2011 Texas Football Recruiting: Spring Snapshot

Any hope for Vaughters? Or was that always a fool’s hope.

Moss, although not a fan favorite recruit, strikes me as the type of kid that has the potential of being a locker room leader. He has an accelerated knowledge of the game, is purportedly a hard worker with good character, and is a good enough tacker to be a contributor on special teams. Unless he’s the golf prick of the locker room, I don’t mind having a guy like this every year come on board.

As a general rule, if an elite high school wide receiver can’t get viable QB play, I want him playing QB.

I would think that it is a good thing for a WR to understand what a QB wants from his WRs.

Good writeup Scip and not a whole lot to add.. I wrote someone on an email last week that when it is all said and done, that Greenlea might end up being the best of the bunch. That’s not to put any of the other OL down, it may just be how strong this class might end up being. I also agree that turning DL into OL is something that can end up with great results such as the outstanding ’05 NC OL where several were cross leveled recruited 3* DLmen.
     I also agree that this class needs an elite RB and Malcom Brown fits the bill very well but I think anyone of the top three will be effective if GD is dedicated to a balanced run O. It is awesome that now all they have to do is concentrate on cherry picking difference makers….awesome. Mack surely has the machine rolling now and it is a good time to be a Longhorn fan.

@alma: just cuz hes white?

No, because he’s somewhere between alabaster and ivory.

Scipio,

Nice rundown. Who would win in a cage match between Greenlea and Westerman? Or Leroy Scott and Sheroid Evans ? This is all that’s left to debate with a class this loaded.

Recruiting has become almost automatic for Texas at every position except RB and that irks me. I’m content with Brown or Williams as long as one of them doesn’t end up at OU.

BOW -
 
It would be crazy to discount anything 10 months before national signing day. But it sounds like things have cooled.
 
alma –
 
If he represents a reach, it’s not going to make us slip a disc.
 
BIH -
 
Yeah, nothing wrong with building a little empathy for the QBs task and learning a little more about coverages.

Soldierhorn –
 
Thanks for your comments. When I saw some pictures of Greenlea next to Mack in his office, I was shocked. There are plenty of big guys kicking around, but he’s huge and height/weight proportionate.
 
austin 420 -
 
I prefer a good East African.

Vasherized -
 
I’m with you.
 
Our RB issues are more about what is it we’re recruiting to? To what end? A zone read back, a power I guy, or a run/catch threat? And if pass protection is an absolute must, you’ve got another layer.
 
My feeling is that Brown – a former RB – has some strong ideas and input here and that while Brown sees the big picture of recruiting in ways most can’t conceive, it doesn’t mean he’s small picture perfect in some of our evals.

John Harris’ senior film at QB was great. I’m excited to see Miles run around at the position.

alma carelessly left off “coach on the field”.

Scip,

Let me explain something to you, good sir, because I feel certain that the only time you’ve made it north of the Red River is if your flight from LAX to Heathrow had to make an emergency landing at Will Rogers Int’l Airport. I’m hard pressed to think of a school in Oklahoma where OU has less of a chance of pulling a high school kid aside from Stillwater High than Millwood. This is the same place that birthed the Woods “triplets” worshiped by OSU fans. The fact that OU is still in the hunt for Turner is solely a testament to Willie Martinez’ history of putting DB’s in the NFL at Georgia.

“I’d like a more concerted effort to convert Defensive Linemen over to OL”
Jammal Brown, imo. This sort of conversion can work with great effect.

WTF is up with Aaron Green? I don’t understand why we can’t take BOTH Mal and Aaron, they complement each other perfectly. Why slowplay the position when it’s the strongest it will be instate (not to mention pretty good nationally) possibly ever. And we still can take John Gray next year as our primary RB target. Make BANK!

Close out with:

RB: Malcolm Brown AND Aaron Green
OL: Matt Hegarty
CB: Josh Turner
DE/LB: 1 out of Cedric Reed, James Vaughters, Jermauria Rasco

Think back to the last couple of years before y’all call me greedy with 7 O-Line and both RBs…

Ha, Blake still doesn’t give two shits about Brandon Williams. I’ll play bigdukesix advocate since he’s been MIA. I like that cat for the record.

QB-I like Walsh as well. We have Ash, OK. It looks like Wood is the real deal. We’re fine.

RB-I only slightly covet Malcolm Brown over Williams. Luckily Brown wants to decide early, we’ll land Williams if we don’t land Brown. I’m indifferent on Green.

WR-Eh, last years class allowed us to sleep through this process. Lil Ship is an obvious take. Every camp he’s been to, the so called stud wide-outs, read Metoyer, say that he’s unbelievable. Onyegbule, is a fine take. A case of, who’s coming out next year?

