We are the Joneses - The Official Texas Longhorns Athletics Thread

[DAlbert]

these tcu and baylor team forums are scust brehs

nikkas think they going to win a ship within 3 years

always trying to discredit the history of UT and think people forgot how powerful the brand is

bytch ass hatin nikkas

 

[dtownreppin214]

 

[satam55]

these tcu and baylor team forums are scust brehs

nikkas think they going to win a ship within 3 years

always trying to discredit the history of UT and think people forgot how powerful the brand is

bytch ass hatin nikkas

at the fact that you take the time to read the forums of those 2 irrelevant programs.

 

[satam55]

Today's IT Inside Scoop:

Spoiler

Inside Texas Inside Scoop - 4/10/15

From: Eric Nahlin

PRACTICE INFO - JS and EN

First, intensity has been good and there are no new injuries, which is probably the biggest takeaway after the recent run of bad luck (Sheroid Evans, Dalton Santos, and Jermaine Roberts).

The biggest question mark going into the spring was the offensive line and it seems more often than not your first five is (from left to right): Marcus Hutchins, Sedrick Flowers, Taylor Doyle, Kent Perkins and freshmen Connor Williams. That's a bit unfortunate, to me. I was hoping one of Brandon Hodges or Tristan Nickelson would be ready to upgrade left tackle but that's not the case just yet. As always, Wickline continues to tinker and both Hodges and Nickelson are playing second team offensive tackle. It should be said the two Jucos are working very hard and pushing the first group.

In other competition news it appears your senior running back has noticed redshirt freshman, Duke Catalon. Johnathan Gray has had some strong practices recently. On one run he broke three tackles and scored on a 50-yarder. He looks healthier than he ever has since his injury in Morgantown in the 2013 season. He probably had over 200 yards in scrimmage work.

Tyrone Swoopes continues to look like the surefire starter to the sets of eyes we talk to. He had another efficient day in the spread offense. Pop plays seem to be a boon for him and they're being run often because of that. He's reading the box and choosing the correct run/pass option and delivering the ball where it needs to go. Nobody is saying he's great, just improved. The improved (again, not great) offensive line is helping as well. Counters with max protect and deep throws have kept the defense guessing. On one play, Swoopes hit Dorian Leonard on a double move with max protect for a score. Lorenzo Joe had a long gainer on a nine route as well. The hope is the threat of the deep ball will open up the underneath quick stuff.

On the flip side, injuries have taken their toll on the defense so use that as context for some of the improvement on offense. Thrust into middle linebacking duty unexpected, Malik Jefferson has struggled some adapting to a role he's never played. He's a smart kid but his head is swimming a bit. It should be noted his athleticism stands out, even as a guy who should still be in high school, but he'll require some development filling traditional linebacker duties. But, we knew that.

THE LATEST ON TO HIGH PRIORITY CB TARGETS

I caught up with Waco skills coach Margin Hooks about two of his charges, Eric Cuffee and Parrish Cobb. Hooks played at Waco high (some overlap with Kwame Cavil), before heading on to BYU from 1996-2000. There he was a multi-year 1st team All Conference selection. He operates Sky's the Limit sports if you live in the area and want to get your athlete some top notch tutelage.

The first question I had for Hooks was, how does Texas look for each of the talented prospects. He told me Cobb (Waco La Vega), my No. 2 corner in the state, is more likely than Cuffee but the two are very likely to play together. There isn't much overlap on their high level offer list, but Hooks thinks that will change for Cobb. Cuffee (Waco High), my No. 4 corner in the state, has an Alabama offer and will visit the Tide soon.

When I asked if they're looking at Cobb, Hooks replied, "Parrish went to their camp last year and they liked him. With the attention he's getting now as a corner it wouldn't surprise me if Alabama offered."

An ace up UT's sleeve is Cobb's sister attending Texas. Also, both he and Cuffee are being pursued by the formidable trio of Charlie Strong, Vance Bedford and Chris Vaughn.

I asked Hooks about the strengths of each and he had this to say:

Cuffee: Very skillful, good hips, anticipates plays, has a physical side to him.

Cobb: Is a little more explosive, you can use him in the return game, seen him do it all. Game changing plays, key plays, Cobbs has a chip on his shoulder. Quiet but plays with a chip.

A final note from Hooks on the dynamic duo: "I talk to a lot of colleges about them and since Texas offered each, especially Cobb, other schools sound defeated when I talk to them."

