2012 Texas Longhorns Recruiting Thread (+ related news)

[Whisky Dog]

Pt 2:



* Davis and Harris were running sprints after practice with Madden and Wyatt supervising. They were all laughing and joking with Wyatt though - the dynamic he has with the guys is interesting - punishing them yet they are all joking throughout like an older brother or dad would do.
* Dominique Jones got most of the reps at TE with Grant, Terrell, Matthews and Howard playing here and there. Jones continues to block well.
* Irby did individual drills but didn't do scrimmage work that the source saw.
* M.J. McFarland looks huge - 6-5 and looked 250+.
* Offensive line was better than last week. Searels continues to be very hands on and vocal.
* Tray Allen played some tackle. All the tackles struggled to block the ends.
* Snow was getting pushed hard by Searels to get the calls and blitz pick up audibles right and communicate them pre-snap.
* They were running timed gassers after practice with Searels barking out the countdown from the stopwatch.
* Offense worked on a lot of trick plays in addition to basics.
* Starting kick returners were Darius White and Monroe on kicks with Williams rotating in.
* On punts, Adrian Phillips, Diggs and White all got reps.
* Fitzhenry held on snaps.
* The defensive front is playing better and making things happen.
* Dorsey and Daniels both looked great and had great plays making piles on the goal line.
* Randall was solid.
* Bible and Cotton keep working. Impressed seeing Bible spending a long time after practice running gassers with Wylie running alongside him encouraging him. He has a ways to go, but he looks to be accepting that he needs to put extra work in.
* Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat had great days. Both look to have added lots of the right kind of weight.
* Reggie Wilson was disruptive some plays. He can be explosive.
* At LB, Cobbs continues to show up as a great blitzer and an instinctive, football-smart player.
* Emmanuel Acho was steady.
* Keenan Robinson certainly looks the part and plays fast. He is better running around chasing plays than taking on blockers at the point of attack.
* Chet Moss played a little but is still learning. Patrick Nkwopara played sparingly.
* DB's were Phillips and Byndom at corner with AJ White rotating in and Gideon and Vaccaro at S with Christian Scott rotating in.
* Diggs got a lot of time at nickel and looked darn good.
* Vaccaro is an excellent blitzer and a very physical run stopper (sometimes even more physical than the LBs).
* Gideon had a good day in coverage and run support - he never got beat and didn't seem out of place.
* Corners had a tough time containing starting receivers, but they were good as a unit in zone. Personal comment from this source: "Man to man vs Mike Davis is just unfair."
* Impressed with Byndom's IQ and ball skills.
* Didn't see much of Bryant Jackson, but he has had a good spring, folks were saying.
* AJ White was getting a lot of attention from Akina on reading the formation and route combinations - he started out confused but made plays and corrected himself as it went on and got praise.
* This defense will blitz from all over the place.
* Defense was also working on disguises - looked like the New York Jets with everyone standing around before the snap and then running around in different spots to confuse and create chaos.

[TFloss32]

TFloss, great job buddy. I for one think this is the most informative and best thread on Spurstalk, and a big reason is the mix of rumors and solid information. I know a lot of people are down on Trips Right, aka Jesus, aka Hey Zeus, but it's still some entertaining information to read. It may not be 100% accurate but it adds to the fun and uncertainty of recruiting. I say keep posting what you see/hear.

Thanks, Whisky. I appreciate it. I agree that rumors are fun and (at the very least) gives us something to talk about. I don't usually post rumors unless I think they have legs and will lead to some sort of truth. I felt this week's rumblings out of Brenham were noteworthy because they were coming from multiple sources that have never given UT a chance with Cole and/or Brown. The vibe is simply different this week than it's ever been before. No matter what ultimately happens, getting those guys to Austin for the spring game is a big plus (especially considering the outlook was pretty dreary back in February).

[Thompson]

I have no problem with posting rumors (you even pointed out it was a rumor), I was just giving the other side (supposedly it was baseless) so people might take that into account (I tend to put less stock in 'controversial' rumors than I do in uncontested rumors).

[TFloss32]

I have no problem with posting rumors (you even pointed out it was a rumor), I was just giving the other side (supposedly it was baseless) so people might take that into account (I tend to put less stock in 'controversial' rumors than I do in uncontested rumors).

Thanks for letting us know what's going on at the Aggie boards, Thompson.

