2021 Recruiting - Football

Your very legitimate question to this post might well be ‘if you feel that way, why follow this.’ And that would be a good question. However,,,,
I read post after post railing on about pathetic recruiting, horrible player development, and on and on. Then everyone is incredulous that stud HS players don’t want to be part of this. Duh! Who would?
Then I read, ‘when we get a new coach’ la da da da. What quality, sure to win coach is stupid enough to sign on? Come on man. Somebody is not going to blow an ‘all-clear’ horn, announce all is good and have a wave of high-school stallions magically decide they want to be Longhorns. Ain’t happening. In ten/fifteen years of clawing our way back up, maybe.
You’ve collectively screamed ‘fire’ in a crowded theatre. And there is no ‘just kidding’ button to push. For good, bad, or otherwise we have lit a bon-fire under Tom Herman ( who I am not a particular fan of) and we live with the unintended consequences for the near future. ‘When we get a new coach’ beginning any sentence is pathetic. Poor damned pathetic. Sorry if you take offense. DKR died.
 
I didn’t finish my thought. Got angry and went off. Now way in hell would DKR have ever blundered into this mess. BTW, he initially refused to interview in 1956. We had had Blair Cherry episode and Coach Bible intervened with him to convince him to look at the job. Bud Wilkinson played a role as well. In 70 years, seventy years, we’ve had ONE truly successful coach. Think about that.
 
hornde68 said:
I didn’t finish my thought. Got angry and went off. Now way in hell would DKR have ever blundered into this mess. BTW, he initially refused to interview in 1956. We had had Blair Cherry episode and Coach Bible intervened with him to convince him to look at the job. Bud Wilkinson played a role as well. In 70 years, seventy years, we’ve had ONE truly successful coach. Think about that.
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How dare you **** on the career of David McWilliams like that! Have you no decency, sir?
 
Mack Brown signed ten 4 star players form the state of North Carolina.

Child Coach signed five 4 star players from the state of Texas.

Let that sink in.
 
Here is IT on the offensive recruits -- you know someone is going to be making a stretch about something when both Danny Tartabull and Colt McCoy are mentioned in the first few paragraphs

Markets don’t always tell you the real value of someone. Somewhere Danny Tartabull is waiting in line to cash a check to prove that point. But markets do work to create the perceived value from people who get paid a lot of money to be right more often than they’re wrong.

The recruiting market, the one comprised of real coaches, not us recruiting dorks, isn’t very impressed with the 2021Texas offensive haul. It should be noted the dorks aren’t overly impressed either.

The beauty of recruiting and evaluation is the difference between the macrocosm, large numbers of recruits aggregated by rating, and the microcosm, that pesky individual who doesn’t always conform to the limitations of being a three-star.

We don’t like using outliers here, but Colt McCoy is useful for understanding the microcosm. It turns out he was actually a five-star recruit despite being a 6-foot-1, 170-pound, small school quarterback with no elite physical traits, other than perhaps accuracy. That was a great evaluation.

We’re not certain who among this group will overshoot their expectations, but these were some strong evaluations (stemming from necessity but that’s a different story).

QB Charles Wright, Austin High (Austin, TX) - Composite .8572 - early enrollee
Recruitment: It was a sensational cycle for quarterbacks in 2021 with Wright being called a sleeper early on by a Big 12 OC. Fittingly, he committed to Matt Campbell and Iowa State until Texas lost Jalen Milroe to Alabama. Wright was the obvious ‘next man up’ given the circumstances and he wasted no time flipping. With UT having a couple portal candidates at the position, Wright made even more sense for Texas from a long term stability standpoint. A really good get, all things considered.

Evaluation: Competitive kid who remained with his poor team rather than looking to transfer. He’s used to playing under constant pressure, moving his feet and resetting, and buying time. He has a good, but not great arm. He demonstrates good ball placement over the middle and to the outside. Solid athlete. No glaring holes in his game with surprise potential due to his mental makeup and improvisational ability.

Lead time: Should be ready to provide depth after one year. Could play in a pinch as a freshman.