Hooks also wanted to talk about Cameron Williams, the First Baptist wide receiver who projects to about half of the positions on the field. He stated Williams, like Cobb was previously, is waiting on a Texas offer. I love this kid and wish there was a way to fit him in the class. Actually I'd offer him as an athlete and tell him he could end up from anything to wide receiver to fox-end. Call him an IBA - an Ian Boyd Ancillary.

JACK STOLL ON A ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH

I'm not sure I've ever talked to a player, much less an out-of-state player, who was more amped to receive a Texas offer than Jack Stoll. It's like they sent it in a Four Loko.

Said Stoll, "I'd had been receiving letters from Texas for quite some time. Last night (Wednesday) Coach Nolan (Regis Jesuit HS, Aurora, CO) got a call from Texas. They wanted me to call them. As soon as I learned it was Texas I was on the phone immediately. After talking with Coach Traylor for a few minutes he offered me. At the time I was at a loss for words. It's a phenomenal program, traditionally maybe the best in the nation. It was indescribable. It's still indescribable."

He continued on the possibility of a visit, "My family and I want to get down there as soon as possible, maybe even as soon as the spring game. It's not that close to Colorado but we're going to find a way to visit. I want to see if the visit matches my images of the school."

Texas will use multiple formations and tight ends are great tools to that end. That's where Stoll comes in. "They said they love how versatile I can be. I can motion from h-back, line up in tight or outside and I can get down the seam." He continued, "they mentioned they're short on tight ends and that they'll take two. It was mentioned that a few more tight ends were being offered as well."

That last sentence explains the urgency in him wanting to visit. When asked if he could commit on a Texas visit he said it's not likely. He'd like to evaluate all of his options and make a decision by late summer at the latest. One option could be Nebraska. He'll visit Lincoln this weekend.

Stoll is 6-foot-5, and 235 pounds (listed anyway). He's very bright kid both when talking to him and in the classroom and is leaning towards majoring in business.

2017 TIGHT END VISITS TEXAS ON WEDNESDAY

Chance McLeod from Victoria East headed to Austin to see practice. I didn't talk to him much but he did say, "It was real good, I liked it a lot. I also liked Coach Traylor a lot. The atmosphere was great."

He reminded me of something I've been hearing frequently. A common refrain is how well Traylor relates to these high school recruits. Being so recently removed from his successful run at Gilmer, this should be expected but it's also noteworthy.

McLeod is very highly rated at this premature point. He's pretty nimble in the open field and has very good hands. I'm not sold on him as a national elite just yet but he's solid.

FLORIDA QUARTERBACK VISITING FOR SPRING GAME

You'll recall Tampa Plant as the high school of Texas tight end Andrew Beck. It's also home to 2016 quarterback Rex Culpepper.

Here's the money quote, from Culpepper's coach, Coach Weiner:

"Well it looks like they may offer two (quarterbacks). They have a commit already so they want to evaluate Rex. He is on their board with a few other guys. We want to visit and see practice and also let them know Rex is sincere that he would travel to whatever the best school is for college."

Culpepper has offers from Florida, Ohio State, Clemson, and many other fine schools.

Speaking candidly, I'd be heavily against Culpepper being offered by Texas.

NAHLIN FAVORITE VISITING THIS WEEKEND

Jeffrey "Bear" Okudah from South Grand Prarie will be visiting Texas this weekend. With Texas starting to show the 2017 class some attention could Okudah pick up an offer? I think so, but we're not sure just yet.

Said Okudah, "When I get there I'm talking to Coach Bedford, Coach Vaughn and Coach Strong." That seems to be a positive indicator for the ultra-talented safety prospect. Okudah is all of 6-foot-1, 190 pounds and tracks and smacks with the best of them. I think he has a chance to be a Top 50 national player so getting on him now would be wise.

He currently holds offers from Auburn, Baylor, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU...yada yada yada...pretty much everyone but Texas. He's a 'name your school' talent. Comically he has three crystal ball predictions -- all for Baylor.

Let's keep in mind how tight Okudah and Jason Hall are.

ALLEN DB VISITING AS WELL

Okudah will be riding with fellow prospect, Jaylon Jones, from Allen. I rated Allen as my No. 5 corner in the state yesterday. He can certainly play at Texas but I doubt he gets offered due to numbers and the staff's comfort with where it sits with other targets, notably Eric Cuffee, Parrish Cobb, and Eric Monroe.