[TFloss32]

Good news. OL John Michael McGee of Texarkana has informed the staff he'll be in Austin this weekend for the spring game. He projects as a great tackle prospect, but I believe UT is evaluating him at center. Either way, you take as many tackles as you can with the idea that you can always move them inside. I think it's important that the staff gets in good with him because OL Michael Starts of Waco La Vega could very well choose to go elsewhere (especially if he wants to end up playing defense). OU currently leads for McGee.

[TFloss32]

For those of you who like the national recruiting news...Texas target and five-star OL D.J. Humphries of Charlotte, NC is now listing Florida as his #1 and Tennessee as his #2. I don't think Texas has a realistic shot at this guy, but it'll be interesting to see if he ever makes it to Austin for a visit. I believe he's pretty adamant about remaining in SEC country.

[Whisky Dog]

I'm not sure we'll ever have any success in $EC country pulling top guys.

With USC getting slapped a bit by NCAA I think we should target western states and Cali kids to fill in our remaining needs. AZ looks to be a promising place for us to steal some kids.

[TFloss32]

Here's an interesting preview for a do entary on college ethics and "pay-for-play" that features former Auburn players. Thought those of you who have HBO would like to watch it.

http://sportsbybrooks.com/

[DMX7]

Anything with Bryant Gumbel instantly loses credibility with me. I may watch just to satisfy my curiousity though.

[TFloss32]

*LB Tim Cole has added three new offers to his list. OU, Clemson and UCLA have thrown their names into the hat. There was some confusion last week about whether or not OU actually offered Cole after his visit to Norman, but the Sooners definitely have a scholarship on the table for him as well as DT Malcom Brown.

*Back to what I referenced on Monday night, I've yet to read anything from Texas A&M sources that qualifies as "breaking news" or is relevant when it comes to the recruitment of the Brenham boys. The UT faithful can breathe easy for now.

[Kermit]

Here's an interesting preview for a do entary on college ethics and "pay-for-play" that features former Auburn players. Thought those of you who have HBO would like to watch it.

http://sportsbybrooks.com/

Lies! Lies! Lies!

We all know from the Cam Newton saga that Auburn is being unfairly targeted. Everyone is jealous of the SEC and it's dominance and will look for anything to descredit it. How dare they! This is an outrage! Look for lawsuits to target these lying reporters and their "truths"!

Besides, everyone does it.....

[yavozerb]

*LB Tim Cole has added three new offers to his list. OU, Clemson and UCLA have thrown their names into the hat. There was some confusion last week about whether or not OU actually offered Cole after his visit to Norman, but the Sooners definitely have a scholarship on the table for him as well as DT Malcom Brown.

*Back to what I referenced on Monday night, I've yet to read anything from Texas A&M sources that qualifies as "breaking news" or is relevant when it comes to the recruitment of the Brenham boys. The UT faithful can breathe easy for now.

These boys are going to ride this wave till the end..I would not expect any verbal commits from these 2 any time soon cause I think they are having way too much fun and who could blame them...

[TFloss32]

*DT Javonte Magee of San Antonio Sam Houston will not be in Austin this weekend for UT's spring game. That's obviously disappointing news. If he goes anywhere at all, he'll be headed up to Waco to see Baylor's spring game instead. Two of Magee's teammates, S Leo Thomas and OL Ralphael Green, are both being evaluated by Baylor currently and they already have plans to make the trip. Magee will most likely ride along if he decides to go. It is said that both Thomas and Green would commit to Baylor if offered. That would put the Bears in an even more favorable spot with Magee as he's had them (along with Texas A&M) atop his list for a while now. Thomas is one of several DBs that UT has been evaluating for their last DB spot, but I don't see them offering him over more talented prospects that are available.

*Speaking of DBs, San Antonio East Central's Nick Coleman is another guy UT is currently taking more time to look at. If you don't remember, Coleman attended both UT Junior Days back in February and spent a lot of time with Duane Akina. He's reiterated that he would commit to Texas on the spot when/if he's offered. If he doesn't make it to Austin this weekend for the spring game, he may make trips to other schools who are offering him scholarship opportunities for track (he's a high jumper).

