A Little Midweek Intel

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 3:07 PM CDT

Talked to some people that know stuff. Some of the people with really good access may have more limited football knowledge, so I have to run info through the translator and my questioning can turn into a game of "is it larger than a bread box?" I do these fairly infrequently, but thought you might appreciate it.

Currently have two short yardage sets. One is a direct snap to Joe Bergeron (a la pile glacier Cody Johnson LY), the other our standard JUMBO set featuring Brown or Bergeron
Wildcat is Johnathan Gray/Jeremy Hills, with DJ Monroe/Daje Johnson as the motion speed sweep
This explains conflicting reports about who has been running Wildcat - Bergeron's short yardage direct snap is being confused with classic WildCat
David Ash "very sharp" in his last few practices. Beyond the basic platitudes about accuracy or command, the comment that interested me was "very good ball handling." I took it to mean not just in play action passing, but in the misdirection running game. My wild ass speculation: Maybe part of all of the Case preparation is because we intend to run Ash a bit more than expected, particularly in big games?

Coaches like Bergeron as 3rd down back for his soft hands and ability to clean up LBs. Hills also seeing work there and we dig him in the screen/draw game. My sense is that if Bergeron gets heavy use at RB, we see more of Hills as 3rd down back to distribute workload
Daje Johnson > DJ Monroe. Stronger, better cuts, better hands, comparable speed in pads. Coaches wanted to play him against Wyoming, but got tired of his approach to preparation and receiving feedback. The word used was "petulant." The suspension got his attention
Jaxon Shipley is healthy. Coaches feel that he's gained a step to go with his quickness. If our DBs don't disrupt him early, he kills them at the top of his route with his first step out of his break
MJ McFarland's depth chart listing is indicative of both poor blocking and a tendency to drop easy balls in drill work and scrimmage situations. He makes the hard catches routinely though. We'll see him this year if he can prove consistency
Searels is comfortable playing 7 OL right now. Wants that number @ 9 by OU
Donald Hawkins is "adequate" but cares about getting better. Both he and Moore changed Mack's mind on JUCOs and are responsible for Swaim. We'll still only use JUCO to 1) grab an exceptional player or 2) plug a known gap, not as a recruiting constant
Hopkins is probably our true backup center
Kennedy Estelle has grown an inch or two since high school. Now 6-8. Major tools, but very young. Will carry a solid 320 in short order
Chris Whaley's rapid ascendance attributed to good coaching from Davis, mentoring from older players, and Whaley's ability to process teaching quickly
2011/2012 recruiting classes best back-to-back we've had under Brown. 2010 solid. 2009 "disastrous." Our 2012 depth issues explained in a nutshell
Coaching staff disagreed at times on amount of hitting that was prudent in training camp. Basic tension between creating physicality vs. preventing injuries in camp. Preventing injuries won out

Tweet Comment 75 comments | Add comment | 3 recs |

Do you like this story?

Read More: Jeremy Hills (RB - Texas), Jaxon Shipley (WR - Texas), David Ash (QB - Texas), Joe Bergeron (RB - Texas), Daje Johnson (RB - Texas), Johnathan Gray (RB - Texas), Donald Hawkins (OL - Texas), Kennedy Estelle (OL - Texas), Texas Longhorns

Comments

Thanks

Hook ’em.

by Flipteach on Aug 29, 2025 3:15 PM CDT reply actions

Whaley.

smh

Follow @BarkingCarnival

by Sailor Ripley on Aug 29, 2025 3:44 PM CDT reply actions

Good stuff. I wonder how close Searles thinks he is to getting that # to 9.

by Alphahydro on Aug 29, 2025 3:55 PM CDT reply actions

Should be pretty close

By all accounts, the other two players in the 7 right now are Poehlmann and Ashcraft.

But Sed Flowers is routinely talked about as a guy that is real close to putting it all together, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Riser is knocking that door down in a few games, too.

by Katfid54 on Aug 29, 2025 3:59 PM CDT up reply actions

Flowers has physical ability but inconsistent

Which is what you’d expect from a player his age.