Many believe Jones is destined for Texas A&M if UT doesn't extend an offer. Like Okudah, Jones has tons of quality offers, namely Ohio State, Michigan, Auburn, OU, and USC.

 

[satam55]

Part 2:

Spoiler

From: Justin Wells

A 5-star that still wants to see Austin. A potential 4-star from the Piney Woods. A deep threat from South Florida likes UT. And tons of TE offers. Recruiting updates.

1. Texas offers four tight ends in 20 minutes. If you were by your phone and are considered a TE prospect, there's a good chance Texas offered you Wednesday night.

Peyton Aucoin, Brother Martin (New Orleans, LA) - The 6-foot-5, 255-pounder is the heavier of the dynamic TE duo at Martin HS in Nola. Texas TE coach Jeff Traylor is on the case.

"I like the history of the program and how it's back on the rise. The fan base is great too. There's just so much to like about Texas. I'll be visiting either the Spring game or after spring ball. I'm really looking forward to building my relationship with coach Traylor."

Aucoin mentioned no leaders at this time. He wants to go through the recruiting process to get a better idea of where he belongs after taking visits to LSU, Alabama (this weekend), Vanderbilt (next weekend), La Tech, and Southern Miss.

Irvin Smith, Brother Martin (New Orleans, LA) - The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder is the pass catcher of the talented TE pair. Smith is being recruited by Traylor, but Texas actually started courting the 4-star in early January. He's already seen LSU, Miami, Southern Miss, and headed to Tempe this weekend to see Arizona State.

"I'm definitely interested in UT," said Smith. I'll make it to campus in a month or so. They are certainly a school I want to see."

Jack Stoll, Regis Jesuit (Aurora, CO) - I like this kid. Eric will have more.

Zarrian Holcombe, Summer Creek (Humble) - The 6-foot-5 A&M commit is exactly what you want in the new age TE. He can hold a block, or flex out and turn into a WR. He's also a mismatch in the redzone. I didn't get much from Holcomb other than I don't think he's feeling the Longhorns. I could've read this one wrong, but the Humble Summer Creek star might be made for College Station.

2. Brandon Jones' poker face. This kid has one. The 5-star from Nacogdoches has been a silent A&M lean for the better part of a year and I still feel the Aggies lead for his services. But he won't tell you that. He will tell you he likes Charlie Strong and will "likely" be visiting Austin for the Texas Spring game next Saturday. Jones is a well-known commodity in the IT Members Forum. We've written about Jones since he burst on the scene in 2013. Since then he's been offered by pretty much every school in the country. After suffering a major knee injury last fall, he was just released for full-time running activities last week.

The key is Strong. Coach Vaughn is Jones' primary contact but Strong's the one I feel makes the difference here. If they can get this kid back to Austin - he's visited the campus twice in a year - they'll set themselves up for a battle. But too often things have came up and Jones was unavailable. When I see him at Moncrief, I'll know it's real.

3. Octavius Evans and Texas start the process. It was only a matter of time really, but when I previewed Evans two months ago, I was really hoping Texas would go ahead and at least get the relationship portion of the recruiting process started. That's finally happened.

At 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, the 16-year old plus+ athlete could be special. He's a monster on the football field as well as the hardwood. Evans has been contacted by the Texas staff and is looking forward to a visit soon.

What about the Spring game? "I hope so," said Evans.

4. Texas offers 5-star Miami WR. The Horns love them some South Florida. We already know this. Strong says the region produces a special kind of athlete. The type of playmaker every program needs to thrive. So it's no wonder the staff dips its foot in the Dade County fountain. Meet Darnell Salomon. And despite having almost as many offers as Anthony Hines (I don't truly believe Hines holds that many offers), Texas makes his Top 5, joining Alabama, LSU, Auburn, and Oregon.

UT flirted with Salomon last winter with mail and a few calls. A phone call and an offer from coach Bedford came last night. Now a visit could be coming this summer. Understand, Salomon had a run-in with trouble during his visit to Georgia last season. http://www.si.com/college-football/...ell-salomon-wanted-georgia-dorm-burglary-case

Hopefully, that issue is isolated.

"Texas has a great coaching staff," said Salomon. "I love how they are recruiting kids from South Florida. I still don't have much info on coach Strong but my HS coaches love him and say great things."

