Javonne Shepherd Houston, TX David Gbenda Katy, TX Peter Mpagi Richmond,- 2019 TX January/February

NWIDE FOR 2019 CLASS 24 SIGNEES NATIONAL RANKING - 3RD BIG XII RANKING - 1ST

Marcus Washington Saint Louis, MO

Derrian Brown Buford, GA

Lewis Tyler Owens Plano, TX Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Vondre Sweat Huntsville, TX Myron Warren Many, LA Roscon Johnson Port Neches-Groves, TX

Marques Caldwell Alvin, TX Tyler Johnson Conroe, TX Isaiah Hookfin Sugar Land, TX Jordan Whittington Cuero, TX

Kenyatta Watson Loganville, GA Marcus Tillman, Jr. Orlando, FL

January/February - 2019

by Ian

Boyd

Roschon Johnson | photo by Will Gallagher/IT

The 2019 class is going to go down as a game-changing group for the Texas football program. As we’re already seeing in the early stages of the 2020 cycle, Texas is clearly going to continue to answer Horace Greeley’s call to “go west” in order to find top prospects.

klahoma leaned heavily on that

Arizonans, the six of which represent

in 2018 by moving their five skill players

strategy this decade while they

some of the strongest components to the

around in different alignments to cause

were getting pushed out of Texas

class. They also found six players in SEC

matchup issues for defenses and the

after bringing Mike Stoops and Tim Kish

country and 13 from within the Lone Star

2019 class includes a number of players

in fresh off their stint in Arizona. It yielded

State making Texans a slim majority in the

that have the size and versatility to cause

mixed results for them, regularly bring-

class.

similar issues when they find themselves

ing in blue chip talent but some of which

on the field.

flamed out and some of which drove their

Another dimension to this class that will

success.

stand out in the future is the large number

Overall here’s how well Tom Herman and

of versatile, hybrid players that Texas

his staff did in filling the roster with players

stocked up on. The Longhorns made hay

that can realize their vision.

Texas pulled in four Californians and two

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OFFENSE QUARTERBACK Everyone wants a QB that is accurate, can make all or most of the throws, read defenses, and ideally that can move around within and outside of the pocket. Herman’s system zeroes in from the broader attributes onto football IQ and toughness. Mensa Tom likes to manipulate defenses with hybrid personnel to create matchups and allow the offense to

over opponents on 20 carries a game. The starting QB job at Texas is back to being a highly competitive gig but Johnson has the right skills and mindset to emerge on top.

Grade: A

ball IQ and Herman has often murdered opponents with QBs that didn’t have NFL arm talent but did have great poise and savvy. The hybrid, HUNH spread stuff is built on a foundation of toughness and inside running that is required from everyone in the backfield including the QB.

Roschon Johnson: 6-1, 200 4**** Port Neches, TX (Port Neches-Groves) Johnson is a perfect fit for this system, having commanded a power-spread system at PN-G and run for nearly 5k yards over three years as a starter. The Port Neches-Groves offense was tactically different from the Longhorn offense, built more around power/iso run schemes and a few different passing concepts than Texas prefers, but strategically similar. They had a million ways to run power and the main passing concepts and would come into each week with formations and set-ups designed to allow them to run power at the weak spots of their opponent that week. Johnson had to understand how they were trying to attack the defense and distribute the ball accordingly. He also regularly had to be the guy to make it happen by running

their tight ends, who make up the extent of their “ancillary” class of skill players. For starters, these guys are asked to be

Texas that has more than its share of big

capable of blocking DEs in the run game

impact players that will command feature

to allow Texas to command that opponents

roles in the years to come.

get 6.5 or seven defenders into the box at the snap to have a chance of prevent-

Herman and his staff didn’t allow a tough

ing easy, chain-moving gains in the zone

year of in-state recruiting to stop them

run game. They’re also asked to run a

either from filling up on what they need

variety of routes from different flex align-

to fill out the roster nor snagging multiple

ments in order to allow the offense to play

potential star players.

matchup games to isolate key targets. It’s a demanding position but one that can

RUNNING BACK

playbook of well-drilled concepts.

it to attack defenses requires a higher foot-

Texas has pretty lofty expectations from

Overall this was another big time class for

out-execute the defense from a slimmer

Understanding the system and how to use

TIGHT END

make the whole offense come together even when the player isn’t putting up big numbers (Beck, Andrew).

The workhorse of the Texas offense. Texas ing to use the RB run game more as a

Jared Wiley: 6-6, 225 3*** Temple, TX (Temple)

steady constant than necessarily the main

Wiley is an early enrollee but he’ll be

engine of the offense.

spending the next few years being remade

in 2018 and probably in the future is evolv-

through strength and conditioning and drill However, there’s going to be a lot of car-

work as a blocker in order to translate his

ries and opportunities for this player for the

huge frame and fluid athleticism into the

foreseeable future with a chance to put up

kind of TE that makes this offense hum.

superstar numbers for a guy with enough

He has major potential as a receiver,

talent to make the most of it.

though not as much perhaps as a Cade Brewer or Brayden Liebrock, but his path

Derrian Brown: 5-11, 188 4**** Buford, GA (Buford)

to the field will come from embracing the grind of blocking.

Brown’s health problems are clouding sive downhill runner with a knack for the

Brayden Liebrock: 6-5, 220 4**** Chandler, AZ (Chandler)

inside zone scheme and making the cuts

Liebrock can probably have a major

between the tackles that make the scheme

impact at Texas even if he never learns

dangerous. If the young man gets healthy

to block. He’s remarkably fluid and skilled

he should be quality depth at the least with

as a route runner and when you have

a chance to surprise if he can add some

that at 6-5, 220 then you tend to be pretty

size (215 or so) without slowing down.

effective in the spread. Liebrock could

either be a full time flex TE in the mold of

his future currently but he’s an explo-

Grade: C-

a Lil’Jordan Humphrey, or more likely, he’ll

Texas got one solid player here when

learn to block as well and be nightmare-

they need some numbers and more top

fuel for Big 12 DCs that don’t have any

line talent to benefit from the mauling and

ways to match up.

emphasized run game they’re building.

They’ll have to open the transfer portal

It’s harder to do much better than this,

again and see what comes through.

Grade: A+

both of these guys could be just what Texas needs and more.

January/February - 2019

WIDE RECEIVERS Receivers are really the primary skill players in the Big 12 today and that was even true at Texas last year with Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Collin Johnson leading the way for the breakthrough offense. The goal is to assemble as many matchup problems as you can but the trick is to get the guys who aren’t featured in a given year to buy in on running clear out routes and blocking on screens while honing their route adjustment skills as they wait their turn. Texas really struggled to get this right in 2017 amidst all of their other problems and then nailed it in 2018.

Kennedy Lewis: 6-3, 190 4**** Melissa, TX (Melissa) Lewis could end up at either outside WR spot due to his length and speed. He’s a vertical threat that should be a solid target on jump balls or fade routes in general and should make the post a bigger part of the arsenal if he ever sees the field.

Marcus Washington 6-2, 191 4**** Yoakum, TX (Yoakum) IT #33 Similar prospect to Lewis but a touch smaller and perhaps also a touch more explosive and skilled. Texas is basically hoping that one of Lewis or Washington is able to come close to matching what

they would have had from Garrett Wilson

stretch the field vertically and horizontally

should the Buckeye have become a Z or X

with screens and deep routes.

for Texas.

Jordan Whittington 6-0, 200 5***** Cuero, TX (Cuero)

Grade: A

Texas got a full cast of weapons in this class and the smart money would be on more than one of them becoming a 1k-

Bru McCoy 6-2, 205 5***** Santa Ana, CA (Mater Dei)

yard, All-B12 player in the future. The trick now will be making sure that everyone stays happy when they’re blocking or wait-

Jake Smith 6-1, 189 4**** Scottsdale, AZ (Notre Dame Prep) All three of these guys project as versatile matchup weapons that can easily move

ing their turn.

OFFENSIVE LINE

around to multiple alignments from snap

This is arguably where Texas has been

to snap.

the sickest as a program this decade and where the comeback under Tom Herman

Whittington is an H receiver in the mold of

has been most pronounced. They’ve been

Lil’Jordan Humphrey, he could be a demon

following a similar formula for a while now,

running option routes in the seams or

hoping to land lots of guys with tackle size

move into the backfield and take handoffs

and quickness but a guard’s physicality

or wildcat snaps in the run game.

and strength to play at all five spots to make their inside zone schemes a surefire

McCoy is of a similar mold but with more

way to dominate the box.

of an inside/outside versatility to his skill worthy target in the middle of the field but

Isaiah Hookfin: 6-5, 270 4**** Sugar Land, TX (Dulles)

may also move outside from time to time

Hookfin looks like a future tackle that’s just

to capitalize on matchups.

missing three years of strength and condi-

set. He should also develop as a big, trust-

tioning and instruction before he wins that Smith is smaller and faster than either and

gig. He’s got effortless quickness at 270

is more of a blank canvass at this point but

and should be really precise and deadly

will probably be a guy that Texas uses to

when he’s 310 and has better footwork and technique.