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions

Please Please Please

Redshirt Riser. 2013 O-Line class with a RS Riser and Estelle= Amazing Depth

"I don't always watch football, but when I do I watch the best. Hook 'em"

by Ez 28 on Aug 29, 2025 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions

2010 Class

Two bonafide studs:
Vaccaro
Okafor

Two guys who could be studs and are at least solid starters:
Whaley
Walters

Other useful players:
zilch

"If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting."

by RedmondLonghorn on Aug 29, 2025 3:56 PM CDT reply actions

That's 2009

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 4:02 PM CDT up reply actions

Yes. Typo

I’m an idiot

"If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting."

by RedmondLonghorn on Aug 29, 2025 4:12 PM CDT up reply actions

And Whaley was half a miss considering they thought he'd be a RB

Just ugly.

Calvin Howell could have been a player, and a few other guys might have achieved much more under the 2012 culture, but…ugh.

by nobis60 on Aug 29, 2025 5:32 PM CDT up reply actions

MJ McFarland

Looks like he’s got a hearty case of the “Magic” Mike Davis Between-the-ears-itis. Is there any way we can kick Darius White off the team again to help MJ?

by Katfid54 on Aug 29, 2025 3:57 PM CDT reply actions

I don't know if that is necessarily accurate

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 4:03 PM CDT up reply actions

Can you explain?

Seems like, for a guy who can make circus catches, but struggles with the everyday focus of routine passes, it is all between the ears. What are your thoughts on what’s going on here?

by Katfid54 on Aug 29, 2025 4:05 PM CDT up reply actions

I think problems "between the ears" covers a lot of ground

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 4:09 PM CDT up reply actions

Saw a rumor that he was really having a hard time with homesickness

by Horncasting on Aug 29, 2025 4:12 PM CDT up reply actions

Missing El Paso?

Really?

by dick. on Aug 29, 2025 10:17 PM CDT up reply actions

El Pasoans are a friendly group, always willing to give a helping hand.

Did you read my comment, or did you merely see that it disagreed and begin composing your response immediately? by BrooklynHorn

by run Bevo run on Aug 30, 2025 4:47 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks for the update

Reading the first six bullets reinforces the notion we won’t Bergeron with 29 carries of Malcolm Brown with 28 carries on a single afternoon . . . . Regarding receivers, seems like we’re due for another Kwame Cavill, a guy who comes out of nowhere but understands how to get open and catch . . . As for the offensive line, I will be disappointed if we don’t convert 90 percent of our third and shorts against the first three opponents . . and then will be disappointed if we don’t convert at least 80 percent against the next two.

by Cirque Du Salado on Aug 29, 2025 3:58 PM CDT reply actions

Ash + ball handling + 3 stud RB's = Pistol?

We're going to play like we're in a bad mood.

by JoeT63 on Aug 29, 2025 3:59 PM CDT reply actions

Inverted Veer

Ash is a big QB. I would like to see an inverted veer look from our offense out of some three or four WR sets in shotgun. Considering the rave reviews that our WRs have garnered this offseason as blockers, seems like the inverted veer would jibe well with what Harsin likes to do (down blocking) and with the personnel we’re able to put on the field (keeping the TEs on the sidelines as much as possible).

by Katfid54 on Aug 29, 2025 4:03 PM CDT up reply actions

Here's what Kat

is referring to

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 4:06 PM CDT up reply actions

We already run this.

Power Read.

by LonghornScott on Aug 29, 2025 4:13 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Good

I remember the “Ash Package” in the Rice and BYU games last year looked something like the inverted veer, but it always came across as more of a zone read play. But, to be fair, I was in the stands and had enjoyed myriad nearby tailgates, so my powers of perception weren’t the clearest.

However, it seemed in those plays like Ash was consistently bottled up by the DE (which is probably why I saw it as the zone read).

Either way, I’d like to see more of it. I think it’s the type of run Ash can be successful running.

by Katfid54 on Aug 29, 2025 4:26 PM CDT up reply actions

early in the year

we were getting fair box numbers from the defense and consequently the Power Read had some success. As the year went on, teams started angling in on us from the outside and playing with an extra defender against the run (this enabled them to deal with the speed sweep and angle in against the inside runs).

Reading a defender when you are outnumbered is not a good strategy because the read is inherently a slower developing play. So once we starting seeing loaded fronts, Harsin stopped pushing the Power Read as much.