Expectations: The quarterback position rarely plays out how it should on paper, in part because there are a lot of rankings misses due to hard to read mental attributes, and also because of constant transferring. I don‘t know what to expect with Wright, but I’m confident he can win football games at Texas like he would have at Iowa State.​

RB Jonathon Brooks, Hallettsville (Hallettsville, TX) - .8850
Recruitment: Texas was his first offer and his recruitment was pretty much over before it started. Despite his utter domination of lesser competition, his stock never took off.

Evaluation: When I first watched him I was confident he’d blow up and become a national recruit, but it didn’t materialize due to lack of long-speed. More important than long speed are nuanced traits and those are evident, namely feel, lateral agility, and vision. He’s playing against a bunch of undersized FFA kids which allows him to run upright, but his new defensive teammates will fix that for him in his first few practices. Other than lack of home run speed there’s a lot to like.

Lead time: For the time being, the depth chart is thin and it’s conceivable he’ll be needed as a freshman. Keaontay Ingram’s future is uncertain and the staff is still chasing Cy-Fair’s LJ Johnson. Brooks’ biggest issue will be the adjustment to competition. Those running lanes are going to close much sooner. It won’t be a long adjustment period, though, because he is pretty natural.

Expectations: Volume back if needed but more likely a steady platoon back who gets a little more than what’s blocked for thanks to that vision and lateral quickness.

WR Jaden Alexis, Monarch (Coconut Creek, FL) - .8925 - early enrollee
Recruitment: The son of NFL veteran running back, Rich Alexis, held a lot of big offers but most schools weren’t pressing when UT moved in and defeated Miami.

Evaluation: Florida speed with verified 4.5 40 as a junior. Could easily be classified as an athlete. Could play APB/slot/ZWR or even DB if he wanted. Route running is simple — bubbles and verts. Will need to work on that. Not great length but will compete for the ball in the air. Get him in space with defenders in conflict. Very intelligent kid.

Lead time: His intelligence and speed leads me to believe it won’t take him too long to be ready, but I wouldn’t expect much production from him early on. I’d get him snaps in the Jordan Whittington role we saw glimpses of late in the season. I’d also test him out on kick and punt return.

Expectations: He should be able to start at slot or field receiver after the depth chart thins a little. If Texas experiences attrition he’ll be called to duty earlier.

WR Casey Cain, Warren Easton (New Orleans, LA) - .8519
Recruitment: Similar to Brooks, he has a pedestrian offer list and was an easy pull for the Texas staff. Mike Yurcich was his main advocate and it’s not hard seeing Cain being similar to Chris Lacy who played for Yurcich at Oklahoma State. Even better, perhaps he’s Marcell Ateman.

Evaluation: He’s a very long 6-foot-2, with quick feet at the LOS to help beat press. He’s fluid and runs well, but doesn’t have great burst. Short area quickness does appear to be good. Cain possesses a huge catch radius relative to height and strong hands and ball skills.

Lead time: If Brennan Eagles departs early it’s possible Cain works his way into the rotation as a true freshman, but more likely he’ll redshirt.

Expectations: If his fluidity and quickness lends itself to good route running, he’ll be able to create the necessary separation to become a quality boundary receiver. At minimum he should become a quality target receiver because of his hands and 50/50 ability.

TE Juan Davis, Everman (Everman, TX) - .8742
Recruitment: Yet another recruitment Texas didn’t have to fight all that hard for, in part because he was high atop the big board very early in the process. He was a Derek Warehime favorite and UT’s only early competition was SMU. Texas A&M did offer later in the process, which is a good sign of Davis’ ability.

Evaluation: Davis doesn’t care to watch football, he wants to play it. These kids are often ballers you can line up anywhere. Relative to that point, Davis has played quarterback for Everman. He’s fluid but not explosive for a skill player. He does have stellar hands. If he’s willing to do the dirty work, and I believe he is, he could become a quality move-piece as tight end or h-back. However, I would not rule out a look at outside linebacker. There might be some ability to get after the passer here.

Lead time: He’ll certainly be able to redshirt with Jared Wiley, Brayden Liebrock, and potentially Malcolm Epps ahead of him.

Expectations: With minimal tape, plus him not playing his college position much of the time, it’s hard to know where his floor and ceiling are. He does have the athletic and physical specs to find a long-term home somewhere.