I'm not sure of UT's here, but making the Top 5 of a national prospect is a beginning. And we all know he can't sign a class without a few Floridians.



From: Tim Preston

Shaka’s Staff Takes Shape

After most of a week went by without any real movement on Smart’s support staff, the names dropped quickly in the middle of the week as Smart has filled his main assistant roles.

They are as follows:

Darrin Horn – the former Western Kentucky and South Carolina head coach will likely be brought in in an Associate Head Coach capacity and is expected to be a main cog with his ability to coach to Smart’s system (Horn ran an uptempo system during his days leading his programs and Smart apparently felt very comfortable with how well their systematic strengths gelled).

Mike Morrell – has worked with Smart since Smart’s days at Clemson, so there’s a comfort level there.

David Cason – joined Smart at VCU after working at Vanderbilt, Tulsa and TCU. Cason is regarded as an ace recruiter and has connections to AAU programs in the state of Texas.

Daniel Roose – will be replacing Todd Wright in the Strength and Conditioning position after filling that role with Smart while at VCU.

Jai Lucas –Director of Basketball Operations and will be next in line for a full-assistant position should one open in the not-so-distant future.

Analysis: I like the staff a lot. I was a bit surprised that neither Springmann nor Lanier were retained (so were a couple of my sources) but I think Horn and Cason will hit the ground running on the recruiting trail and they all fit Smart’s personality and system. It was also a masterful stroke to include Lucas so quickly and efficiently into his new role. Jai is savvy enough to understand that being a “Special Assistant” was a decent ways away from being an actual assistant, but Shaka has a history of promoting his Basketball Ops guys, so this should be an ideal fit.

Recruiting Continues to Ramp Up

Say this for Shaka, he has zero problems with getting after players he covets on the recruiting trail.

Of those players, Prime Prep wing Terrance Ferguson stood out this week as receiving considerable love from Coach Smart. Ferguson, a player for whom Texas wasn’t really on the radar, has been targeted as a must have player for Smart’s system. The 6’6” shooter/slasher is one of the very top players in the country and would be an ideal fit in the up and down tempo Smart will look to employ in Austin.

Along with De’Aaron Fox, Ferguson represents the type of backcourt talent that has eluded the Texas program since Avery Bradley spent one season in Austin in 2009-10. Expect Smart to go all out on both Fox and Ferguson until the ink is dry wherever they end up.

Tevin Mack

One player whose ink has been dry for months is Tevin Mack. The consensus top 100 wing from South Carolina originally signed with VCU during the November period. However, after Smart came to Austin, it appears that Mack’s connection with the Rams program was dependent upon Smart more so than the VCU program itself.

Mack has asked for a release from his LOI and it is expected that he will receive it.

What’s not so obvious is whether or not that leaves UT as the favorite to land the 6’6” shooter/scorer’s services.

All of South Carolina, UConn and Georgia have space available and were in Mack’s top five initially.

Still, don’t be surprised if Mack announces for the Longhorns if/when he receives his release from Virginia Commonwealth.

Isaiah Taylor

Now for the not so great news.

I got a blunt text this week from a source close to the team that had some negative things to say about the future of Taylor in the Texas program.

Taylor’s likelihood to stick with the Longhorns through their transition into the Smart era has been in doubt for some time, but common thought has remained that Isaiah’s best move would be to remain at Texas for another season.

The problem, it seems, is that Smart and Taylor don’t the best relationship (even in its fledgling stages).

While it’s only one side of the story, my source did not have the most glowing things to say about Taylor’s attitude towards the whole process.

All that being said, Coach Smart’s ability to establish/build relationships is regarded as one of his greatest strengths, so don’t count out anything just yet. But things are not looking great and there’s a growing expectation that Taylor will declare for the draft with the intention of staying in it and not returning to Austin for his junior year.