Javonne Shepherd: 6-6, 327 4**** Houston, TX (North Forest) Shepherd has tackle athleticism and has shown that he has it at 6-6/320, hence his lofty rankings and sought after status. He’ll have to work to remake his body some and earn trust as a guy who can be counted on as the blindside protector but with his frame and power he could still translate pretty easily to being a plus at either guard or right tackle if he doesn’t fully maximize.

Marques Caldwell |

Tyler Johnson: 6-5, 308 4**** Conroe, TX (Oak Ridge) photo Wil Gallagher IT

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Johnson is even a little more athletic than

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Shepherd with less of a taste for drama

tighter areas, has borderline athleticism

his large, athletic frame. He’s a lot like

that might portend a more trustworthy

for covering ground on the back end, and

Brandon Jones, really good at hawking

bodyguard for Texas’ QBs. He’ll get his

could potentially go in one of two direc-

down from depth to blow up ballcarriers

chances to play early at guard because of

tions that would be useful for the team.

with the speed and range to do so from

his talent but down the line he’s a tackle.

Either his already thick frame could pack

well off the LOS. They’ll probably start him

on some weight to get closer to 215 so

on the far back end and then move him

that he could play as a linebacker/hybrid or

around as needed to make sure his ability

he could improve his athleticism and pop

to close and tackle can impact games.

Grade: B+

The numbers aren’t all that high, but all

to stay back at safety. Every team needs

three of these guys are plus athletes that

lots of guys like Adimora that are comfort-

could grow into monsters and the Long-

able in a scrum but have the athleticism to

horns figure to solve for numbers with the

cover some ground as well.

2020 class.

DEFENSE

Grade: B-

Texas did well on numbers and grabbed several guys that should be useful in building out DB-heavy packages and bringing

Kenyatta Watson: 6-2, 182 4**** Loganville, GA (Grayson)

the necessary toughness/athleticism.

Watson is the one pure coverage player

match up in coverage but you can always

in the class and he’s a good one. At 6-2

adjust for that if you have lots of guys on

They didn’t get as many guys that can can

DEFENSIVE BACK We’re starting here because a major component of what sets apart the top teams in the Big 12 from the mid-tier (except OU) is any capacity for playing defense and you can’t play defense in this league without a deep and skilled secondary. While there are more than enough athletic, skilled wideouts within the state to keep every team stocked up with amazing targets (go check the All-B12 teams), there’s an opportunity for Texas to stand out by cleaning up amongst the much smaller numbers of freak DBs.

Marques Caldwell: 6-1, 171 3*** Alvin, TX (Alvin)

Peter Mpagi |

Caldwell is long, wiry, and has a nose for

photo Will Gallagher/IT

the ball. None of his testing numbers jump out and neither does his speed on film but

he has the size to match up with the big

his positioning and physicality are always

targets that teams love to put on the field,

on point. He’s listed at CB but I’d bet that

and he also has the necessary quickness

he becomes a safety down the road after

and skill to press up or else play off in cov-

gaining some size and force. As a 200

erage and match vertical routes. Right now

pound enforcer playing over the top in a

you mostly need guys like that outside on

This position is in a state of flux across the

dime package, Caldwell becomes a useful

the boundary so that’s where he projects.

game. Currently most teams are aiming

player.

the field that are comfortable in space.

LINEBACKER

to find guys that can split the difference

Tyler Owens: 6-2, 200 4**** Plano, TX (Plano East)

between safety and linebacker to man the

Owens is the biggest of the bunch and has

flicts in space by modern spread tactics.

Adimora is the right guy to load up into

grown violent with the addition of weight

Then there are the other positions that can

the defense. He’s violent and explosive in

and increasing comfort throwing around

still be full-time “first responder” players

Chris Adimora: 6-2, 192 4**** Lakewood, CA (Mayfair)

positions that get put into run/pass con-

January/February - 2019

against the run or attacking pieces against

is still sorting out how they are going to

Floyd is the mold for what rovers should

the pass. I honestly think that the former

handle LB.

look like for the Texas scheme. He’s

types are going to be phased out in ex-

athletic enough that he can play coverage

change for playing more safeties like Chris

They need guys that know how to play the

and chase down screens and perimeter

Adimora that can be a space-backer one

position and can hold up in space even

plays but he’s a nightmare on insert blitz-

play and then a deep zone defender the

if they eventually downshift B.J. Foster,

es. In all likelihood, Floyd will be the win-

next. The latter types are still invaluable.

Demarvion Overshown, or Brandon Jones

ner of this bunch that commands a spot on

down to steal a LB spot. If he wins a role

the field with the rest of the lineup in the

David Gbenda: 6-0, 218 4**** Katy, TX (Cinco Ranch)

and has an impact in 2019 as a reliable

defensive backfield chosen to complement

run stopper and an effective blitzer he

his skills and maximize his impact.

Gbenda has the quickness and lateral

could potentially hold off the hordes of

range to match the space-backer profile.

young safeties Texas is accumulating.

He can cover ground and avoid being a

Grade: A-

Texas finally loaded up on the sort of line-

sieve in coverage, the only problem is that

backers that they’ve needed for the last 10 years. Some of them will become su-

sively well or even what he does best and

Marcus Tillman: 6-1, 220 3*** Orlando, FL (Jones)

B) he doesn’t do that as well as a safety

Tillman is similar to Gbenda, he’s a good

here or position changes from safeties.

like Adimora would and he doesn’t bring

profile for what a tite front inside-backer

However, Orlando’s D will always field at

the same extra coverage skills that a

needs to look like these days. The com-

least two linebackers that need to be both

converted safety would bring.

bination of lateral quicks, thick build, and

plus athletes AND dangerous weapons in

A) it’s not the only thing he does impres-

perfluous either because of the numbers

his blitz packages and there are a lot of players in this mix that project very well in that regard.

DEFENSIVE LINE Texas has a couple of goals for the DL, the first of which is to play big, athletic guys that can cancel out interior gaps and set up the LBs and rest of the defense to run and close on the ball from depth. The other is to have a guy or two that can also blow by guys in the pass-rush when they get a 1-on-1 matchup on a blitz without necessarily having the favorable edge angle.

T’Vondre Sweat: 6-2, 260 3*** Huntsville, TX (Huntsville) Oscar Giles and Myron Warren |

Sweat is probably the nose tackle of the

photo Will Gallagher IT

bunch, a powerful dude with a high motor and a big frame that will be a nightmare

overall savvy tends to come in shorter

lined up as a zero technique nose across

Caleb Johnson: 6-1, 215 3*** Fullerton, CA (Fullerton College)

packages like Roquan Smith (6-1, 230).

from the undersized thinkers that often

Tillman projects as a guy that could play

comprise the league’s centers. Texas’

Johnson is a faster, more experienced

Anthony Wheeler’s position without being

scheme doesn’t do favors to the DEs in

Gbenda who has less growth potential

a major liability in coverage while still hav-

terms of piling up stats in the pass-rush

(literally, he probably won’t be as sturdy

ing the size and pop to perform traditional

but it does set up a quick and powerful

or big) and is trapped a little more in the

linebacker roles in the box.

nose to wreak havoc against the run and

space-backer role that has a dubious future long term. He’s an extremely helpful addition to the roster for 2019 when Texas

Sweat fits that bill.

DeGabriel Floyd: 6-2, 230 4**** Westlake Village, CA (Westlake)

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Myron Warren: 6-3, 240 3*** Many, LA (Many)

him explode in size like Charles Omenihu

that probably needs to spend the offsea-

so that he could handle the rigors of bat-

son focused on ILB. Jacoby gives Texas

Malcolm Roach redux, except this time

tling 330 pounders in the interior lanes and

insurance at B-backer to have options and

he’ll zero in on playing inside shade DL

then moving outside on passing downs.

depth at that position even if they move McCulloch away.

techniques early on in his career. Warren is extremely bouncy at 240 and will end up

The other path has him staying lighter

as a terrible problem for opponents knifing

and forcing Texas to adjust to playing a

He’s a good pass-rusher and talent who

through backside gaps as a 4i or nose

B-backer more often or adjusting their

may also carve out a role as a third down

down the line at 270+.

front to accommodate his deployment as a

specialist or even pass up Ossai as a

full-time edge player. Joseph Ossai’s next

starter.

Watch for what Roach does this coming

two seasons could be a good indicator of

season as a full-time DL and that’s the

where Mpagi’s future lies.

Grade: B+

Texas got a pair of guys in Sweat and

prognosis for what Warren can become.

Jacoby Jones: 6-4, 250 4**** El Dorado, KS (Butler C.C.)