I think what you’ll see is that as our passing game progresses and the defense stops overplaying the run, the different flavors of option in the offense (including the power read) will become much more viable.

by LonghornScott on Aug 29, 2025 6:59 PM CDT up reply actions

We should call it the Inverted Steer.

by WreckerTex on Aug 29, 2025 6:53 PM CDT up reply actions

I can't help

but like this.

by Nickel Rover on Aug 29, 2025 10:16 PM CDT up reply actions

I have been trying to convince my girlfriend to run that for years.

by Pinche Gringo on Aug 29, 2025 6:16 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs

I'm sure we may have some Pistol in our bag of tricks

But it’s a look, not a mainstay.

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 4:04 PM CDT up reply actions

2009 class seems almost as bad as 2006 class

Which featured Kindle, Houston, Chykie Brown and nobody else of note (though it did feature two NFL O-linemen, who transferred….)

What’s strange is that these both came in the middle of very successful years for the team overall (NC and a #3 overall ranking…) Distraction? Complacency? who knows…

by Dreadful on Aug 29, 2025 4:02 PM CDT reply actions

Great insight, Scipio

Or great sources.

Or both. Thanks much.

KBohls keeps telling me stuff like this is not available. FWIW

by edsp on Aug 29, 2025 4:07 PM CDT reply actions

KBohls keeps telling me stuff like this is not available. FWIW

Hmm?

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 4:10 PM CDT up reply actions

Is this where I can do my AmStates rant?

How come Oklahoma and Morgantown papers know more about the ’Horns than my hometown paper? How come every presser is used for three+ columns? How come these people actually talk about putting there stuff behind a pay wall? Why do the SA and Tulsa papers have better websites? Why do all the wrong papers go bankrupt?

Thanks, Scipio; you nearest in town competition is the Daily Texan, and they just read you and rewrite it for class.

by J-M-M on Aug 29, 2025 5:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Hence, BC

And BON, and the like. Sometimes I wonder if I’d ever have figured out what I was missing if smart sports blogs hadn’t come along and I was still depending of the AAS for my Longhorns coverage. Can’t decide if I’d have just hummed along in blissful ignorance or had to throw myself off the Congress Ave. bridge, but I’m leaning bridge.

by nobis60 on Aug 29, 2025 5:38 PM CDT up reply actions

Bridge, definitely the bridge

Thanks BC, and thanks from my kids for saving their dad…

by tx2step on Aug 29, 2025 8:07 PM CDT up reply actions

You would have emerged with the bats

And written not the fantasy football guides we deserve, but the ones we need.

@ccommand3r

by CMDR on Aug 30, 2025 1:47 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks for the update.

And the insight.

by CBT on Aug 29, 2025 4:08 PM CDT reply actions

Agreed. Many thanks, Scipio.

by Horncasting on Aug 29, 2025 4:15 PM CDT up reply actions

Daje

You would think that DJ would serve as a pretty good indication of how many touches you can expect when you aren’t putting in the effort. I liked the suspension when it was reported as “just missing curfew”. I like it even more now. Hopefully it truly does light a fire.

by Horncasting on Aug 29, 2025 4:19 PM CDT reply actions

Donald Hawkins

The fact that our starting LT is described as “adequate” makes me nervous. Any indication that he may be “salty” by Oklahoma?

by The Hornswoggler on Aug 29, 2025 4:32 PM CDT reply actions

Only With Thyme

Change isn't good or bad it just "is". Don Draper of Madmen

by realmccoy on Aug 29, 2025 4:48 PM CDT up reply actions 6 recs

I award you three internets.

by nobis60 on Aug 29, 2025 5:38 PM CDT up reply actions

you have pleased me

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 5:54 PM CDT up reply actions

But, But, Isn't Juco spice without Thyme?

DAMMiT!

by tx2step on Aug 29, 2025 8:09 PM CDT up reply actions

Ash may get that 500 yards I thought he would.

by 55f100tx on Aug 29, 2025 4:41 PM CDT reply actions

Were your intel sources able to confirm

that OU still sucks?

by HawkHorn on Aug 29, 2025 4:49 PM CDT reply actions

special plays

For the OU spys

by 55f100tx on Aug 29, 2025 4:51 PM CDT up reply actions

QQ for the X's and O's Guys

I am in a minority, as I actually like Hairsin on par with Manny. I see creativity on trick plays and roles. But let me ask – does anyone see any kind of sophistication in the passing game outside of tricks? Or is it just the QBs were not up to snuff last year?

Change isn't good or bad it just "is". Don Draper of Madmen

by realmccoy on Aug 29, 2025 4:51 PM CDT reply actions

Comparison is really tough right now

One coordinator inherited a ton of talent and depth and has had the advantage of some of the best position coaches in the country.