 

[DAlbert]

Spoiler: Texas saturday scrimmage notes

A few quick notes to share

• Sounds like the offense is really starting to click, and the read option is opening up plenty for the QBs, especially with their legs. I'm told the offense exploded for a couple of long runs.
• The offense was able to gash the defense for a few long runs behind a 1st team offensive line that featured (from left to right) Hutchins, Flowers, Doyle, Perkins, and Nickelson.
• Word is the uber-talented Kent Perkins has been putting together a really solid spring and looked good over the weekend. He's emerging as a leader on the offensive line, which is already good on the front with Flowers and Doyle. But Perkins is taking it upon himself to help Nickelson adjust to this level of competition.
• Charlie Strong said a few weeks ago that Shiro Davis was really impressing him with how he's gotten after things this spring, and that apparently was the case over the weekend. He graded out really well The light seems to have turned on during winter conditioning and have stayed on ever since. Big year ahead.
• Strong also mentioned that he thought Duke Catalon could be an every-down back if called upon and that's something that Duke proved a little of at the scrimmage. Catalon worked with both the first and second team and broke off several mid-level runs. He even scored once. Word is he's about 80% right now as he recovers from a knee and a toe injury.He was in The Pit a few weeks back.

William Wilkerson

 

[satam55]

Spoiler: This week's IT Mondays in the Humidor with the Big Cigar

Mondays in the Humidor with the Big Cigar

By: Jesus Shuttlesworth

In this edition of Mondays in the Humidor with the Big Cigar, we discuss spring ball and how the Cigar has perceived various units in the last few practices. We’ve also got some intel on the hoops program, where it is, and where it may be headed with some moving parts. Once again, it’s a two-pronged dose of hoops and football inside the Humidor.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: Let’s start things off talking a little about football’s second season — spring practice. Since last we talked, what’s going on?

Big Cigar: I would say the main takeaway for me is the physicality of the practices even when compared to last season and not just the Mack Brown era. These deals are violent with guys being tackled to the ground and every defensive player expected to rally to the football. It’s markedly different from the way Mack ran practices obviously, but even last season was a bit tamer in terms of how physical the coaches are asking the kids to be. Hitting to the whistle and to the echo of the whistle is not only expected but it’s encouraged. No one is going to get punished for physical play even if it’s border line illegal. The coaches want a rough football team it seems, and they’ll dial things back when it becomes necessary.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: In my Mickey voice, Clubber Lang isn’t going to kiss you, he’s going to kill you. I like the preparation.

Big Cigar: Yeah, I know some folks get consumed with the injury issue of tackling to the ground, but I don’t think you can afford not knowing who’s willing to be physical and who’s not when it comes to your football team. I suppose if you had a veteran group you could get away with it, but Charlie needs guys who are willing to be physical if he’s going to play the style of football he wants to play in this conference. I think it’s worth the risk.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: Speaking of injuries, before we get to the meat and potatoes, who’s currently dinged outside of the major injuries? Who’s in the Pit in other words?

Big Cigar: Right now the big ones are Duke Thomas, Chris Nelson, Tank Jackson, and Caleb Bluiett. Roderick Bernard is still not active this spring so I wouldn’t count him. I don’t think Duke Thomas is too serious, it’s just an ankle injury and he should be back soon. The silver lining there is that it’s given guys like Antwuan Davis a shot and Davis has taken advantage. (More on that later). Chris Nelson and Tank Jackson are needed back in a hurry because there isn’t much depth on the defensive line. In fact, the coaches are trying to light a fire under Hassan Ridgeway while also getting other guys reps. Poona Ford is getting most of the reps with the 1's but that’s going to change once the games and practices start to matter a bit more. Still, I wouldn’t say Ridge is too happy about the turn of events. Look for Poona to continue to rotate in at tackle later on in any event, and that’s not a bad thing for team who needs depth.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: What about the rest of the defensive line?

Big Cigar: You still have Paul Boyette and Shiro Davis holding down their positions with the 1's with Naashon Hughes playing the fox in our odd fronts. To me this is where the depth really got dinged by, of all things, a linebacker getting hurt. If Santos doesn’t go down, it allows you to keep Malik Jefferson at fox and getting reps on the edge. Moving MJ to Mike leaves you with one less athlete on the edge and I don’t know if Texas can afford that blow to the depth chart especially in this pass happy league.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: What’s your assessment of the linebacker position so far? If you don’t like your depth at defensive line, then linebacker seems like it has the potential to be a train wreck.

Big Cigar: From what I’ve seen, Peter Jinkens is the only guy you can pencil in as a starter and honestly he’s playing more consistently than he has his entire career. Aside from that it’s a crapshoot. I was pleased to see Jefferson pushing Tim Cole for reps with the 1's at the Mike position so early in the transition. Also Edwin Freeman seems like a kid who’s slowly finding his way into the rotation on the 1st team.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: Well, I’m not bullish on the linebackers. We need an influx of young talent in the worst way. What’s going on with the secondary?