Warren that project cleanly and with

Jones is definitely more of a pure edge

inside and then another pair in Mpagi and

Mpagi is more of a pure edge player or a

player like Mpagi may prove to be with

Jones that offer them flexibility in building

true DE. He’s lightning working to the cor-

time. He’s good insurance on a dilemma

packages that can attack opponents in the

ner on opponents, even from 4i alignments

that Texas has for the 2019 season.

pass-rush.

Peter Mpagi: 6-4, 230 3*** Richmond, TX (George Ranch)

upside to their infrastructure positions

in HS, but he’s also currently too small to play inside.

That dilemma is that they have a player in Ossai that probably needs to be a starter

He has two paths he could end up on in

at B-backer and then another solid but less

the coming years at Texas. One would see

destructive edge LB in Jeffrey McCulloch

YOU HYD R AT E

WE DON AT E

January/February - 2019

TEXAS TOO MUCH By Joe Cook

NEW ORLEANS — When it came time to actually play the Sugar Bowl, one team played tougher and executed at a much higher rate than the other. It just wasn’t the one most were expecting.

January/February - 2019

H FOR BULLDOGS

January/February - 2019

aybe Bevo XV’s charge at opposing mascot Uga X

the country.”

should have been a sign of the impending game.

Or maybe it should have been Texas’ opening drive where

“Tonight, I feel like we did that,” Herman added.

every play gained yardage. The opening drive featured a little bit of everything from By the end of the night, it was clear who the better team

the UT offense. Running back Tre Watson began a career

was on January 1, 2019. No. 15 Texas defeated No. 5

night that ended with 91 yards on 18 carries. Quarterback

Georgia 28-21 to win the Allstate Sugar Bowl and achieve

Sam Ehlinger hit Lil’Jordan Humphrey for a big third down

a 10-win season for the first time since 2009.

conversion. When it came time to try and put the ball in the end zone, Texas went with its reliable QB run play to earn

“Just really proud of the physical nature in which we

the opening score.

played this game,” Texas head coach Tom Herman said. “At this point in our program’s trajectory, that’s what we’re

“We knew coming in that we had to come in and start fast,”

going to need to do to win – is we have got to out-hustle

Humphrey said. “That’s exactly what we did. Once we

people, we have got to out hit people, and we’ve got to

started fast and went down and scored, we knew that we

play with a purpose and a passion great than anybody in

were going to be in the game all game.” The opening drive was a sign of the night Ehlinger would put together. He entered the Mercedes-Benz Superdome wearing a Drew Brees No. 15 Westlake High School jersey hoping to channel the New Orleans Saints great. He didn’t put up Brees-like passing numbers, but he tallied numbers that won the game. Ehlinger was 19-for-27 for 169 yards through the air, but added a bruising 64 yards and three scores on 21 carries and earned the game’s MVP honors. “This win is a huge stepping stone for our program,” Ehlinger said. “It’s going to carry a lot of momentum into the off-season, and I look forward to getting back in January.” His Georgia counterpart, Jake Fromm, did not perform at his best. The entire Georgia offense was limited by a strong outing from the Texas defense. Texas defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s squad held the Bulldogs 18 points under their season average. “I thought the game plan was well-designed,” Herman said. “Even more proud of how fiercely it was executed by the players on the field.”

Tre Watson

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That initial defensive stop on Georgia’s opening drive was

ball, played with a purpose up to the level of its opponent,

accentuated when the Bulldog punter was ruled down after

and secured the victory. “You want to start both halves

handling the long snap. Texas could only muster three

really well on both sides of the ball, all three phases of

points from it via a Cameron Dicker field goal.

the ball, and you want to end both halves the same way,” Herman said.

Later in the opening quarter, Texas forced Georgia RB D’Andre Swift to fumble, setting up another Ehlinger touchdown rush. Georgia got on the board early in the second quarter after moving down the field, culminating the drive with a wheel route touchdown from Fromm to Brian Herrien. However, Texas was able to respond with a field goal to make it 20-7 heading into the halftime break. The Bulldogs took the second half kickoff, but Fromm’s struggles continued as P.J. Locke intercepted the Bulldog signal-caller. Texas couldn’t capitalize, and neither team added points in the third quarter. Ehlinger scored his third and final TD early in the fourth, and added a two-point conversion completion to Collin Johnson to give Texas a

Sam Ehlinger

two-score lead. Georgia clawed back and made it a one-score game, but the final onside kick attempt was recovered by the Longhorns, who began celebrating the first 10-win season of the decade.

In what will give Texas a ton of momentum heading into the offseason, many responsible for this season’s suc-

Ehlinger loudly exclaimed both to those in the Super-

cesses will be back.

dome and to a national audience that Texas was indeed back when he was awarded the MVP trophy. It’s a good

Ehlinger will be a junior, Keaontay Ingram will be a

argument after the Longhorns competed for a conference

sophomore and said postgame he plans to get up to 220

championship and defeated the SEC runner-up with its

pounds, leading tackler Joseph Ossai will have another

own style despite being a double-digit underdog.

year in college strength and conditioning, and B.J. Foster will only see his opportunities grow.

In the season-opening loss to Maryland, Texas continually shot itself in the foot. The impassioned team with a

“To beat such a quality opponent like that the way that we

purpose played up to the level of its opponent and secured

did it and to do it on this kind of stage in the Sugar Bowl

a victory.

certainly leads me to believe that we’re heading in the right direction,” Herman said.

In the Georgia game, Texas executed well, protected the

January/February - 2019

POST-MORTEM |

SUGAR BOWL

BY SCIPIO TEX

GERALD WILBON (94) WITH THE FUMBLE RECOVERY

Great game plan. Great effort. While the Texas offense

spa for Todd Orlando and the Texas defensive staff.

won by the Longhorn defense and special teams.

one - against Texas at your peril. USC found that out

deserves credit for their ball control effort, this game was

After facing a year long slate of Big 12 offensive X and O wizards attacking every Texas weakness and schematic

Run a conventional offense - even a really, really good early last year and in the Sugar Bowl the Bulldogs found out the same.

issue from formations and with options that would make

Texas matched and exceeded Georgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physicality while

fense in the Sugar Bowl must have felt like a trip to a day

Longhorns also shut down arguably the best conven-

any DCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head spin, playing a conventional Georgia of-

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also winning the X & O battle more often than not. The

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CHARLES OMENIHU (90) AND JOSEPH OSSAI (46)

tional run game in all of college football. Georgia just sort of rolled out their offense and didn’t seem to anticipate

the adjustments Orlando’s defense would offer with three

no less. I liked our match-ups but that was my primary concern. Addressed. Game won.

weeks to prepare.

The Longhorns featured a predominant four man line

My guess is that Jim Chaney and his offensive staff

spaces, forcing the excellent Georgia RBs to bounce

would like a do over after wrongly assuming that vanilla game planning would complement Sugar. You have to dance with what brung ya, but I’m not sure how thoroughly the UGA staff did their scouting.

Add in that fact that the Texas players came out hungry

and Georgia came out as if Texas should kiss their SEC ring and end the inconvenient formality of the game

being played and you have the best Texas defensive performance of the season.

Longhorn failures on money downs were arrested in the second half as the Horns held Georgia to 1 of 5 conver-

sions after a bad second quarter in which Georgia drove the field for a TD and converted 4 of 5 on 3rd down.

For the game, Texas finished 6 of 14 on 3rd and 4th

down - the first time we’ve held an opponent under 50% in six games. Against a Top 5 adjusted stats offense,

with a heavy rotation and a lot of squeezing interior

their initial read, and the full staffing up front seemed to

agree with the Longhorn front who were able to enter the fight with favorable numbers.

Add in Texas LBs who did a better job of plugging gaps

than their season mean and you have the makings of a

strong defensive performance. My most interesting takeaway from the game was in how Todd Orlando repeat-

edly schemed Longhorn secondary players into the run

front with disguise and by adding corners and backside safeties to the front.

He repeatedly sent a Longhorn cornerback as an edge

run force while playing zone behind and then when Georgia sought to exploit that, switched it up dropping down B.J. Foster late into the box to act as a general instru-

ment of mayhem. Given the licks that Foster doled out, Operation Mayhem successful.

Georgia was fully capable of scheming against a con-

January/February - 2019

ventional loaded box. Instead, we did it very creatively (and with a hell of a lot

of violence) and their staff couldn’t find answers until the 4th quarter.

I thought the Texas front was built for stopping Georgia’s run if we’d play

some numbers up front and that’s what Texas did. I didn’t expect to hold them

to 73 yards. I was hoping to hold them to twice that.

Omenihu dominated with two tackles

for loss and probably could have drawn a couple of holding calls, but I like

that the Pac 12 officials were at least

consistent on both sides. Chris Nelson was in his physical run-stopping ele-

ment and Roach (4 tackles) really took over as he logged heavier minutes in

the rotation as the game progressed.

Hager didn’t show up on the stat sheet, but played one of his more disciplined

P.J. LOCKE

games lined up as a edge defender in the four man Texas front.