TE Gunnar! Helm, Cherry Creek (Englewood, CO) - .8674 - early enrollee
Recruitment: Colorado (Colorado?) was loaded at tight end this year. Helm is actually ranked 4th at his position in the land of Bo Scaife but colleges valued Helm more than the networks. He picked up a number of quality national offers. That written, when it was time to pick a school, UT was the one pressing the hardest.

Evaluation: He’s not the bouncy basketball athlete you tend to find at the position but he has the ability to become a legitimate receiving weapon down the seams. He has a good frame for a dual threat TE with enough heft to block but still lean enough to keep his movement skills. He’s 6-5, 230 pounds, and can do a back flip so there are some intriguing raw materials to work with.

Lead time: He’s facing the same depth chart as Juan Davis. One of Helm or Davis, probably Helm, should emerge as the third TE next season if Epps departs.

Expectations: At a minimum he should develop into a starter quality tight end as the depth chart thins in front of him but he may have Charlie Kolar upside.

OL Hayden Conner, Taylor (Katy, TX) - .8871 - early enrollee
Recruitment: Conner was a known in recruiting circles as a freshman and not just because he was big for his age. He always played with older kids, sometimes even at tight end because of his athleticism. Offers were numerous by the time he was a sophomore. Early on, Nebraska and Wisconsin were real options but his recruitment funneled towards a UT/A&M battle, with UT winning thanks to his relationship with Herb Hand, former commit Jalen Milroe selecting Texas, and, perhaps most importantly, academics.

Evaluation: Good upside as a guard with a mauler’s build and just enough athleticism to make you think tackle could work. I’ve seen him run routes as a tight end in 7-on-7 and he’s not your typical interior offensive line athlete. He’s ran a 4.77 shuttle.

Lead time: Offensive lineman always need time to adjust and develop, but Conner will have the mental side down quickly. Despite his large frame, he can lean up a little and carry good, functional weight.

Expectations: He could theoretically start in his second or third year on campus with guard most likely. After a year of getting comfortable however, he could be a tackle. In 10 years it’s just as easy to picture him in the NFL as it is working at NASA.

OL Max Merril, Strake Jesuit (Houston, TX) - .8506
Recruitment: Stop me if you’ve read this before, but competition for Texas wasn’t fierce in this recruitment. That written, like the others previously mentioned, when you roll the tape you see the makings of a good evaluation. After quite a few o-line misses, Texas called Merril up and he didn’t take long to commit.

Evaluation: I’m not saying he’s Connor Williams, Sam Cosmi, or Andrej Karic, but there are shades of their overall foot and reactive quickness in Merril’s game. He sticks to his blocks well and keeps his feet moving. Good quickness for outsize zone or on the move in general. His high school line coach, Jordan Hebert, thinks Merril has the makings of a college left tackle and with his feet and coordination I can see it too. Hebert also states Merril is very coachable.

Lead time: He’s a grow’em offensive lineman so he’ll require some time to physically mature but typically these guys take to weights and nutrition rather quickly and are ready faster than “college sized” players who need to reshape. He’ll be ready by the time the depth chart thins.

Expectations: It‘s always a crap shoot with offensive linemen. The football character matters more here than anywhere else but it wouldn’t surprise me if he became a 25-game starter. I like the baseline materials. Higher floor than you’d think.​

Get to know the 2021 Longhorn class (offense) - Inside Texas
 
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ESPN --

EpjCMiZXIAcD50n
 
2021s still out there

L.J. Johnson, RB, Cy-Fair, 5-10, 205, 4.5
Trending aggy, buit we have a shot. Johnson can opt to be a January enrollee if he has a decision made, and then just enroll at aggy or Texas.

Johnathan(LJ) Johnson on Hudl

Keithron Lee, WR, Bryan Rudder, 5-10.5, 175, 4.5
Sounds like ours to lose (something we are certainly capable of). Others - TTU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, .... Could commit at any time.

Keithron Lee on Hudl

Austin Uke, OT/G, Dallas Parish Episcopal, 6-3.25, 275, 81-inch wingspan
Hand offered way late in the game so we will probably will lose out to Stanford, USC or UF.