TE-I’m cool McFarland, especially with us reaclimating ourselves to the allowed use of the position.

OL-Forget Hegarty. Six is plenty. Not much of a stretch to annoint the top three as difference makers, but what I do like is the seperation in classes. With our tackle deficiencies, our game ready takes will have seperation from our projects. Time will tell.

DL-I’ll watch the Westfield v Klein Forest game with earnest this year. I want to see the prize of our DL class collapse the pocket. The true DL class will determined years down the road, with swing down players. As great as Cedric Reed is, he’s not a huge need. I’m not sure how he projects on our line anyway.

LB-Studs. I wouldn’t have offered Chet that early, but whatever. Who wants to knit-pick? That spot would have landed Wallace or Vaughters, so, if that doesn’t upset you, you know where we stand.

DB-real conversation between me and a person in the know-“magnus, where do you live?”
“About 60 miles North of Angleton, what took so long on Diggs?” Enter look of ‘sheesh.’ The staff was torn, imo. We’re good here, but Turner would be the mohawk on top of the fade.

Not sure I added much different, but, if you’re hearing it twice, it must birth some relevance.

Didn’t Mike Williams or Leonard Davis start at DL for one year?

Nate, I keep hearing the same thing about Millwood and OSU.

bad news, mag. earnest is dead.

Nate -
 
I thank you, sir. I’ve only been to your fine state twice and Stillwater was not on the itinerary. Loved the green and the mountains though!
 
I was definitely thinking of Jammal Brown. And don’t forget scrappy Frank Romero.
 
Blake –
 
I differ with you a bit. Though I definitely like the idea of two true RBs. Your refusal to acknowledge the greatness of Brandon Williams pains me.
 
Regarding OL, OL that don’t pan are fat dudes who sit around eating, don’t transfer, and sit like a lead weight of entitlement on your program. They have no other use on your team.
 
A LB that doesn’t pan may just be a spindown starter at DE. Or a special teams demon.
 
Also, when we do the Class of Beef thing, as I already mentioned in my post, the results aren’t usually all that great. Heard from Roman Reeves lately? I don’t want to pitch bodies at a position. I want a plan.
 
The rest of your dudes work for me.
 
magnus –
 
Agree on the OL. We’ll have three ready to play as freshmen, three to shirt. That gives you some balance and restores a normal 3-4 OL per class cycle moving forward.
 
Cedric Reed is a future DT for a team like us or a 3-4 DE. I don’t see true DE in his future unless it’s part of another LSU jumbo front.

dick –
 
Leonard Davis definitely logged snaps at DT under Mackovic. He didn’t start.

“this isn’t Somme”

I disagree. Oline is a battle in the trenches, just like million plus that died there. What, too soon?

You are mustard gas in the lungs of my metaphor.

“Loved the green and the mountains though!”

Scip, do you think I’m from Colorado? Shit, man. I define a mountain as something that a 40-something who qualifies as grotesquely obese couldn’t summit with a nice pair of Timberlands and a few Powerbars. You saw something like that in Oklahoma? I’m dying to know where.

As for the green, I’m presuming you made it to the lovely parts of far Northeast Oklahoma (Grand Lake). Beautiful up there. That or you found one of our numerous selection of marijuana dealers with great variety and reasonable prices.

“I don’t want to just throw bodies at this problem – this isn’t Somme.”

Stalingrad, imo.

Here come the historical military references again. I can’t keep up.

Their airport is actually called Will Rogers International Airport.

One of the best races in the country is in Poteau, OK. It is called the world’s tallest hill because it is like 10 feet or something from being classified a mountain.

Scipio:

This is getting ridiculous. At what point does our defensive recruiting begin to match the FSU juggernaut from 88-04 (with the special interchangeable NFL defensive ends option)?

I would argue that we are no more than a class away. FSU, of course, had the advantage of knowing exactly where Papa Bowden (and Mickey Andrews) would be year after year. Can we keep this going through whatever transition is ahead?

With our line last year, particularly against OU and Nebraska, it was more like the Battle of Tannenberg.

Mmm…recruiting snapshot…

I’m working off of memory, but this was sounds a helluva lot more positive than last year. There’s now but one hole, and if Malcolm is going to commit early (ish) as planned, then we could be gravy going into the actual football season.

But if we lose out on Brown, Green and B. Williams, is this class considered a failure? It sounded like coming in the only two requisites for this class was a stud RB and quality depth at OL. Well one box is checked.