Great spot play from Wilbon, Graham, Coburn and

Ojomo. I’m not terribly worried about next year’s front

- particularly if Graham levels up as I anticipate. Particularly if one of our B-Backers (Ossai or McCulloch) can

justify heavy snaps and show some pass rushing facility. The Texas DL showed up big for four quarters against a very physical, though inexperienced Georgia OL.

Freshman Joseph Ossai - a surprise starter who earned

his gig with terrific practices - led the team in tackles with 8 playing against a pretty dang physical football team.

Imagine what he might be capable of if he actually gets strong? It’s not like he’s close to being maxed. Terrific recruiting eval by the staff.

DBs

P.J. Locke probably played his best game of the year,

some of that playing off where he could see the game unfold in front of him instead of being thrown into the

Anthony Wheeler made the most of some free runs into the backfield and on blitzes and Gary Johnson did the

same. While I have some nits to pick with both when we

lined up in the 3-2-6, they did a much more workmanlike job of filling gaps when we had four in front of them.

The game gets a lot smaller for both and Georgia’s lack of motion, deception and misdirection played into our

hands. I can imagine the chuckles that Big 12 coaches

had watching the game, shaking their heads at Georgia’s refusal to attack what we’ve shown on film all season.

3-2-6 Nickel Pit. The benefits of facing convention had

trickle downs everywhere. That interception was a good example of heady senior play.

If you factor in how Texas attacked Georgia’s running

game and left Kris Boyd and Davante Davis on islands

at times against some physically gifted Georgia WRs, it’s hard not to appreciate how both seniors went out. They had a heavy burden and bore it well.

A couple of timely drops from Bulldog WRs and a Jake

Fromm overthrow or two certainly helped the cause. As I mentioned in the game strategy section, both players

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were terrific against the running game and welcomed

their role as exterior crashers to add a 7th or 8th man to the Texas front.

B.J. Foster deserves his own section. He was ter-

rific watching him in live action and I have even more

respect for him after watching the replay. He doled out

vicious hits, attacked 335 pound Georgia OL like he was a run plugging Mike LB and was a general instrument

of mayhem all game. If Caden Sterns (who didn’t play) represents safety range and refinement, Foster repre-

sents violence and raw instinct. I can’t wait to see what an offseason does for him.

Josh Thompson doesn’t always really get what’s happening out there and I saw him looking pleadingly to

teammates or the sideline anytime Georgia showed a

formation he wasn’t familiar with. The ensuing play typically bore out his lack of awareness. He needs the film room to complement his obvious physical gifts.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Ryan Bujcevski had his best game of the year and,

complemented by defensive play, was a big reason

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Texas slaughtered Georgia in the field position battle. Four punts downed inside the 20 and excellent touch

on his directional punts to pin the Georgia returner on

the sideline and disallow him a potential two way go. He even added to his hang time.

Cameron Dicker went 2 of 3, whiffing from 45. He kicked off well save one out bounds miscue and both kickers seemed to like the Dome air. Texas won special teams.

FINAL THOUGHTS

A great way to go into the offseason. Such a satisfy-

ing win. The Longhorns have their first double digit win season since 2009 and plenty of ammunition to argue in recruit’s living rooms that football is played in other places than the SEC.

Not to mention plenty of optimism that Tom Herman is building a program at Texas that will be playing a lot more games in January.

www.insidetexas.com January/February - 2019

CONFETTI ANGELS

Photos: Will Gallagher/IT

By Jeff Conner

n the end, they laid down in the end zone and made confetti

just that – to be kids, to be silly, to revel in the moment, to exult in

angels.

the unhinged joy of simultaneously being young and good at playing a game with a ball, somehow presciently knowing that moments like

The young men of the 2018 Texas Longhorns football team, who

this are few and far between and rarely if ever come in professional

moments earlier defied Las Vegas oddsmakers, ESPN pundits,

sports, where the contest changes from a game to a job.

Internet trolls, adjusted statistical projections, and conventional wisdom by convincingly winning the 2019 Sugar Bowl against the

Valerie, my wife, had never travelled to Louisiana. Her background

heavily-favored Georgia Bulldogs, suddenly became third graders on

is in mental health and social work, so I thought it would be a good

a school day cancelled for weather. They lay on their backs on the

match, considering more than half of the Pelican State should be on

Superdome turf, extended their arms and legs and moved their ap-

lithium.

pendages back and forth in the fallen confetti to simulate the outline of winged, celestial beings.

The two things that hit you while driving east on I-10 through southern Louisiana are the bayous and the personal injury attorney

How appropriate.

billboards. The former are straight out of central casting: stagnant, moss-covered, dark, beautiful, foreboding, and mysterious. The lat-

After six grueling, punishing months of physically and mentally chal-

ter are as ubiquitous as a fist in your face from the childhood bully’s

lenging football and vindication on a national stage, our kids finally

game of “Why do you keep hitting yourself?” – and equally useful.

felt the burden of the expectations and demands of the University of Texas Football Nation lift from their shoulders like the last rep in an

Then I interacted with Louisiana drivers on their highways, and it all

early morning workout session. The first impulse of these kids was

made sense. There were so many attorney ads because there were

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so many car accidents because a significant minority of Louisianans

fourth quarter leads slip away. Shanked punts. Kickoffs floundering

navigatethe road as if they are Uber drivers for Satan.

out of bounds. Targeting calls. Linebacker pass coverage. More injuries. Linebacker gap assignments on run plays. The Boyd Tax. Blown

On a personal note, listen, Boudreaux, if I can’t see your headlights

DB coverage. Giving up late touchdowns in bowl games.

in my rear view mirror, you’re too damn close. I can’t off the top of my head remember anything easy about this The rear view mirror, Boudreaux. The skinny side-to-side one in the

season.

middle of the front windshield. Not a damn thing. Yes, Boudreaux, it’s used for seeing the cars or trucks coming up behind you.

Everything took effort. Everything was messy. Everything was complicated. Every breath was labored. Every step ached. Every punch

No, Boudreaux, I don’t think it’s called the “checkin’ myself out

landed in another tar baby. Nothing came easily this season, includ-

thingy.”

ing writing this column.

Never mind.

Joy, pain, excitement, dejection, hope, depression – the 2018 Horns have been through the ringer this year, and dragged all of us along

Be sure and keep that lawyer’s number handy, big man.

for the ride. Every time I left DKR, I felt like a wrung out washcloth – squeezed, twisted, knotted up in a vain attempt to wring every last

Fortunately, the Big Easy was a different story altogether.

drop of fluid out of me.

New Orleans slowly revealed herself as a world of shockingly sharp contradictions: the resplendent, old, historic French Quarter, elegant and ancient, populated with smatterings of homeless men sitting on sidewalks and stoops surrounded by cigarette butts and tallboys. A New Year’s Day breakfast of seasoned pulled pork topped with eggs benedict with a side of cinnamon swirl pancakes at the Ruby Slipper was followed by tiptoeing through the trash, filth, spilled liquor, and vomit being sprayed off the sidewalks by a small army of maintenance workers. The solemnness and dignity of Louis Armstrong Park sat just across Rampart Street from three-story buildings with rotting trim, boarded windows, and faded paint. It’s an apt metaphor for the Longhorns’ season: success and failure camping comfortably next to each other. As the year progressed, we became a much better football team – a more confident, physical team – but nothing came easy. Losing the opening game to Maryland, barely beating Tulsa by the exact same score as the Georgia game, gutting out too-close wins against Kansas State, Baylor, and Kansas. Field goals. Injuries. Two-point conversions. Letting

Armstrong Park Area - New Orleans

January/February - 2019

New Year’s Day was no different.

you earn through sweat and determination. I get your point; my favorite guitar solos are the ones I had to work the hardest to learn.

As Valerie and I sat back in our Superdome plastic seats, we were physically and mentally exhausted, my tinnitus acting up, my throat

The lessons learned by pain – growing and otherwise – will only

raw, the small of my back aching from standing every defensive

make next year’s wins sweeter.

third down. Until then, I’ll comfort myself with visions of end zone angels, the And I wasn’t actually playing football.

one easy, effortless, unforced thing that happened this season. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

The Longhorn fan base owes an unpayable debt of gratitude to this year’s senior class who, between Charlie Strong’s incompetence, Internet sniping, and revolving offensive coordinators, put up with more crap over the course of their college careers than whoever took Suzanne Somer’s place on “Three’s Company.” Sorry. Even my pop culture references are strained at this point. Regardless, the win over a vaunted SEC team leaves us in a good position. The recruiting class shaped up nicely, with the Bru surprise, and a solid finish to Signing Day.

Hook ‘em. A 1986 graduate of the University of Texas, Jeff Conner has held many jobs in his life: husband, brother, uncle, son, oil field roustabout, shortorder cook, sandblaster, irrigation pipe mover, musician, retail assistant manager, attorney-at-law, public school teacher, preacher, cartoonist, and writer. While he does have a hot, young wife, Conner is neither as clever nor as good-looking as he believes himself to be. Jeff is currently teaching Algebra 2 and A.P. Statistics at Legacy Early College High School in Taylor, Texas.Conner’s regularly submitted commentary appears in InsideTexas.com and Inside Texas Magazine. The opinions presented do not necessarily reflect the views of the Inside Texas editorial staff.