Austin Uke on Hudl

Garfield Lawrence, DE, Tyler Legacy, 6-4, 250
Good senior film. High ceiling. Committed to Kansas, but decided to wait until Feb. We probably should have offered some time back.

Garfield Lawrence on Hudl

David Abiara, DE, Mansfield Legacy, 6-4, 240
Long-time Notre Dame commit with an off field issue. But he is talented and we are desperate

David Abiara on Hudl

Shakari Denson, CB, Claxton High (GA), 5-10.5, 170, 4.55
Michigan State verbal. We have been in contact. IT thinks he "may be the most underrated cornerback prospect in the 2021 class."

Shakari Denson on Hudl

Alton McCaskill, RB/ATH, Conroe Oak Ridge, 6-1, 210, 4.55
LJ Johnson backup plan - he is looking at Okie St, USC, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, UH and KSU. Could end up being an OLB

Alton McCaskill on Hudl

K.C. Ossai, LB, Conroe Oak Ridge, 6-1, 240
Arizona commit but waited to sign. Good senior tape

KC Ossai on Hudl

Keith Cooper, DE, Dickinson, 6-4, 225, 83-inch wingspan
Shows flashes on senior tape. Looking at ASU, UCLA, PSU, Ole Miss, KSU and Indiana. Texas has been monitoring Cooper all season.

Keith Cooper on Hudl
 
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Herman said we will look specifically at JACK and OL in the portal and GT market

But added --
“We’re going to have to look at every position, to be honest with you.”​
 
From Roach --

There was some thought Ishmael Ibraheem might sign today, but that looks like it won't happen. Those around the four-star cornerback were planning for a last-minute ceremony, but it appears Texas wants him to hold off until February. The main reason is to resolve the pending court case against him. Ibraheem has a mid-January court date and it's expected that he's let off with a light punishment considering the charge is a misdemeanor and he's a first-time offender. If everything checks out, Ibraheem should be set to sign in February and join the class. There has been constant communication between the Texas staff and the Ibraheem camp on this and I expect it to be resolved. A source at Texas said they felt good about where things are right now. ​

We are not really in a position to be turning good players away
Friday morning recruiting notes to take you into the weekend
 
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Joe Fan said:
2021s still out there
L.J. Johnson, RB, Cy-Fair, 5-10, 205, 4.5
Trending aggy, buit we have a shot. Johnson can opt to be a January enrollee if he has a decision made, and then just enroll at aggy or Texas.
Johnathan(LJ) Johnson on Hudl
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Roach on LJ Johnson

If Texas can add some punch to this class moving forward it will have to be with a guy like LJ Johnson. The four-star running back from Cy-Fair is one of the biggest targets on the board for Texas, but the pursuit is getting tougher. I spoke to a source near Johnson who acknowledged Texas still seemed to have a slight edge, but (aggy) would be tough to hold off. (aggy) assembled a strong offensive line group in this class and added friends of Johnson like Tunmise Adeleye and Bryce Foster. The Longhorns still have a few things working in their favor including a good relationship with Stan Drayton and Brandon Harris and he has an interest in Austin as a city and Texas as an academic school. (aggy) holds a commitment from Miami (Fla.) Central RB Amari Daniels already but are looking to add more. The next month will be a bloody battle between a Texas program hoping to get a big win and an (aggy) program with all of the in-state momentum right now. ​

Parens are mine not his
Friday morning recruiting notes to take you into the weekend
 
IvanDiabloHorn said:
Mack Brown signed ten 4 star players form the state of North Carolina.

Child Coach signed five 4 star players from the state of Texas.

Let that sink in.
Click to expand...

Arrogant prick Mensa cultivated this mess by saying during his first full recruiting season that he recruits nationwide and doesn't care if they're from Texas or not. He alienated Texas HS coaches so why would they even think of suggesting Texas to players as their choice.

Hey Tommy boy, you can recruit nationwide without telling the world. But you have the most fertile recruiting grounds in the country. Why not start here then cast the net wider?
 