Mack seriously has a gift. His recruiting machine is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

jc25,

Not a total failure but certainly a failure at that position. I would also say if we fail to land a single one of those targets, we need to take a real hard look at our RB coach and decide if this is working out or not.

Yes, yes, everybody knows I’m not high on Williams. I don’t think taking Hegarty as a 7th O-Line is exactly just throwing stones at the position…we’ve been courting him for a while now.

Wasn’t Michael Huff from Irving?

Think he is confusing him with C. Griffen who was from San Antonio and in the same recruiting class.

east africans rock.

jones -
 
We’re nearly there. This class will be three in a row of over-the-top D quality across the board if we can land 1-2 more guys. A lot of it hinges on Muschamp, I agree. No way to know if that falters if he gets the main gig at Georgia or LSU.
 
jc25 -
 
Last year’s class was extraordinary, but we also finished very strong. We’ve got exactly what we want right now. We haven’t lost a battle that matters and we’re owning the ground wherever we have need.
I expect last year’s class to be better overall, but the state overall had better talent top to bottom.
 
Would the class be considered a failure if we lose out on our RB targets? No. But RB recruiting would be considered a failure. If you can’t get your guy from this year’s crop, you’ve got deep issues there.
 
shock & Horncasting -
 
Corrected. Thanks, I hate when I do that.

We only need one fucking running back. We have 7 already

Scipio—-thanks for the outlook post. We have definitely put back to back classes together but I’m still not ready to move VY’s bunch off the top of the totem pole yet.

Still can’t judge QB’s until I see them operate with live bullets going off around them—-not sure if it’s because of my playing days or walking the sidelines but I’ve seen can’t miss prospects choke the chili once bone chilling wrecks occur in the pocket. They all remind me of Clipper till they stand tall on the front line and then their talent shines.

We continue to look for a sure blocker at RB and it helps if he can find the alumni stripe from midfield a time or two each week so that we can give clinics that put whatever scheme we have adopted that season on display for the masses. I’m not as convinced as some as to our best bet for our staff—-I like Green best this season but I think Aledo’s Gray is the best back in the state right now.

Yea, two more good WR’s.

David Thomas and J’Mike Finley spoiled us and we haven’t recovered—-course we have recruited/signed somewhere around seventeen possible TE’s since those two departed for pay.

Won’t argue a damn thing about the OL segment but will add that I really like Cochran’s makeup and all around game—-turning DL’s into OL’s is gold in my opinion.

Our DT is a blue-chipper.

Dangerfield has always had our kind of defensive players and Mr. Ed can play the game. Practice field, game field, or parking lot doesn’t matter to this middle backer—-tee it up and let the fur fly. Moss is a program player that will be dependable and responsible—-taking Chet Moss and Dustin Earnest is a winning decision in my book. Thompson will probably be a pass rushing demon before he’s done.

Scott is a first-rounder period. I love the speed at safety—-not afraid to fill the alley just raises Evan’s stock that much more. Diggs is just a football player——he will make his own place in time. You know how I feel about Huff’s contribution that season—-we aren’t playing for the ROSE without Huff covering up a barrel full of mistakes along the way. If MKK can portray the Michael Huff character in our secondary we have won the damn lottery—-anything resembling Huff’s game would be fantastic.

Thankee Scip….

A great write up btw. Just how good is McFarland, and are we just pumping him up because he’s a Longhorn? Who are the 5 stars in this group do you think??-Thanks

Mysterious -
 
We’re not married to them. Transfers, position changes, position changes that trigger transfers.
 
TexasFootball -
 
Always great to hear from you, friend. You’re right on the QBs. No position is more contingent on live fire reps to know what you’ve got.
That’s why I always want four on campus at any given time.
 
Scott is a winner for the reason you cite – when you’ve got a track guy who will stick his head in there, you’ve got something special. Throw in the fact that he’s 6-1 with long arms and you’ve just covered your back half with a blanket.
 
Thankee, sir.

MP,

Lock for 5 stars are Westerman and Jackson.

Possibles are Flowers and maybe Evans, Edmond, and Scott.

“do you think I’m from Colorado?”

There are few states with less in common with Colorado than Oklahoma. I’m reminded of the old joke:

Hey did you hear Colorado and Oklahoma were combining into one state?

Yeah, then Oklahoma could have some mountains and Colorado could have a football team.

I’m suprised that no one has mentioned
that B. Williams is a track stud. I wonder
how his speed compares to Green. Williams definitely runs tougher and has the ability to break tackles better than Green. I would much rather take Williams over Green.