Plus, I know what some of you will say: hard times make us appreciate good things even more. Nothing is free in life; you get what

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IT100

2019 Eric Nahlin’s

TOP

t is very difficult and arbitrary to rank players across positions. It doesn’t make a ton of sense to rank a running back next to a tight end next to a guard and so on. That said, it makes for intereting conversations and people love lists.

than the players at the bottom, again, on a macro level. While rankings do have value, athletes should not care about them because individually they pose the potential to be the outlier, or the micro level player who throws a wrench in the macro level recruiting actuaries.

When I put together my Top 100 list each year I take the time to offer my thoughts on each player so you can at least have a clear understanding of what I think of each, rather than just dropping a list of names.

Rankings are just opinions, and I base mine off who I think has the highest ceiling coupled with who I think will reach that ceiling. It requires much more than just dominant physical traits. The NFL is littered with less gifted athletes than those out working in the real world.

On a macro level recruiting rankings have great value. Over time the players at the top of the lists will be better

DeMarvin Leal DE | Judson - Converse

Theo Wease WR | Allen - Allen

He’s the most uncommon player in the state,

Theo Wease is as natural a receiver as you’ll

a rare find with his blend of size, mobility, and

find with the short area quickness to get open

twitch. He’s a great fit for the Aggie defense

and good enough speed to be a deep threat.

as he profiles similarly to Justin Madubuike. Getting a pass rush from an interior position isn’t easy to do, but Leal can beat blockers with quickness, power, and sometimes motor.

He can beat you in just about any way imaginable, including with his head. Has possession receiver hands. Makes the acrobatic catch. He reminds me of a combination of OU receivers Charleston Rambo (savvy, great hands) and CeeDee Lamb (ability to dominate). Wease can align at any receiver position, but they’ll like him on the outside.

DeMarvin Leal | Will Gallagher/IT

Theo Wease | Footbal Brainiacs

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Jordan Whittington ATH | Cuero - Cuero

In my years doing this I can’t recall a player like Whittington. He could credibly be considered a four-star at running back, wide receiver, safety, and even linebacker if he had any interest in that position. He doesn’t, but that tells you what direction his body is headed (220 pounds). He combines exceptional quickness with fluidity not typically found in such a densely muscled prospect. Like Wease, he’s a savvy receiver with great, attacking ball skills. He’s a bit of an unknown as a running back, but in a varied role it’s easy to see him racking up yardage.

Jordan Whittington | Mark Martin

Kenyon Green OL | Atascocita - Humble

I’ve always called him a guard because when you evaluate you first consider ceiling (and body type). That doesn’t mean he can’t play tackle, especially given A&M’s needs. He does bend well, has nice feet, and competes. I saw his team down by 30 his junior year and he was going as hard late in the game as in the beginning. Good sign. I bet he’s a good tackle at A&M and good guard in the NFL.

Garrett Wilson WR | Lake Travis - Lake Travis

Wilson is typified by short area explosiveness, whether moving directionally or elevating, and ball skills. Those ball skills and leaping ability allow him to play much bigger than his 6-foot height. The main question with him is can he be more dynamic after the catch?

Baylor Cupp

Jeffrey Carter

Roschon Johnson

TE | Brock - Brock

This is probably the best fit in the class. Everything Jace Sternberger did in his fine junior season can be duplicated and then some by Cupp in the coming years. On top of it, A&M was his dream school. He has a very big frame and good hands, but it’s his quickness at 6-foot-6 that makes him special.

Demani Richardson DB | Waxahackie - Waxahachie

TEXAS A&M: Much of Richardson’s senior year was lost due to injury otherwise he’d probably be higher. Richardson is an even bigger version of Young meaning linebacker may be on the table. He would be a sensational athlete for the position but that would bring even more projection. Richardson has tons of positive traits on display on offense that will transfer to defense.

CB | Legacy - Mansfield

With his raw athleticism and 40″ vertical, Carter reminds me of former Longhorn Curtis Brown. He has as loose of hips as you’ll find and exceptional make-up speed and ball skills. If he hammers down technique he could be a first rounder.

QB| Groves - Port Neches

His only question is arm strength and if that’s your only question you should have plenty to compensate for it. He’s a perfect fit for Tom Herman’s offense and program.

Tyler Owens DB | Plano East - Plano

Freak athlete with freak length. Owens’ junior tape was average but his senior year displayed a much more confident and assertive player putting his extremely rare traits together. A 6-foot-2, 195 pound safety running a 10.34 100? This year he played like it.

Garrett Wilson | Chron.com

Tyler Johnson OL | Oak Ridge - Conroe

I struggle with who has more upside between Johnson and Green. To me, Johnson is a little more athletic making it easier to see him at tackle in college and beyond, but guard might be his home too. He showed a nastier streak this season. He’s good in space or on the pull and should be a good drive blocker. He should have the ability to create creases with quickness and power.

Erick Young DB | Ft. Bend Bush - Richmond

I have him as a safety because of his size. At already 208 pounds and genetics that are going to take kindly to strength and conditioning it’s hard for me to see him sticking at corner. Aggies not even considering the possibility of safety are delusional. Assuming he makes that switch, the coverage traits that would go with him could make him exceptional in coverage. He’s a naturally physical player.

Roschon Johnson | Geoff Mckay ETSN

Jamal Marris

Jalen Catalon

DB | Ft. Bend Bush - Richmond

Morris is just what the doctor ordered for Oklahoma. He can run, turn a team over, comes downhill aggressively, and is a good striker. He’s a really good all-around safety.

DB |

legacy

- Mansfield

Catalon missed nearly the entire season as well. Where guys like Richardson and Owens are freaks with their size and athleticism, Catalon looks more unassuming, but don’t be fooled. He sees the game as well you can in the back end, and has good quickness to turn what he sees into a turnover or big hit.

January/February - 2019

2019

Branson Bragg

Dylan Wright

OL | Crandall - Crandall

Excellent get for Stanford as Bragg nearly has tackle athleticism, great size for the interior, and the brains for the mentally taxing position of center.

T’Vondre Sweat DL | Huntsville - Huntsville

Played defensive end in high school where we are able to gauge a lot of “smaller man” traits, but at minimum he’ll be a player moved up and down the line like Leal. He most likely plays around 300 pounds. Great motor, playstrength, and good mobility. Just a little tightness and twitch separates him and Leal.

Brian Williams DB| Bishop Dunne - Dallas

Dunne guys always use their eyes well in coverage, and it also helps they’re given lollipops thanks to the poor level of competition, but that written, Williams is good at seeing routes develop and reading the quarterback. I have him lower than some just because I don’t think he has quite the athletic upside.

Trejan Bridges WR | Hebron - Carrolton

He’s a good athlete, especially in the air, but what makes him special are his hands and ball skills. He’s the best in the state in that regard.

DB | Dekaney - Spring

Banks has great hips and man coverage skills. He needs to become more physical but that will come with strength and culture.

David Gbenda LB |Cinco Ranch - Katy

The rare inside linebacker who can run sideline to sideline, Gbenda of course is good downhill too. He seems to diagnose quickly and must be accounted for as a blitzer. My buddy who coaches in that district said he was the best defensive player they faced. There’s quite a bit of talent in that district.

Elijah Higgins WR | Bowie - Austin

Higgins has fantastic quickness and fluidity at his size but needs to stay healthy. His value will be moving around, inside and out, to take advantage of match-ups. His big frame is going to fill out nicely but he won’t want to get too much bigger.

Isaiah Spiller RB | Klein Collins - Spring

Similar to Keaontay Ingram in running style, he’s just not quite as quick. Spiller also has nice hands and should be used out of the backfield. Young for his grade so we could see a big jump in physical maturity in the next year.

Lewis Cine DB | Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill

He and Williams are similar in that both played against poor competition. They differ greatly in that Cine is much more raw while Williams will be ready to play as a freshman. I think Cine has the athletic attributes to be a good one, including fluidity in coverage, but he’ll have a ways to go from a technical standpoint.

T’Vondre Sweat | University of Texas Athletics

Marcus Banks

WR | West Mesquite - Mesquite

Perhaps the most upside of any receiver in the class, his floor is just considerably lower than Wease’s. Can stretch the field vertically with speed or dominate with size. Needs to more consistent but all the ability is there.

IT Top 100

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David Gbenda | Justin Wells/IT

Steven Parker

Deondrick Glass

Marquez Beason

LB | South Oak Cliff - Dallas

Parker is a tough, coachable kid with a frame nowhere near its landing spot. He’s naturally strong with great length and bend. He’ll be put in a position to succeed early in his career and we’ll see substantial differences from his freshman to junior year, developmentally speaking. The weight room will be kind to him.