The other got to move from Idaho.

by Horncasting on Aug 29, 2025 4:56 PM CDT up reply actions 5 recs

Ha!

I was about to add, ‘And Harsin actually got the better end of the deal!’ Then I remembered that Manny got to move from Starkville, MS. I have heard Boise is actually a pretty decent place, but Starkville is quite appropriately named. Advantage Manny.

by Rickyspub on Aug 29, 2025 9:53 PM CDT up reply actions

harsin

I think people are really under-estimating his ability. The offense was bad. The sad fact is that almost every big play TExas had was some type of gaget play. I think if the practice Kool-Aid reports on Ash are correct we will see a huge change in the play calling. Texas ran the bal 70% on the time on standard downs. We were basically afraid to throw the ball. That tends to hamper a OC

by codaxx on Aug 29, 2025 4:57 PM CDT up reply actions

Agree

It looked as if he did the best he could and really maximized his resources – especially with Fozzy. When his key guys went down – pretty much effed.

Change isn't good or bad it just "is". Don Draper of Madmen

by realmccoy on Aug 29, 2025 5:03 PM CDT up reply actions

Fozzy

Showed you he was good. He looked at a spread based team that he wanted to bring a rushing attack to and said “you know what might work. Lets get rid of the QB and go Wildcat”. It was a pretty ballsy move after 7 yrs of VY and Colt

by codaxx on Aug 29, 2025 5:06 PM CDT up reply actions

can you imagine what he was thinking

after the mizzou game? meanwhile, manny’s guys are healthy all season long. ha!

by Alphahydro on Aug 29, 2025 5:07 PM CDT up reply actions

yes

this is pretty close to where i’m at. i am hoping that Ash has crossed (or will soon cross) the QB threshold that allows Harsin to call a more natural game. I think more realistically that we are looking good next year. It should be pretty crazy to compare offensive #s from 2011 to 2013, with a lot of the same guys on the field. knock on wood getting a little ahead of myself.

by Alphahydro on Aug 29, 2025 5:06 PM CDT up reply actions

It reminds me of 1998 in reverse

Greg Davis gets to coach a senior OL, Ricky, McGarity, and Applewhite comes through for us. Carl Reese had an assortment of beach combings. I think the average fans opinion of Harsin gets better as his talent gets better. It can’t be overstated how bad a hand he had to play.

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 5:57 PM CDT up reply actions

I thought Harsin kept the wheels on the bus while driving through an epic shit storm.

And it’s another reason why I respect Ash. He didn’t have great stats but he handled the incredibly dysfunctional situation with class. Some of his comments in press conferences this off-season show that he has sagacity is beyond his years. If we win a BCS bowl, it will no doubt be his sagacity around which the teams rallies. He’s got “it.”

If we can avoid injuries, I think we’ll get the first true glimpse of what a Harsin offense is capable of this year.

by WreckerTex on Aug 29, 2025 7:02 PM CDT up reply actions

So...

…the S in RISE stands for Sagacity? Make way more sense now. We need a Bill Little article, stat!

by danielt on Aug 30, 2025 2:39 PM CDT up reply actions

I haven't really investigated the Harsin passing concepts

not sure how much LS has either, at least he hasn’t written about it or mentioned anything to me.

Obviously there is a big emphasis on the run-support stuff like play-action and he has some great screens.

It was hard to get much sense of the HarsinWhite passing game last year because we could hardly execute any of it. I think eventually you’ll see something similar as with the running game. A couple of “against any look” concepts with lots of gadgets and adjustments around them. I’m betting that our principal concepts will be fairly vertical since we are already stretching the defense horizontally with the running game.

by Nickel Rover on Aug 29, 2025 10:15 PM CDT up reply actions

Outstanding work, as always

Scopio, you are the go-to guy for Longhorn football intel! Quick question, in your opinion, if Espinosa keeps struggling with NT at the point-of-attack, how likely it is for a reshuffle of Hopkins at C, and Flowers and Walters at G??

by KC1979 on Aug 29, 2025 5:07 PM CDT reply actions

I am neither Scopio nor Scipio, but I'll take a shot

First off, I’m pretty optimistic that Espinosa will be much improved – particularly from an S&C; standpoint as he was pretty much a HS senior strengthwise in 2011 thanks to a shoulder injury that robbed him of offseason work last year. I think he’ll be much improved, and while he may not be whipping 320 pound nose tackles singlehandedly I don’t think he’ll hold the offense hostage by any means.