MP, you are only looking at numbers. I look at those “7 guys” and don’t see any superstars or possibly even a good RB that I would want for a team that is supposed to be chasing Ships every year. When you have a deficiency that glaring, you address it. It’s as simple as that. Why be lazy and only take one guy (even if he’s legit) at RB when there are numerous other options as well. Then we take 3 project OL? It’s just simple insanity!

" Turner would be the mohawk on top of the fade. "

incredible.

As great as this class is shaping up, without a RB, you would have to classify it a failure. Even taking one real RB in Brown is risky as any number of things could happen to him. We need two real RBs in this class to cover our bases and ensure we have no weaknesses going forward.

Consider Chosin Reservoir also. Colder.

“dick –

Leonard Davis definitely logged snaps at DT under Mackovic. He didn’t start."

Scip, I meant start as in start his career. Not start a game, my bad.

I don’t think you could call this recruiting class a failure if we don’t land one of the big 3. If we are still winning titles, then who cares. We got Newton (Jr), Whaley (So), Shead (Fr) and DeMarco Cobbs (Fr) in Fall of 2011 at the RB position. If we get J Gray, then nobody would care about missing out on the Big 3 this season and we can still win NCs with the group we have (thanks to the rest of our recruiting classes from 2008-2011)

scip, you’re on a roll.

Mysterious Package said: Just how good is McFarland, and are we just pumping him up because he’s a Longhorn? Who are the 5 stars in this group do you think?

Scipio Tex said: Mysterious – We’re not married to them. Transfers, position changes, position changes that trigger transfers.

it took me a while to figure out that you were responding to a previous comment from ‘the package’.

then you said scott and meant evans. my head is spinning.

forgiveness is no task, though, because these little dimples on giselle bundchen’s butt cheeks do nothing to harm the product. thank you for the great write-up.

Really hard to complain about anything in recruiting. Any comments I have are really nit picking. That being said, I am concerned about taking Onyegbule at WR. Honestly I would have been tempted to just take one receiver and have Diggs as an athlete for possibly playing there in the future.

All things being equal, I would rather have one extra defensive/offensive lineman than an extra receiver. We could have used that scholarship for Hegarty or Nathan Hughes. But again not upset at all with how things are going.

Really glad the staff has realized you need to take a QB in every class. This should be our plan every single year from here on out. Take a QB in every class and let competition sort of who stays on the roster.

I don’t see how anybody could call this class a failure, no matter what happens going forward. Seriously? You’re going to call domination a failure. Because that is what this class is. DOMINATION. We cherry picked who we wanted at all of the positions for the top of the top, and got EVERYBODY except for at running back. We do have 7 or more guys at the position now and if we miss this year, we have targets next year. It won’t cost us a NC, but it shows something needs to change in regards to the position. I feel a major writing piece on our running backs coming on.

That being said, we are going to get either Brown, Green, or Williams or more when it is all said and done. I just don’t see the 3 of them, without any significant favorites in other schools, all turning down the opportunity that our current team/recruiting class is. If they did, we would put the word out and probably pick up another good RB this year late in the game.

Sheroid Evans dropped a 10.34 100 and 20.91 200 the other day.
 
Both FAT.

“Sheroid Evans dropped a 10.34 100 and 20.91 200 the other day.”

Michael Huff 2.0

what is insidetexas saying about matt hegarty in their insidescoop

yo guys

“Sheroid Evans dropped a 10.34 100 and 20.91 200 the other day.”

Know what the wind reading was here, Scip? Even if it was 2.0+, that’s still an insane time for a HS junior.

I don’t know. If he had a Hurricane gale at his back, I’m still impressed.

So much for Brandon Williams…..he dropped Baylor and is now committed to OU

That’s a big pick-up for OU.

Former sorta UT target WR DeAndrew White also won his district 200M race. A full 1.6 seconds slower than Sheroid. If you don’t understand track, 1.6 seconds in the 200 is a HUGE difference. I have a bad feeling he will be running track professionally before his 4th year of eligibility is up at Texas.

dick -
 
That is a problem. However, and forgive me for being sneaky and plotting against him, but if Sheroid wants to realize his track potential in the 200M he won’t let his weight break 185.
 
If he lifts and eats with football, he should hit 200.
 
He may alternate between football and track shape, but there’s my hope.

dick,
Re: Sheroid running track full time
I honestly doubt it. I think your train of thought is perfectly reasonable, but being a football player at a place like UT, OU, or any other major football school is like being a god among men. Cedric Benson said as much about living in Austin.

Scip,
I’m honestly shocked about picking up Brandon Williams. I thought Herschel Sims was our #1 target.

Well…Sims or Malcolm Brown

nate what u hearing on josh turner