RB | Katy - Katy

Has the ‘born to play the position’ traits of vision, feet, and balance. Runs hard and is always churning for extra yards. Impressed when I saw him versus a fast and physical North Shore defense.

DB |Duncanville - Duncanville

Tougher projection simply because he’ll transition from receiver to corner but has all the athleticism to do it.

2019

Will Williams

Langston Anderson

Jalen Wydermyer

LB | Chapin - El Paso

You probably haven’t heard of him and there’s probably still a good chance I don’t have him high enough. He’s an electric athlete with no concerns regarding fluidity. You need guys like Williams in the Big 12. Straight up steal.

WR | Heritage - Midlothian

Oh look, another Cowboys receiver that can beat you with power or speed. On top of it, he’s a 50/50 ball winner, too.

TE| Dickinson - Dickinson

Not super explosive for the position like some basketball players who excel on grass, but he’s a very fluid and an easy mover. I think he has above average upside as a blocker, too.

Arjei Henderson WR | Ft. Bend Travis - Richmond

I like him as a target boundary receiver. Does well to use his body and attack the ball in the air. Solid but not dynamic on the ground after the catch. Chain mover and red zone threat.

IT Top 100

Ej Ndoma-Ogar

Jared Wiley

Nana Osafo-Mensah

OL | Allen - Allen

Very smart kid who is going to a great scheme. Plenty athletic to pull where he can bring his power to bear. Good pop out of his stance. Should anchor well versus d-tackles. A bit limited when it comes to length.

TE | Temple - Temple

Multi-sport athlete who excels on the diamond as well. Giant frame, a bit of a project but very big upside. I hear he’s competitive which will help him maximize.

DL | N. Catholic - Ft. Worth

Has played different positions in high school but will likely settle into defensive line after his body matures. Assuming he keeps most of his movement skills he’ll have too much quickness for many offensive linemen. He could probably play a stand-up, edge role earlier in his career.

Javonne Shepherd OL | North Forest - Houston

Giant size with surprising athleticism and good baseline traits. It’s time for him to put in work on the demanding technical aspects of the job. I foresee right tackle or guard. He’ll be a millionaire if he wants to be.

Enoch Jackson

Austin Stogner

DT | Legacy - Mansfield

You’d be hard pressed to find a better first step. The big question with him is lack of length but look around, shorter defensive tackles are dominating in college and the NFL alike.

Javonne Shepherd | Justin Wells/IT

TE | Prestonwood Christian - Plano

One of the knocks on Stogner I’ve heard is that he’s maxed out as a player. Even if that was true, and I’m not saying it is, he’s a good player who understands how to get open and make contested catches. He’s also going to an offense that’s kind to flexed-out tight ends. He might not maximize that position, but that position will maximize him.

Isaiah Hookfin | Justin Wells/IT

Grant Gunnell

Kori Roberson

Isaiah Hookfin

QB | St. Pius X - Houston

I think the networks probably over-steered in dropping him to a three-star, though level of competition is a valid concern and he’s been supported by a talented cast which makes things even easier. The windows just aren’t the same in the higher classifications. Still, he has great size, a good arm, and underrated athleticism.

DL | Manvel - Manvel

OU made a good evaluation here. I wasn’t all that impressed with his junior year but he looks great as a senior. For a bigger lineman that profiles to the interior, he gets off the ball and into the o-lineman well. He has some shock power when he gets there and a nifty push-pull move. Shows good motor within plays and surprising closing speed.

OL | Dulles - Sugar Land

Has the athleticism, bend, and quick feet to mitigate any concerns one might have over lack of length. With proper buy-in of the UT S&C program Hookfin should compete to start at tackle down the line.

January/February - 2019

2019

Brant Banks OL | Westbury Christian - Houston

Consider me a fan and I love that he went to Nebraska where I think he’ll be maximized by Scott Frost and company. He’s grown into playing on offensive line after starting on defense, and already has a head start on his physical and technical development as an early enrollee. This guy is going to look like one of those Tom Osborne sleepers of yesteryear.

Landon Peterson OL | Permian - Odessa

Athletic off the ball, plays pissed off and with a flat back. Has the quickness to develop into a very good pass blocker. I’m bewildered by his lower rating. If you’ve read my stuff or listened to the Eyes of Texas are Upodcast you know I advocate growing your left tackles. Peterson is similar to Banks, just not quite as big. Great piece for Matt Wells.

IT Top 100

Kam Brown

Jacob Zeno

Jalen Curry

Braedon Mowry

WR | Heritage - Colleyville

I don’t foresee stardom for Brown, but I think he can be good in the Camron Buckley role. Maybe not great in any single regard, but the good in the composite.

Peter Mpagi DE | George Ranch - Richmond

The early enrollee reminds a bit of Charles Omenihu as an upside player in need of development. He doesn’t quite possess the length of Omenihu, but he’s a bit quicker and also plays with good leverage.

QB | John Jay - San Antonio

Has a rifle for an arm but needs to sight it in. Athletic for a pocket passer, but not a dangerous runner. Good building block for whoever is the coach after Matt Rhule.

WR | St. Pius X - Houston

Excellent, strong build. Runs decently well but may have trouble separating against better corners. Have heard hands can be inconsistent.

DE | Taylor - Katy

I wasn’t sold on him as a junior but really liked his senior year. He could be a bit of a tweener, but he’s cat quick for his size. Jacob Zeno | San Antonio Express-News

Darwin Barlow

Gilbert Ibeneme

RB | Newton - Newton

No glaring weaknesses in his game and really he’s only lacking a little more burst from being a truly national prospect.

Darwin Barlow | Justin Wells/IT

Andrew Coker OL | Taylor - Katy

He’s come a long way in the last couple of years and is on a good developmental curve. He’ll be a tackle for TCU but would be a guard at some other places.

DL| Pearland - Pearland

He had a good bounce-back year after being injured his junior season. There’s a hint of bounce to his game. He moves well laterally. I think he’ll bring pretty penetration to the offensive line. Very good play-strength.

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King Doerue

Marcus Spring

RB | Tascosa - Amarillo

He’ll be transitioning from what looks like the wing back in the Wing T to the Jeff Brohm offense. It’s a down year in-state but Doerue looks to have the best burst of any feature back. Great build that should hold up in the Big 10.

DL | Mayde Creek - Houston

There’s a disconnect between his ability and production but his quickness makes him a good fit for new OU defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s defense.

Kraken_Texas_mechanical.indd 1

5/19/11 2:17:09 PM

2019

Maverick McIvor

Layden Robinson

David Ugwoegbu

QB | Central - San Angelo

Did you know Charlie Brewer’s dad played at Texas? I’m serious, he did. Get ready to hear the same regarding Rick’s son. Big arm, solid athlete, and studious. Missed most of his senior year but he’ll have plenty of time to heal and learn behind Alan Bowman.

OL | Manvel - Manvel

Has the potential to be very good as a run blocker. Shows the ability to play with good pad level and leverage. Lots of work to do as a pass blocker but shortcomings in that department won’t hurt as bad at center.

LB | Seven Lakes - Katy

Very good athlete that could play offense or defense in college. I like him as a stand-up Jack linebacker rather than defensive end. Not sure he’d hold up with his hand in the ground.

IT Top 100

Jacob Clark

Qualan Jones

TQ Jackson

QB | Rockwall - Rockwall

Quick actions, a quick set up and quick throwing motion for a tall signal-caller. Can throw with power or take something off when needed. Plenty of arm strength with more on the way. Really solid prospect.

WR | Jefferson - Jefferson

Good composite of size, strength, and speed. Won’t be an easy guy to jam and if you miss it he can punish deep. TQ Jackson | Mark Martin

Taurean Carter DL | Legacy - Mansfield

Kennedy Lewis WR | Melissa - Melissa

Good size and speed on the field and on the track. A bit raw as a route runner but he profiles to the simpler vertical routes.

RB | Hirschi - Wichita Falls

Solid all-around back, runs it up inside, has enough to speed to bounce it. Runs a bit bigger than he looks.

I liked his junior year as he really pushed the pocket from the edge. He was doing more of the same this year before tearing his ACL and MCL. Hopefully he regains all of his athleticism. He’s not really an arc bender, but he can run through the offensive lineman’s shoulder. He should be effective stunting. Can’t rule out him growing into a defensive tackle.

RB |Trinity Christian - Cedar Hill

Carter is yet another lineman in the 6-foot-3, 250270 pound range who will play an interior role.

Daimarqua Foster

DE |Aledo - Aledo

Surprising speed to the edge for a bigger back. Runs with the power you’d expect. Your best bet is to get to him before he accumulates downhill speed. Good plant-and-go runner.

Kennedy Lewis | Kevin Bartram

Colt Ellison

Tyrone Brown LB | United - Beaumont

Rhule clearly understands this evaluation thing. Brown’s a high upside developmental player thanks to his length and frame, as well as his initial quickness. He missed most of his senior season but it’s clear the foundation is there to be a big time player.