Big Cigar: John Bonney and Bryson Echols are still starting. Echols is at corner and Bonney has seemed to put his stamp on the nickel spot. The big news is the play of Antwuan Davis at the corner spot opposite Echols. The kid has really turned it on these last few practices. So much so that he may have a great shot to beat out Echols once Duke Thomas returns from his ankle injury. Davis has always had the physical ability you crave, but he’s now playing the ball so much better than he did earlier in his career. Credit Vance Bedford for the turn around because Davis is basically a different player in that department than he was when he arrived on campus. I would definitely keep an eye on Antwuan as things start to shake out.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: Let’s shift gears to the offense and how things are going there these last couple practices.

Big Cigar: The big news on this side of the ball continues to be the play of Tyrone Swoopes. He’s obviously enjoying the offensive tweaks that coach Watson and coach Wickline have made, and he certainly is more comfortable in the shotgun, but the kid is a different player mentally, at least it appears. He continues to look more and more confident every time I see him and last week was no different. That’s the key for Tyrone. He has all the physical ability in the world — I mean very few college QBs have the velocity and arm strength to do what Swoopes does with a football, he just needs to get more comfortable and confident with where to go with the football. And that’s happening with every practice and every subsequent rep. He looks to be your surefire starter in 2015 barring injury.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: How has Heard looked?

Big Cigar: Heard looks similar to how Tyrone looked two springs ago. He’s still kind of lost out there and he relies on his athletic ability way too much to get him out of jams. He just looks out of sorts which isn’t all that surprising for a redshirt freshman. I still think Heard will get a run package just to keep his head in the game and feet wet in case Swoopes goes down, but yeah, that’s Swoopes’ job to lose at this point.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: It seems like the quarterback position is starting to solidify itself. It also sounds like the offensive line is anything but solidified at this point. What’s your take?

Big Cigar: You know, it looks like they’re comfortable with their interior guys. The group of Kent Perkins, Taylor Doyle, Sedrick Flowers, with Raulerson rotating in never really changes. Now if you’re talking about the tackle position, you’re exactly right. I see practice almost every day and I have a hard time keeping up with who’s starting at tackle on a daily basis. Wickline seems to be trying all hands on deck there while just waiting for someone to stick and separate. That obviously hasn’t happened yet. The good news is that Wick does have some talented bodies to throw at the both positions, it’s just a question on finding the right combination. I tell you what though, from where I sit, there’s something special about Tristan Nickelson. When he’s in, he’s not always perfect but he flashes the most out of all of the tackles. He’ll get displacement in the run game at times and makes you scratch your head and say, wait, that kids almost 7-feet tall. That’s special. As for pass pro, he has the most potential by far. Throw in kids like Connor Williams, Brandon Hodges, and Marcus Hutchins and you see Wickline has some solutions.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: Great stuff. Let’s move on to the running back position just briefly. Fires have been lit it sounds like.

Big Cigar: Yeah, I don’t think Gray enjoyed the Duke Catalon show when he was dinged. Since then he’s playing like a man possessed. Competition is a good thing it seems.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: Indeed. It helps to run behind a coherent offensive line as well. What about the receivers?

Big Cigar: Marcus Johnson is a stalwart at one spot, but the light has definitely come on for Dorian Leonard who has now separated himself from guys like Lorenzo Joe, at least according to my eye. I think you pencil Leonard in as a starter right now. Jacorey Warrick will stay in the slot, at least until Daje Johnson figures out the playbook. There’s no guarantee he will, but if he can, that inside position is his.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: Daje strikes me as a kid who goes through life trying to ice skate up hill. Here’s to hoping we can find him a slope. Thanks.

Big Cigar: You bet.

Editor’s note: We hope to have a facilities update later on this week…

In hoops, we were able to lasso a little intel about Shaka Smart’s plan going into next season. As we reported Jai Lucas was retained to solidify the recruiting base with the AAU folks in Texas. We’re told Shaka has reached out to the “powers that be” with the various AAU clubs in Texas and thus far has been received relatively well.

One source says, “Smart still has some work to do, but so far so good from my end. If he starts showing up to the gym to meet the kids and watch their games, he’d already have a leg up on Rick Barnes. My guess is that Jai has informed him of that fact along with many others. I’d send my kids there if he’d just go that extra mile that Rick put on his assistants.”