Even if he did struggle, I think Harsin would pull out all the stops as far as helping him out with the guards before he’d voluntarily shuffle the line given our precarious depth.

by nobis60 on Aug 29, 2025 5:58 PM CDT up reply actions

Very likely.

But Ashcraft is your first guard off of the pine right now.

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 5:58 PM CDT up reply actions

clarification: very likely meaning SS would make a change for any of our OL who was a liability

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 5:59 PM CDT up reply actions

shipley

Wow Shipley working over our group of DB’s? I’m scared to see what he will do to other teams secondary this year. Shipley in his second season should be pretty scary

by jtdoes on Aug 29, 2025 5:10 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

not necessarily working them over- there was a big caveat

with the if he can get off the line and out of the jam. For all we know he can’t consistently get off the LOS against our guys…

by Wulaw Horn on Aug 29, 2025 5:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Jaxon is pretty slippery. My point is that your best bet is to get him early.

by Scipio Tex on Aug 29, 2025 6:02 PM CDT up reply actions

scip

From the stuff I’ve been reading and gleaning from coach & players statements, it seems to me that mack & co know that they are good this year and could be special but are being trying to fly under the radar etc…

Are you getting that sense too?

by jtdoes on Aug 29, 2025 6:24 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

Not Scipio . ..

but that’s what I wrote on a BON comment last week, after Mack’s news conference that laid out the depth chart.

It had been years since I’d heard Mack so upbeat, so confident, so at ease. He was damn near giddy.

Told me he was like the cat sitting below the canary cage, anticipating good things.

by edsp on Aug 29, 2025 6:42 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm bullish on this team too

Feels a lot like 2008 where we were supposed to be rebuilding and a lot of stuff just comes together really well.

We’ve got strong potential on Offense, Defense, and Special Teams now.

Where we land between 7 and 12 wins depends on the O-Line and Ash’s development… but really those are our only two question marks because everything else looks so damn good.

by notsofst on Aug 29, 2025 7:00 PM CDT up reply actions

Yep.

by Scipio Tex on Aug 30, 2025 12:40 AM CDT up reply actions

This year could be special IF we avoid injuries and player development continues.

The day is quickly approaching when injuries will be a bump in the road and not a deal breaker as well as player development being a given.

by srr50 on Aug 29, 2025 7:26 PM CDT reply actions

Thank you sir

Since Jesus moved on it’s been tough. I live on student loans and can’t really handle nor justify $$$ blog sites but I miss The Asset and The Humidor and this offering from Scipio is in that direction. Thank you sir for these small morsels.

by Hondo Crouch on Aug 29, 2025 10:20 PM CDT reply actions

Ash running

I’m late to the party, but let’s follow the train of thought that says we have been building up Case in order that A). We don’t fall apart if Ash is hurt and B). We intend to run Ash more.

I’m wondering if we would rather run Ash more because we like our spread personnel or we don’t especially like our 2 TE personnel.
It’s hard to run the ball from the spread sets without a QB running threat and obviously we want to run the ball a lot, but maybe we want to use a lot of spread sets as well.

by Nickel Rover on Aug 29, 2025 10:20 PM CDT reply actions

If I'm not mistaken, we ran the ball roughly 70 % of the time last year. I would expect more this year.

The key to our success will be improving on last years 57% completion rate and the key to all things offensive is the O Line, which should be much improved.
I’m excited for the season based on what little info we have been getting.

Reports like these are great….thanks Scip.

Karl..... Schiefen sie die fenster......SHOOT the GLASS

by MeatchickenHorn on Aug 29, 2025 10:37 PM CDT reply actions

We were more like 60% run/40% pass

I don’t think we’re going to run 70%+

by Scipio Tex on Aug 30, 2025 12:37 AM CDT up reply actions

Those run percentages are going to be a bit skewed based upon game situations.

I truly see this team being more balanced building the lead and then going run heavy to put the game away.

It only has taken Mack 14-15 years to get the program directed to his power running game we have had about since he came over from UNC, but I think that is how the offense is built, Manny’s defense is built to get off the field quickly, and I agree with Scipio you will see more 34-7 games than 50-20.

by davey o'brien on Aug 30, 2025 3:03 PM CDT up reply actions