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DK Blaylock

Bobby Wolfe

Joshua Fleeks

WR | New Deal - New Deal

BOISE STATE: Great length. Long strider in the open field but can shorten it in close quarters. Not sure why he wasn’t discussed more.

DB | Madison - Houston

He’ll start out at corner but I like him at nickel or safety more. Not sure he has the feet to play outside but he does have a good build that will easily get north of 200 pounds.

WR | 5-11, 170 | Cedar Hill

Dual-threat with underrated athleticism and great leadership qualities. Whatever is in the playbook he can make it go, whether it’s RPO’s, vertical routes, or running it himself with the numbers advantage.

2019

Jason Gold DL |Clear Springs - League City

This is me trying to grow the defensive end into a tackle. I think he can do it, and if so he’ll be a plus athlete with pass rushing upside. Good mobility and body mechanics. NU really knows how to evaluate and develop its players.

Hunter Spears DL | Sachse - Sachse

Physical and strong, Spears uses his hands well to keep offensive lineman off him while he locates the ball carrier. He moves well but isn’t overly explosive. Could play end or nose in a three-man front. Will be better stopping the run than getting after the quarterback.

Jonathan McGill DB | Coppell - Coppell

Excellent instincts allows him to always be in the thick of things. Sticky coverage skills for a nickel/ safety. Lack of height hurt him in recruiting, well, at least until Stanford came calling. Great fit for that program and conference.

IT Top 100

Tamauzia Brown

La’Vontae Shenault

Peyton Powell

ATH | Newton - Newton

Could play wide receiver, corner, or safety. I have his ceiling as a safety with range, ball skills, and man coverage ability.

WR | DeSoto - DeSoto

I liked his brother Laviska but not enough. Looks similar to his brother as an all-around playmaker. Might not have the same ball skills, but looks a tick faster.

ATH | Permian - Odessa

Could play wide receiver or corner. Corner is probably where his traits best project if he wants to mix it up. Rhule will start him on the right track.

Keeyon Stewart DB | North Shore - Galena Park

Played safety in high school but projects to corner or possibly nickel in college. Runs extremely well and will hit.

Beaux Limmer OL | Lee - Tyler

An offensive tackle who will play center in Fayetteville. He has the quickness and the ability to play low against shorter players. Aggressive and quick off the ball.

76 Jaylen Ellis | Hill Country News

Jaylen Ellis WR | Cedar Ridge - Round Rock

Highly productive vertical threat with track speed. At a minimum he should be someone who demands safety attention deep but could evolve into something much more.

Curley Young LB | Hendrickson - Pflugerville

Sort of a unique prospect in that he’s played as a stand-up linebacker and with his hand in the ground. He probably best projects to a traditional role. Shows some legitimate suddenness and striking and is already used to grappling with bigger offensive linemen. A little slight right now, but dense and will fill out nicely. My lone complaint is he doesn’t raise hell with a red sash around his waist like Curley Bill. Justin Wilcox with the potential steal.

Marques Caldwell | Hookem.com

Cole Birmingham

Anfernee Orji

Nelson Ceaser

Marques Caldwell

OL | Katy - Katy

Looks much more comfortable run blocking, which isn’t uncommon for a high school player. Plays with good pad level in the run game, suggesting a high floor at guard when you factor for his size. Solid feet.

DB |Rockwall - Rockwall

Good size and physicality to play downhill or in the box as an extra linebacker. Not a guy you’ll want in man, but he can range for pass break ups.

DL | Ridge Pointe - Missouri City

Whether he plays linebacker or defensive end doesn’t matter as long as you get him screaming off the edge in one-on-one pass rush situations. Shows good bend and fluidity. Plays under control versus the run. He’s going to have a big career in the American Athletic Conference.

DB | Alvin - Alvin

Missed much of his senior year with a shoulder injury. Great build with ideal length. Could be a corner or nickel depending on need and where his body goes.

January/February - 2019

2019

Zach Zimos LB | Ft Bend Travis - Richmond

Strength and conditioning is going to be very kind to Zimos as his nearly 6-foot-4 frame fills out with ease. He’ll have to learn the nuances of linebacker play, but he moves well for the position as evidenced by him playing safety earlier in

Marcus Alexander OL |Sunnyvale - Sunnyvale

He’s either a guard or center depending on the mental side of the game.

IT Top 100

Preston Wilson

Jayden Jernigan

OL | Argyle - Argyle

Likely destined for center or guard where his athleticism better translates. Feisty player who is going to try and finish the play by landing on top of his opponent.

DL | Allen - Allen

Good combination of quickness and strength. Can stack and shed or simply beat the man in front of him. More fluid than most d-tackles you’ll find. Plays well down the line.

Ty DeArman | Brad Loper/Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

Brannon Brown OL | O’Connor - Helotes

He’ll give TCU some much needed length and size at guard. Could struggle some with the quicker defensive linemen in the league.

Alex Hogan CB | Lamar - Houston

Light on his feet and can run. Has been well coached. It will be interesting to see what he looks like at 190 pounds; if he still moves the same, watch out.

Sincere McCormick | Tom Reel/SA Express-News

Nolan Matthews TE | Reedy - Frisco

Good all-around tight end who blocks and receives well whether in line or flexed out. Not explosive but athletic enough. Could turn into an exceptional blocker.

Deshawn McCuin DB | Jacksonville - Jacksonville

Could play either side of the ball in college but best projects to Patterson’s three-safety defense. He’s sort of the of safety version of Jeff Gladney.

Genson Hooper-Price

Sincere McCormick

WR | St. John’s - Houston

He looks and runs like a future NFL receiver but the production hasn’t been there even against poor competition.

RB | Judson - Converse

Great job by Frank Wilson keeping the local product home. Quick and fast with the compact build to handle a large workload.

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Gabriel Hall

Miles Williams

Matt Jones

Ty DeArman

OL | Waller - Waller

He could play defensive line but I think his upside is on offense. If he does play on that side of the ball he could make this ranking look silly in a few years’ time.

CB | Mansfield - Mansfield

His combination of length and quickness is right in line with what schools are looking for. Has played corner, receiver, and safety. Looks to be a solid open field tackler.

DE | Permian - Odessa

Played a stand-up OLB role but they’ll want to grow him into a defensive end and have him keep most of his athleticism while adding strength.

ATH | Bowie - Arlington

Just what Lincoln Riley’s offense needs, a Patriots-style slot who is always open. DeArman is an explosive player whether at receiver or safety. He’ll carve out a role.

2019

IT Top 100

Dee Winters DB | Burton - Burton

Terrance Gipson

OL | Shadow Creek - Pearland

100

Garrett Miller TE |Round Rock - Round Rock

Guys who are 6-foot-5, 230 pounds are becoming increasingly easier to find. I’m not sure there’s a big difference between Miller and a handful of others who just missed the cut.

Brandon Crossley DB | Little Elm - Little Elm

Plays both ways but was part of a secondary for Little Elm that had a handful of D1 prospects. His explosiveness and ability to stick with WRs in different coverages are impressive. That explosiveness is evident in a long jump PR near some of the marks posted in the most recent 6A finals.

Cam’Ron Johnson

Inconsistent tape but his good clips provide optimism for the future. He can move his feet and generate power in a hurry.

QB | Westfield - Houston

I think he was in line to pick up some bigger offers had he not been hurt early in the season. He’s a good athlete but prefers to make plays from the pocket. Pretty lively arm and accurate on the deep ball.

DE | Temple - Temple

I think he’d be a tremendous offensive tackle if he wanted to be but he doesn’t necessarily have to switch to offense to be a good college player.

Dominated on both sides of the ball in the lower ranks but will nail down one of the Horned Frogs’ three safety spots. Patterson likes to tinker with guys’ positions and Winters looks to be a pretty high floor defensive back once he adjusts to the competition.

T.J. Franklin

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Terrance Gipson | Chron.com

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2019

IT Top 100

ranking the out-of-state commitments

’m not sure you could have drawn up a more taxing cycle

1. LB De’Gabriel Floyd, Westlake (Westlake Village, CA)

in which a team still finishes inside the top-five. A lot was

2. WR Bru McCoy, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)

initially going wrong for the staff within the borders, not all of it

3. WR Jake Smith, Notre Dame Prep (Scottsdale, AZ)

their own fault, so Tom Herman made the calculating decision

4. CB Kenyatta Watson, Grayson (Loganville, GA)

to be ultra-aggressive out West.

5. TE Brayden Liebrock, Chandler (Chandler, AZ) 6. DB Chris Adimora, Mayfair (Lakewood, CA)

While Herman and staff, including support staff, made their own

7. WR Marcus Washington, Trinity Catholic (St. Louis, MO)

luck, but they also benefited greatly from Clay Helton’s rather

8. DL Myron Warren, Many (Many, LA)

public trials and defibrillations. Expect Texas to try and take

9. RB Derrian Brown, Buford (Buford, GA)

advantage of the USC death rattle once again. But, before we

10. LB Marcus Tillman, Jones (Orlando, FL)

focus too much on the next cycle, we still have some tidying up to do with the current haul.

