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My fear also is that the St Augustine players may think that they are a package deal. I keep hearing good thinks about the DB Roberts (is that his name?) and I hope that this does not affect his recruitment.
Spring practice has resumed. Pics from practice #9:
http://mackbrown-texasfootball.com/view.gal?id=138005
My fear also is that the St Augustine players may think that they are a package deal. I keep hearing good thinks about the DB Roberts (is that his name?) and I hope that this does not affect his recruitment.
Some interesting updates to share.
Practice: I've been fortunate to make many team practices including some closed ones and even some team meetings and wanted to share some observations.
The biggest surprise of spring ball is Tyrone Swoopes and it's not even close. He is killing it. I saw him over a year ago and the progression he has made is phenomenal. Remember how Swoopes' stock dropped and people questioned him playing QB? Forget it. The guy just never got good coaching until he was able to make all the camps over last year like the Elite 11 and let me tell you those camps must have lit a fire in the guy. Now is Swoopes' technique perfect? Far from it - but his motion is so much faster and smoother than last I saw him it looks like a different player. I stood next to him and man, he has such a physical presence. And trust me, the team is noticing. Although I wouldn't agree with it, I wouldn't be surprised to see Swoopes get on the field this year, and I do expect him to challenge for starting spot for 2014.
To the question if we go after Kiel at QB as transfer? Forget it. Won't even be a consideration with Swoopes in the wings and Heard coming in next year.
Biggest disappointment - without question it has been watching the O-Line. You'd think with new strength coach, Searels lighting a fire, etc - these guys have tools to make huge improvements. I see absolutely zero progress over last year. And that is talking about the first team. If one of those guys gets hurt and we have to go to 2nd team it only gets worse. I don't see us clearing the hurdle next year and this will be the reason why. The other area of concern is obviously linebacker, but strangely, I am 100x more worried with the O-Line after seeing the practices. I see the linebackers making strides I just don't see on Oline. As good as this team is at certain positions it's just not going to be an elite team with this OL, sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
The players: the next two elite players on this team will be Malcom Brown and Peter Jinkens. Book it. Really the shocker here is Jinkens - the guy is just a ball hawk and attacks with reckless abandon and just makes plays. He will be best linebacker we've had in years. We got a little taste of him last year but this is going to be his break out year. Now for the bad - the real shocking news regarding a player is Connor Brewer and its not good - when I saw him he looked solid, but he just wasn't getting any reps at all for any of the days I made it out. He is obviously #4 on depth chart right now and that is clear. I really don't know how he fell to #4 from watching him (I'm guessing it's attidude, lack of prep?) - I really can't answer that and neither could my contacts on the team. But certainly would not be shocked to hear the attrition bug bites here.
Recruiting:
Tony Brown - I saw the guy from 247A&M site posted interview and stated he's "wide-open". But trust me when I say he is all LSU. , he was big on LSU before and likely a big lean before his sister even committed there. LSU is clearly #1, and it gets worse b/c he is starting to have interest in Bama and they may have even passed Texas for #2 spot. I think Texas has distant chance and A&M is a blip on the radar at this point.
Jamal Adams - Adams is probably the most important target for Texas at this point b/c he is Texas lean and has been for a while, is a complete beast, and in camps he is blowing up against elite compe ion and locking people down. I've heard from good source that he has always been Texas fan and originally wanted to avoid the fanfare and make a decision early (he is not an attention that loves the recruiting limelight). However, with all the interest he is getting and how Texas has been doing - don't be surprised to hear he wants to look at some out of state schools to shop around. I think one of the underlying factors is he wants to see what Texas puts on the field this season - I think with a solid year he is Texas' to lose. Without expect he will take lots of visits and his recruitment may go to signing day.
The package deal thing rarely works out for TWO guys, let alone four. The only way all of them are going to school together is at Alabama. Only Fournette/Roberts have offers; Paul/Garnett aren't even on Saban's radar. Plus, Saban knows he has a legit shot at Fournette without having to offer all of his teammates. Even though Alabama throws out offers like candy, I do think they want Roberts and his offer is committable. He's very good and hopefully Texas can win out there.
Update on Quinn per OrangeBloods...he and his family are trying to get plans worked out so they can make the UT spring game next Saturday. According to Quinn's father, an official offer from Texas is a big one and they're fans of the success the Shipley brothers have had over the years. A&M is also going to get serious consideration as they've been on him for a while.
Update on DE Jarrett Johnson of Katy Seven Lakes (24/7):
“Right now, things have kind of cooled down. I think everyone knows that my top two choices are A&M and UT,” Johnson said. “That’s what I’ll probably stick with. I want to stay in Texas. However, we’re going to see if I can make Baylor on the 23rd. I’m not too sure about that one. I’m going to attend the spring games of A&M and UT. Those are my next visits on my list. By the time I visit both again, I think that will be a good time to sit down with my parents and talk about it. If I do actually go visit Baylor, I’ll have the three schools my dad wanted me to see. He wanted me to see at least three schools to get a feel for what I’m doing. After I go watch them, I’ll probably have everything set, and I’ll be able to make a decision.”
“Coaches from both schools Facebook me a lot,” he said. “They’re just trying to keep up with me, get to know who I am, and I’m getting a good feel from both schools so it’s going to be a tough decision.”
“The last coach I’ve talked with on the phone was Coach (Oscar) Giles,” he said. “He was trying to make sure I can come up there for their spring game. I haven’t talked with A&M on the phone with since the junior day but it’s been spring break. They’ve been keeping me updated on Facebook about their spring game and keeping me motivated to join their recruiting class.”