But added --
“We’re going to have to look at every position, to be honest with you.”​
[/QUOTE]
When you can't develop and your S&C coach sacrifices speed for strength then you have to do this.
 
old65horn said:
Damning article about the failure of Texas to recruit OL in this class.
Hand is probably the worst position coach on the team. TH made the decision to retain him and gave him a 60K raise for the crap he puts on the field and he cannot recruit his own son. Hand made 700K.
Damn.

No. 4 OG Bryce Foster’s commitment to Texas A&M cements Herb Hand’s failures in the 2021 class
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Till Mensa boy understands it all starts along the line of scrimmage we will never get past middle of the road.
 
old65horn said:
Damning article about the failure of Texas to recruit OL in this class.
Hand is probably the worst position coach on the team. TH made the decision to retain him and gave him a 60K raise for the crap he puts on the field and he cannot recruit his own son. Hand made 700K.
Damn.

No. 4 OG Bryce Foster’s commitment to Texas A&M cements Herb Hand’s failures in the 2021 class
Click to expand...
Herman’s poor in game choices are matched by his failures in choosing assistants.
The proof is in the pudding; and the pudding is not tasting good.
 
LousianaHorn said:
Till Mensa boy understands it all starts along the line of scrimmage we will never get past middle of the road.
Click to expand...
Welp, here's an appropriate quote from Woody Hayes, since Big Ten Champ aOSU just signed 5 star OL Donovan Jackson, from Houston, Texas:

"The guys down in the trenches win the games..."
 
LousianaHorn said:
Till Mensa boy understands it all starts along the line of scrimmage we will never get past middle of the road.
Click to expand...
TH is not a good recruiter. People on here who love the guy keep pointing to previous rated classes. When you overload positions with people who are high rated and will never play, you get those ratings. TH has failed miserably at OL and LB recruiting. Until last year with Bijon he had failed at RB as well. Its frustrating after so many years of Mack who the Texas high school coaches loved and after charlie ane th, just a tough pill to swallow!! I know the Auburn crew didnt like hand and perhaps they were correct. We certainly have not produced NFL quality lineman. Hoping there is a change at o line with hand moving on and Yursich bringing in whomever he feels comfortable with. Again after the strongest OL class in Texas in decades and we get 1 of the top lineman, very discouraging.
 
Crazy but just looking at Alabamas recruiting they sign 3-5 OL every year and not 2 star lineman. They sign 3-8 DL every year and again not scrubs. Crazy that mensa doesnt get it. Hard to understand how Oklahoma state always has better OL play or at least from the casual watcher than Texas. Been 10+ years since we had descent play. Perhaps play calling could assist with that and RB who have speed and hit the hole could as well.
 
Legend,

Not disagreeing with you at all, but it is hard to "hit the hole" when you start 8 yards deep and the hole closes before you get to it because OL can't hold their blocks.

Watch Ingram in HS. He ran two ways; (1) hit the hole quick and (2) delay and wait, read, and go. He has never had either luxury at Texas.
 
longhornlegend said:
Crazy but just looking at Alabamas recruiting they sign 3-5 OL every year and not 2 star lineman. They sign 3-8 DL every year and again not scrubs. Crazy that mensa doesnt get it. Hard to understand how Oklahoma state always has better OL play or at least from the casual watcher than Texas. Been 10+ years since we had descent play. Perhaps play calling could assist with that and RB who have speed and hit the hole could as well.
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I'd rather us generally oversign OL, DL (including DEs), and QBs. If we have to undersign a position or two to 'make up' for oversigning in the trenches + QB, I'd say sign fewer WRs and TEs.

There's also the cold-hearted cynic somewhere inside most fans and coaches that says many will portal out if they don't see much playing time, so don't worry so much about oversigning. Oversign in the trenches, darn it!
 
SabreHorn said:
Legend,

Not disagreeing with you at all, but it is hard to "hit the hole" when you start 8 yards deep and the hole closes before you get to it because OL can't hold their blocks.

Watch Ingram in HS. He ran two ways; (1) hit the hole quick and (2) delay and wait, read, and go. He has never had either luxury at Texas.
Click to expand...
Not only the 8 yards, but getting the ball with at best one step forward.
 
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