If Smart listens, I like our chances recruiting head-to-head with the Kansas and Baylors of the world not to mention some of the national powers.

As for style of play in 2015, don’t expect Smart to invest too much in guys like Cam Ridley and Isaiah Taylor to win in the near term, at the expense of getting experience for the younger players who will be here for the long haul. We’re told by someone close to the program that Smart is going to run his system and if guys like Ridley or Taylor don’t fit in, then so be it.

One interesting note is that Smart does like Ridley as a back line defender in the 3-quarter court pressure wrinkle or soft trapping game. When Texas goes full court quick trap, Prince Ibeh will likely get the call. Regardless, there will be plenty of opportunity for a kid like Ridley despite popular belief.

As for Taylor, Smart doesn’t seem to be putting on the full court press to keep the young man in Austin. “Taylor is going to have a decision to make. No one is going to beg him to come back and even if he does, he’s going to have to swallow his pride and show he’s a team guy by running Shaka’s system. I don’t know if that will sit well with Ike, but it’s reality.”

My take is that, like it or not, Smart and Taylor need each other at this point in time. Shaka needs guards with open court ability and currently no has that on the roster outside of Taylor, at least not with Taylor’s experience. Taylor on the other hand would thrive in Smart’s open court scheme which would enable him to resurrect an image that took a beating running Rick Barnes’ Hickory Husker offense. Sure, Taylor should take his medicine and show he’s a team guy, but the reward of a properly spaced floor would likely be worth its weight in NBA draft dollars potentially.

 

[satam55]

IT's Ian Boyd wrote this piece on spring practice from a source:

Spoiler

An outsider's take on spring practices

I had a chance to talk to a program outsider (not a Texas fan although a fan of the current staff) who took in a practice and wanted to pass along a few of his thoughts on the 2015 team taking shape.

-Tyrone Swoopes seems firmly entrenched as the starter. He's far more comfortable, he knows the reads, and his arm talent allows him to hit some receivers with the kind of pro-level accuracy that is simply indefensible when he's really on.

Close followers of the program may remember that Trent Dilfer's take on Swoopes was essentially "his arm is so strong and accurate that if he can just make the perfect throw and the coverage won't matter."

Given the lack of developed game changers on the roster this is crucial for 2015.

-Heard is less comfortable, misses throws, and took fewer snaps than Ty in this practice. Seems clear that the coaches expect Swoopes to hold down the job whatever they might be saying about competition and not anointing anyone.

This source was really unsure of Heard's future.

Everyone should pause here and note that all this means is that Heard is not quite ready yet and that Swoopes is the best looking QB on campus. The former should not be surprising from a kid that ran a run-centric spread in HS and always had a long way to go as a passer.

The latter doesn't mean Swoopes is Trevone Boykin, just that he's the best on campus right now, although we might as well hope.

-The OL is a big group in person, Nickelson took 1st team snaps at RT (where I've wanted him to start for months) and showed real quality. You have to like the prospects for running right behind Perk and Tristan.

-Malik is huge now and runs around with a big smile on his face, in contrast to the sterner expressions worn by the veterans. Shiro is looking big these days and blew someone coming around the edge.

-Texas holds shorter practices but tackles to the ground. This observer thought that was indicative of a smart approach to winning games and what will set Texas apart from other B12 schools once the offense is on track. Every play, the defense was running to the football and taking people down, there weren't many big plays unless Swoopes was beating someone deep over the top.

-Haines is playing well, he just always knows where to be and he's usually athletic enough to be there. Hall is huge these days but he's not the quickest processor yet. He takes false steps at times and doesn't have enough fast-twitch explosion to change directions and make up for it when he does. His big upside will come when he's seeing the field better and can play downhill more often.

-Echols struggled and was beat over the top fairly often, the one big no-no in this defense since it's designed to play 1-on-1 on the outside so the middle can be occupied by good tacklers running to the football.

-As we all know, the freshman are going to fill out the 2-deep in a major way and get a lot of snaps next year. I'm thinking 2016 is the big year for Strong when he'll have a veteran OL and senior QB in Swoopes along with a D that's been filled out with athletes that have a year of experience under their belts. Not a championship team, obviously, but a team that can get Texas back to Mack's old 10-win standard.


P.S.

This source thinks Strong and his staff are bad salesman, that they are just super authentic people who don't have a switch they can flip to make a sale.

He thinks their approach to development, coaching, and building relationships with people is phenomenal and will pay big dividends if the fanbase and boosters can be patient enough to take a long view.