“Things are still a little bit the same with regards to A&M (as the leader),” he said. “I have a feeling with I go back to UT it might even out. Who knows. I’m going to be looking at a few things when I go back up to each campus. I want to see who’s leading, their intensity on the field and see if everyone there wants to win. I can tell when someone is playing hard or not.”
“I would say UT is trying a little bit harder recruiting me right now. I think Coach Giles hits me up on Facebook a little bit more than A&M does but that’s probably about it. I know Coach Sumlin told me at the junior day he didn’t want me leaving thinking they didn’t want me. Coach Banks has been messaging me the same thing.”
Nice article from Barking Carnival on the current state of UT athletics:
http://www.barkingcarnival.com/2013/...-chris-plonsky
According to Inside Texas, S Chance Waz of Pflugerville Hendrickson will be on campus tomorrow.
OL Jake Raulerson is out for the rest of spring as he had to have an emergency appendectomy earlier this week.
OL Jovan Pruitt of Dallas Bishop Dunne will be in Austin for the spring game on March 30th, per OrangeBloods.
Quotes from LB Andrew Beck of Tampa, FL (OrangeBloods):
"Texas has been one of schools I've liked for a long time. I've always been a Horns fan," Beck said. "It's one of places I wanted my coach to look into, see if it's a possibility of me going there, getting an offer, having them recruit me," Beck said. "It's one of places I had him call when the offers started coming in, see if I could get an invitation there, get a visit, see if they liked me. I've liked them for a long time. It's a place I've always been interested in."
"I was young back then (when I lived in Killeen) so I kind of want to check (Texas) out with a different set of eyes, a different perspective," Beck said. "Now, I have to look at it not necessarily from a business standpoint, but an athletic and professional standpoint."
"As they looked at my film, the interest started picking up. I said recently, I was very interested in Texas, and if there was any significant interest on their part, I'd come down and visit so I could look at Texas, but so they can look at me too," Beck said. "I think it will be good for me and for them too."
"Austin is a beautiful city. That made an impression on me. The tradition of the football program and the pride of the school as a whole stands out," Beck said. "People are proud of the school, that they went to Texas. That's something that stands out."
Per SoonerNation, S Steven Parker of Jenks (Okla.) is visiting Texas today.
Per HornsNation, S Justin Dunning will be visting Texas both on 23rd for the Sop re Day and 30th for the Spring Game.
OrangeBloods has released their early Lone Star Rankings for the '15 class.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/texas/footba...ings/rank-3253
24/7 mentioned there could be two visitors today in addition to LB Andrew Beck and S Chance Waz.
Parker was my first guess since he was in College Station yesterday and he mentioned a while back that he wanted to see UT on the 23rd.
Thanks for the practice update. Good stuff.
I'll get a list up soon, but 2015 LB Malik Jefferson of Mesquite Poteet says he will be in Austin this weekend for Texas' Sop re Day (OrangeBloods).
Floss, I'm guessing that you haven't seen my PM to you? Or maybe it just wasn't very useful?
bloeddyr-
I'm sorry, man. I didn't know you had sent me a PM. That list is very useful and we'll get a Sop re Day roster up soon. With Texas getting involved with the 2015 class so early, there are a lot of names to remember and everything kind of runs together. Appreciate it.
2015 CB Jalen Campbell of Corpus Christi Flour Bluff will be in Austin this weekend, per OrangeBloods.
WR Jaxon Shipley reportedly suffered a hamstring injury today. No details yet.
Sounds like we just offered San Antonio Warren DT Trey Lealaimatefao. Yes that was hard to type. He was a bit unknown early on but recently has been getting more and more offers.
It also sounds like he visited
24/7 said he was one of the secret visitors today and he definitely got offered. Very happy with this one since DT DeShawn Washington went A&M.
Any word on how interested he is?
CB Jalen Campbell (the guy who generated quiet a buzz at the Rivals event earlier this week) and LB Cameron Townsend (15th overall on LSR '15) will both be in Austin for the Sop re Day, per HornsNation.
Two of my favorites in the '15 class!
Quotes from DT Trey Lealaimatafo (24/7):
“Coach Akina came by the school a while back and we were wrestling in offseason. He kind of eyeballed me and told me coach he liked what he saw and he liked my film,” Lealaimatafao said. “Then the other day my coach told me I needed to give Coach Akina a call.”
“I got the offer from Texas,” Lealaimatafao said on his way back down I-35 to San Antonio. “The visit was great. I had an awesome time.”
“Coach Akina talked about they'd offer me if I visited,” Lealaimatafao said. “He said he said it's ultimately up to Coach [Mack] Brown, but he sounded like I basically had an offer.”
“My meeting with Coach Brown went great,” he said. “[Mack] said he likes the way I play.”
“I like Texas, but I'm not going to commit right now,” he said. “I think I'm just going to wait and not make any big decisions right now. I kind of want to keep doing my homework.”
“My sister is best friends with his (Mykkele Thompson) girlfriend,” Lealaimatafao said. “I don't get to talk with him that much, but he makes Texas sound like a good place. It sounds like he's really enjoying himself there.”
“It's been real fun,” Lealaimatafao said of the recruiting process. “Just talking to all of the different coaches and getting their take on things has been great. I just hope I can keep it going.”
“Texas gave me a lot to think about,” Lealaimatafao said. “It's a real good place.”
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