From: Eric Nahlin
WACO: THE DAY AFTER - PART I
You could probably tell IT kept a low profile on the Baylor stuff. The whole ordeal was so unseemly and had nothing to do with Texas we took a pass on it other than trying to hint a little here and there and point some journalists in the right direction. You could probably tell we were hearing stuff last Thursday when we started a thread wondering who would be a good hire to replace Art Briles. I'll unwind that a little bit.
Last Thursday within an hour of each other Justin and I started hearing from entirely different people that Briles would be out. Earlier this week Justin heard Ken Starr would be redeployed in a new position, that Ian McCaw would be publicly reprimanded and that Phil Bennett would be named interim head coach. Basically Justin's information was better than the entire Waco market's combined over the last year. Better in that it was honest, and better in that it was accurate. Good job, Justin.
Hopefully the entirety of Briles' misdeeds come out, and I don't just mean while in Waco. There are skeletons in Houston and Stephenville. Knowing this is why it's sickening to see people come to his defense, especially members of the media.
With that said, we'll get back to covering the very minor football aspects of these circumstances.
Justin has stated names he's heard to replace Briles are Sonny Dykes as well as David Bailiff. There's a third but I'll let Wells crack open that chestnut if he wishes.
The biggest crossover news between Baylor and Texas is what will happen with Baylor's 2016 signees. We've hard those signees will be able to get out of their letters of intent and one parent I talked to said they fully expect to be able to go where they wish. Said he, "I'm at work now but the second the news hit (Briles being fired) my phone was ringing with college coaches." Now, I'm not even sure if that's legal until the players get an official release. The parent said they hadn't heard from Texas yet but we expect they will.
Texas would welcome four Baylor refugees but wouldn't have room for all of them. That works out well because it doesn't have a chance for one of them.
The big name of course is Patrick Hudson. I steadfastly denied UT had a chance to get him before NSD. If he does in fact get out of his LOI, I'll be altering my stance on him.
UT has been watching this situation intently for a week.
From: Justin Wells
WACO: THE DAY AFTER - PART II
Eric laid the foundation, now here's a little more. College coaches fully expect BU's Class of 2016 to be released from their LOI. The NCAA will get involved at some point, but to expedite the process, I think Baylor releases them on its own since it's time sensitive. These players were moving to Waco in a week. Talk about timing.
Texas has two, maybe three scholarships saved just in case this outcome occurred. They were informed of the possibility last week and have been putting contingencies in place. There are four guys they'd consider:
Patrick Hudson. Brandon Bowen. Parrish Cobb. Devin Duvernay.
A source close to the staff said this about each:
Hudson: They feel really good about Patrick. Thought they had him a week before NSD, and might still grab one of the nation's top OL. Percentages: 75%.
Bowen: They were first told Brandon might stick with Baylor. He also wants to run track and BU's T&F program is one of the best. But this morning, they were informed the Bowen's maybe more interested now. Percentages: 45%.
Cobb: Eric told me the best way to land Parrish is using the Cuffee angle, Jennings closeness, and his father's affection for Strong. Eric might get the hat trick. I'm told all three will be factors. Percentages: 65%.
Duvernay: Devin was adamant about playing college ball with his brother, Donovan. Texas wouldn't take both, so they ultimately chose Baylor. It seems the Duvernays still want to play together, and if UT barely has room for one, they definitely don't have room for two. There's still a chance, but my guess would be they land in Fort Worth with the Horny Frogs. Percentages: 25%.
And the damage in Waco might not be over just yet. Don't be surprised to see a few players dismissed, and a few more coaches. KD Cannon is name I'm hearing, as well as OC Kendal Briles. As of right now, both are still Baylor Bears. But that might change very soon.
That Pepper Hamilton Report exposed more than just the covering up of sexual assaults at BU. The corruption could go deeper including bag men in ETX. When I can confirm more, I'll post more.
One more tidbit is besides the names we've heard as new head coaching possibilities at BU down the line; Dykes, Bailiff, Montgomery (Tulsa), and Dino Babers (Syracuse), the name Jeff Traylor is being mentioned. Yes, the Texas TE/ST coach with zero head coaching experience is on their radar.
The BOR see Traylor as the up-and-coming coach in all of CFB. They love his background (TX HS football), his insane ability to recruit, his knowledge in running a spread offense, and his overall demeanor. He's the good ol' boy in boots without the heinous crimes and cover ups attached.
Traylor would be a home run for Baylor, and I think he'd interview for the position, just for the practice. But I also think the BOR would ultimately go with a more experienced coach. Still, it shows how popular UT's recruiting guru is and how it's only a matter of time before he's a head coach at this level.
" you already know
Briles got more Skeletons in the Closet not just at Baylor, but when he was at UH & at Stephenville H.S.
When I asked folks yesterday on the IT forum what are some of the skeletons in closet that Briles had when he was at Stephenville H.S., folks were hinting at Steroids and Dangerous workouts.