 

[...o3]

...over/under, this team wins 8 games this season? i want to feel good about this bunch......but i just don't.

 

[satam55]

...over/under, this team wins 8 games this season? i want to feel good about this bunch......but i just don't.

This team is gonna be like the 2011 team that went 8-5. There's gonna be A LOT of Freshman in the 2-deep. So 8 wins is what someone who is realistic should hope for.

 

[satam55]

Video clip from Today's scrimmage:

 

[dtownreppin214]

jacorey gonna be a problem this year.

 

[dtownreppin214]

IT's Ian Boyd wrote this piece on spring practice from a source:

Spoiler

An outsider's take on spring practices

I had a chance to talk to a program outsider (not a Texas fan although a fan of the current staff) who took in a practice and wanted to pass along a few of his thoughts on the 2015 team taking shape.

-Tyrone Swoopes seems firmly entrenched as the starter. He's far more comfortable, he knows the reads, and his arm talent allows him to hit some receivers with the kind of pro-level accuracy that is simply indefensible when he's really on.

Close followers of the program may remember that Trent Dilfer's take on Swoopes was essentially "his arm is so strong and accurate that if he can just make the perfect throw and the coverage won't matter."

Given the lack of developed game changers on the roster this is crucial for 2015.

-Heard is less comfortable, misses throws, and took fewer snaps than Ty in this practice. Seems clear that the coaches expect Swoopes to hold down the job whatever they might be saying about competition and not anointing anyone.

This source was really unsure of Heard's future.

Everyone should pause here and note that all this means is that Heard is not quite ready yet and that Swoopes is the best looking QB on campus. The former should not be surprising from a kid that ran a run-centric spread in HS and always had a long way to go as a passer.

The latter doesn't mean Swoopes is Trevone Boykin, just that he's the best on campus right now, although we might as well hope.

-The OL is a big group in person, Nickelson took 1st team snaps at RT (where I've wanted him to start for months) and showed real quality. You have to like the prospects for running right behind Perk and Tristan.

-Malik is huge now and runs around with a big smile on his face, in contrast to the sterner expressions worn by the veterans. Shiro is looking big these days and blew someone coming around the edge.

-Texas holds shorter practices but tackles to the ground. This observer thought that was indicative of a smart approach to winning games and what will set Texas apart from other B12 schools once the offense is on track. Every play, the defense was running to the football and taking people down, there weren't many big plays unless Swoopes was beating someone deep over the top.

-Haines is playing well, he just always knows where to be and he's usually athletic enough to be there. Hall is huge these days but he's not the quickest processor yet. He takes false steps at times and doesn't have enough fast-twitch explosion to change directions and make up for it when he does. His big upside will come when he's seeing the field better and can play downhill more often.

-Echols struggled and was beat over the top fairly often, the one big no-no in this defense since it's designed to play 1-on-1 on the outside so the middle can be occupied by good tacklers running to the football.

-As we all know, the freshman are going to fill out the 2-deep in a major way and get a lot of snaps next year. I'm thinking 2016 is the big year for Strong when he'll have a veteran OL and senior QB in Swoopes along with a D that's been filled out with athletes that have a year of experience under their belts. Not a championship team, obviously, but a team that can get Texas back to Mack's old 10-win standard.


P.S.

This source thinks Strong and his staff are bad salesman, that they are just super authentic people who don't have a switch they can flip to make a sale.

He thinks their approach to development, coaching, and building relationships with people is phenomenal and will pay big dividends if the fanbase and boosters can be patient enough to take a long view.

did he go into more detail about the salesman comment? is he referring to fans or to recruits?

 

[...o3]

Skrong sounds like the type of brotha that will tell a kid, ''look, i'm not like the other ball coaches, i'm not going to offer you $$$ bags, fast cars, and becky thots. if you're interested in high moral standards, proven football development, and winning tradition....then sign with the good guys.''

hell, some kids already got their hearts set on other schools, or the gifts and stuff, so you can't always get every kid you recruit. imma have to turn my nose up at that ''bad salesmen'' comment.

 

[Numpsay]

I'm concerned about tackling in the secondary, they have looked awful in almost every clip I've seen of the offseason. And that Front 7 isn't as stout as it was last year. They are going to have to be able to clean up.


I'll take the over on 8 wins. I want 9, would be ecstatic with 10.