That was difficult. Many of those guys are bunched closely as far as quality goes, as you’ll soon see. No. 3 could be No.1 and No. 7 could be No. 4. Quick takeaways with the added caveat that this is a silly exercise: De’Gabriel Floyd gets the call over Bru McCoy. If you want to make Bru a five-star I won’t stop you. He certainly has great traits for receiver but part of his rating stems from being a fantastic linebacker prospect as well, though not as good as Floyd. I sort of used the NFL as a tiebreaker; I feel

Bru McCoy | courtesy McCoy Family

This article discusses how Tom Herman found similar fits for

Floyd will be drafted higher. Both could make a significant impact as freshmen, though Floyd will have a greater adjustment period due to playing a more mentally taxing position.

in-state priorities the staff didn’t sign. Successfully addressing these issues was the #1 story-line for the entire cycle. Without

Jake Smith at #3 was a pretty easy call.

the successes of out-of-state poaching the class would have finished outside of the top-ten. When asked where the out of state players would rank within Texas, the hardest part was simply ranking those prospects from first to last. These are some flat-out ballers who represent A) what Herman is looking for, B) he won’t settle for less, and, C) the Texas brand is more national than you might have thought. Excluding the two JUCO signees, Texas signed a whopping 10 players from outside the state. Here’s how I rank them, though there’s tons of room for disagreement.

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De’Gabriel Floyd | Will Gallagher/IT

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2018 IT Top 100 Normally whether a player succeeds or not is up to the player,

19. Brian Williams

but with him it’s more up to the staff to create space and op-

20. David Gbenda*

portunity. I only have McCoy ahead of Smith because I think

21. Elijah Higgins

the offense is more likely to run through him. That could change

22. Isaiah Spiller

over the course of their careers.

Myron Warren

23. Lewis Cine

Watson, Liebrock, Adimora, and Washington

24. Marcus Banks

are nearly interchangeable.

25. Steven Parker

I went with the freakiest athlete first. As a pillar of the offense Liebrock will be set up to succeed. Adimora is a certified stud

Derrian Brown would be about 30-35 and Marcus Tillman

but may have to wait his turn to see the field. I LOVE Marcus

would be about 35-40.

Washington and have him #7. I think he’s going to be productive, but the focus won’t be on XWR after Collin Johnson.

I respect Derrian Brown’s all around game. He’s a slasher who finds daylight, runs hard relative to his body

I like Warren quite a bit.

type, and has fantastic hands. He and Whittington could have

Especially as a late-cycle find, however he has just a hint of

similar roles, and who knows, perhaps Whittington becomes a

tightness to him and he doesn’t have the greatest length.

full-time receiver later in his career. Obviously first and foremost

Where do they land in-state?

for Derrian is his long-term health. I just don’t know as much about Tillman as I’d like.

1. De’Marvin Leal

That’s scary because the position is hard enough for a rube like

De’Gabriel Floyd

myself to evaluate. I can clearly see he’s fluid, can generate pop

Bru McCoy

in a hurry, and has some twitch, but he’s just too much of an

2. Theo Wease

unknown. I do know I’m glad they have him.

3. Jordan Whittington*

Jake Smith

That’s how I see it. It will be interesting to see if the staff can

4. Kenyon Green

match similar out-of-state success while landing more of the in-

5. Garrett Wilson

state top-10. There’s a good chance they do in the 2020 class.

6. Tyler Johnson*

7. Baylor Cupp

8. Jeffery Carter

9. Roschon Johnson*

10 Tyler Owens*

Kenyatta Watson

11. Erick Young

Brayden Liebrock

12. Demani Richardson

13. Jamal Morris

Chris Adimora

14. Jalen Catalon

Marcus Washington

15. Branson Bragg

16. Dylan Wright

17. T’Vondre Sweat*

18. Trejan Bridges

Marcus Tillman | Justin Wells/IT

January/February - 2019

DOWN THE

BY MIKE BLACKWELL

STRETCH You have heard this before, haven’t you? The Texas basketball team has a winning but not quite “winning enough” - record in February, and has to hustle and jockey for position in the Big 12 basketball tournament and, hopefully, earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Well, it’s February again, and just as sure as the month gives us Groundhog Day, it also gives us our annual Texas basketball evaluation. Will the Longhorns have a high enough seed in the Big 12 Tournament to be able to make a deep run? Will the Longhorns win enough in the next few weeks to get into the NCAA Tournament? Will (insert one-and-done player here) play well enough late in the year to forego the remainder of his college education and head into the National Basketball Association? And now, this: will Texas win enough to ensure Shaka Smart keeps his job?

January/February - 2019

e cannot begin addressing this question until we

have a clear understanding of the Longhorns’ cur-

rent situation. After losing a close home game to Kansas

State on Feb. 12, Texas was 14-11 overall and 6-6 in the Big 12, good enough to rest alone in sixth place. The five teams ahead of Texas are:

Now that we’ve cleared that up and set the table, let’s tackle the annual questions.

Will the Longhorns have a high enough seed in the Big 12 tournament to make a deep run?

Kansas State (9-2)

Because of the parity in the league this year, the answer

Baylor (7-4)

parity in the league this year, the answer to this question

Kansas (8-4)

Iowa State (7-4)

and Texas Tech (7-4).

Worth noting is the team, and the record, of the program

to this question is unequivocally, yes. But because of the is also unequivocally, no. Huh?

just below the Longhorns in the standings: TCU, at 5-6.

Simple. The Longhorns are capable of winning against

Texas’ remaining schedule is: Oklahoma State, at Okla-

capable of losing against every team on their sched-

homa, at Baylor, Iowa State, at Texas Tech and TCU.

every team remaining on their schedule. They’re also

ule. Because of this, every team in the Big 12 hovering

around the .500 is fully capable of making a deep run in the league’s tournament.

There is no sure-fire conference champion, and many

are speculating that for the first time since the Roosevelt Administration (Teddy, not Franklin), the league champion will not be named “Kansas.”

Perhaps a better question would be, “If the Longhorns

reach the Big 12 tournament, do they have the ability to

win it?” The answer to that question would be - unequivocally of course - be “yes.”

Will the Longhorns win enough in the next few weeks to get into the NCAA Tournament?

This questions, quite obviously, is related to the first

question. The answer - like it or not - is yes AND no. Could the Longhorns win their final six games of the

regular season, thus ensuring a 20-win season? Absolutely.

Could the Longhorns lose their final six games and finish the regular season with a losing record? You bet.

The smart guess is that Texas will win three or four of

its remaining games and go into the conference tournament fairly confident of getting chosen for the NCAA

KERWIN ROACH

Tournament. The Longhorns have good wins against

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North Carolina, Purdue, Kansas and Arkansas. Yes, the

Longhorns also loss to Radford, but they’ve won enough to overcome that defeat.

Last season, seven Big 12 teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament, and Texas is in a virtual tie with TCU in the 6-7 slots.

Check the “in” box for the Longhorns, as it pertains to the Big Dance.

Will (insert one-and-done player here) play well

enough late in the year to forego the remainder of his college education and head into the National Basketball Association?

Jaxson Hayes is the player you can insert here in this

question. And a second glance at this question reveals

that, frankly, his draft status will not likely be affected by

how he plays the rest of the season. It’s a pretty safe bet that he’s gone after this season, regardless.

Yes, he’s still just 18 years old, but the 6-11 center also has a 7-4 wingspan. He’s smart, and he can affect the

game on either end of the court. Offensively, he’s shooting a mind-boggling 75 percent from the field. On the

defensive end, he has blocked 59 shots. He’s athletic; he plays with joy.

JAXSON HAYES

But, the truth: he hasn’t won enough for everyone. Texas

He is likely a top 10 pick in the NBA draft, which means

fans like to say they “expect” championships, which is

last year’s draft made approximately $18 million, so pen-

very few of them, relatively speaking (Eddie Reece the

he will be offered generational money. The 10th pick in

silly, because the best coaches in UT history have won

ciling Hayes into the draft is a pretty safe bet.

obvious exception). Winning championships is hard,

Jaxson, we hardly knew ye.

especially in a league full of elite-level coaches.

With the next basketball arena on the horizon, you can

certainly envision a scenario whereby if Texas struggles Will Texas win enough to ensure Shaka Smart keeps

in their last few games, flops in the Big 12 tournament,

his job?

and fails to get into the NCAA Tournament, then Smart

The older I get, the more ridiculous these types of ques-

someone not prone to giving the quick hook to coaches,

could pay with his job. But Chris Del Conte appears to be

tions seem. Smart’s teams are competitive, they are

so this is not likely.

well. And Smart is the highest-level role model for these

In other words, the answers to our questions are: Prob-

mature, they play hard and they represent the program

young men in the formative years of their lives; ask Andrew Jones about that.

ably, Probably, He’s Gone and Yes. Let’s Dance.

January/February - 2019

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