[TFloss32]

Just read that some top members of the 2013 class will be in Austin this weekend:

RB, Dontre Wilson, DeSoto (5-10, 163)
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...-Wilson-117626

DT/OT, Darius James, Killeen Harker Heights (6-5, 319)
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...s-James-116643


It's obviously super early and these guys are in the beginning stages of the recruitment process, but both favor Texas right now. I expect Wilson to be the RB prospect that Texas seriously pursues for the next class and he'll be a Longhorn, IMO. The DeSoto pipeline has been pumping out prospects for UT the past couple of years and I don't see that changing anytime soon. James hails from the same high school as current commit, OL Camrhon Hughes, and they'll be making the trip to Austin together. It will definitely help to have Hughes in UT's corner when it comes to recruiting James.

[TFloss32]

An update from Recruitocosm on how the offense is looking during spring practice:

http://recruitocosm.fantake.com/2011...s-the-offense/

[TFloss32]

Some pictures from this past Saturday's scrimmage:

http://mackbrown-texasfootball.com/view.gal?id=90560

[TFloss32]

*From a source at Pearland Dawson HS, it's "likely" that OT Kennedy Estelle and his father will be in Austin on Sunday for the spring game. That would make two consecutive trips to the UT campus if Estelle makes it back the following weekend for Texas Relays.

*Don't read any further if you hate rumors (this is a fun one!)...everything is status quo in Brenham and the word is Texas is still in a nice position. Even some of Cole and Brown's high school teammates are talking about UT being the team to beat at this point. I'm still not getting my hopes up, but this weekend is a huge opportunity for UT to roll out the red carpet and put on a show for Cole and Brown. Keep in mind that Texas A&M's spring game is on Saturday, April 16th. However, I read a very cryptic quote today about them being in College Station that particular weekend and it said, "they may not make it." Interesting to say the least. Take from that what you will.

[Mr. Peabody]

Thanks for the updates!

[TFloss32]

To follow up on the latest post about the Brenham boys, I finally came across a quote from Taylor Hamm of 24/7 Gig Em. This was the same site that supposedly had "breaking news" for Tuesday, but it never came about. To paraphrase...he basically said that the Aggies are still very much in the lead for DT Malcom Brown but he also admitted that LB Tim Cole is leaning towards Texas. He fully expects both prospects to be at the Texas A&M spring game on Saturday, April 16th, but he's also aware of the wild rumors going around that they could commit to Texas this weekend. He doesn't expect that to happen after talking to their high school teammate (and Aggie commitment) OL Adrian Bellard. Bellard supposedly confirmed everything above. Thought you guys would like to hear the Aggie perspective on things.

[TFloss32]

Good news on OL Garrett Greenlea. I don't know if y'all remember him tearing his ACL during the season, but his recovery is ahead of schedule. In fact, his doctor expects him to be fully cleared by the time freshmen report to UT in June.

[TFloss32]

Article on Will Lyles asking Texas A&M to pay $80K for LSU DB Patrick Peterson back in 2007:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=6275253

[TFloss32]

Update on DT Javonte Magee of San Antonio Sam Houston...he's definitely headed to Waco this weekend with his teammates for the Baylor spring game. He will not be coming to Austin.

[TFloss32]

According to one of his coaches, OL Greg Brantley of Carthage has received an invite to the spring game this weekend. He's mentioned that he'd be in attendance if he could find transportation. We haven't heard anything about Brantley in almost two months because he didn't attend any of the Junior Days. We'll see if this develops into anything since Texas has always had interest in him. He is a high school teammate of 2011 UT commit, LB Kendall Thompson. He's a big boy!

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...rantley-120175

[TFloss32]

RB Johnathan Gray's father came out tonight and said for the first time that it's possible they'll be in attendance for UT's spring game on Sunday after visiting A&M on Saturday. I'll have a full list of the attendees tomorrow afternoon. Remember what Mr. Gray said...they'll most likely have their mind made up after their trip to College Station this weekend. With the UT and A&M campuses being only a few hours apart, I have a gut feeling that the Grays show up in Austin before heading home to Aledo.

[TFloss32]

Let's start Friday off right...RB Johnathan Gray has confirmed he'll be in Austin for the spring game on Sunday. Big, big news! With guys like LB Tim Cole, DT Malcom Brown and OL Kennedy Estelle planning to be in attendance as well, I like the way things are shaking out for this weekend. It feels like another commitment is coming down the pipe. Also, OL Michael Starts has now stated he's a "maybe" after initially saying he wasn't going to make it.