Texas Longhorns Junior Day 1 Preview

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong is that popular saying attributed to Eddie Murphy. It basically means, a night that starts off with anticipated rave reviews of the Norbit movie premier could end with you in the backseat of a car with a transvestite more weathered than Dennis Conner.

Cars will breakdown and burst into flames while idling in your driveway. Infants will fall ill, bad curry will tumble through the bowels, and cousin's weddings will pop up at a moment's notice.

Any of those excuses is better than the truth. Either gas is too damn high, or somebody's on punishment for acting a mess and will spend his day cutting the grass, thank you, free education bedamned. Just as long as one of those excuses is on Mack Brown's pre-approved list, Texas won't stop recruiting this tenth grader. But he'll have to recruit us from now on. This is the way, recruiting sensei.

Inevitably some kids will make it in, looking war torn and fatigued, but in attendance nonetheless. Research shows these kids will later bleed for the program. Others won't make it in, and if they don't make JD2 in two weeks, will be relegated to Enemy of the State status, abandoned to toil away at an SEC school with All-America burdens in tow.

Jaquandrious is your problem now, Nick Saban!

According to various profiteering sites, the lists of confirmations differ, but what we do know is the seven current 2014 commitments will be in attendance to help foster an anti-coach/trainer impropriety atmosphere, which is slightly different from the pro-family atmosphere of yesteryear. We have some P.R. ideas on how to #fixthis.

• Athletic Department keeps Gloria Allred on retainer
• Deloss to appear on Nancy Grace
• Hire GSD&M to repair the Texas brand

WE'RE TEXAS, STILL, BUT NEW AND IMPROVED WITH ONLY THE STUFF YOU LIKED BEFORE AND SOME COOL NEW STUFF THAT'S BETTER THAN WHAT BAYLOR HAS COME BACK STICK AROUND IT'S OKAY IF YOU DON'T STAY LATE HOOK'EM

We'll send you an invoice, Mr. Powers.

And here are the seven young gentlemen nice enough to have already committed.

Jerrod Heard (QB, Denton Guyer)

Duke Catalon (RB, Aldine Eisenhower ... distant relative of Sir Carrington Byndom?)

Daniel Gresham (RB/FB, Fort Worth All Saints)

Demetrius Knox (OL, Fort Worth All Saints),

Lorenzo Joe (WR, Abilene Cooper)

Derick Roberson (DE, San Antonio Brennan)

Roderick Bernard (WR, Sharpstown).

It's a great start to the class, even if we need about six DTs and currently have none. Some plot lines worth following:

Will Texas make many offers or land any commitments?

With seven commitments already and well over a dozen other offers out, Texas will likely slow play any new offers and we won't see the typical telethon of pledging phone calls to Bellmont come Sunday night, if any. That said, the staff usually has an ace up its sleeve, or at the very least a four of hearts for the right coach's son.

If new offers do go out, who is most likely to be on the receiving end?

Katy Seven Lakes DE Jarrett Johnson certainly looks the part of a Texas defensive end and with his offer list slow to bloom it's possible he ends the process before it really starts for him. Another player who could conceivably commit is Brenham's Darrion Johnson, if only because he has a family member that posts frequently on all the Texas paysites declaring allegiance. But Darrion also liked what he saw from OU's defense against Texas last year, so there's that. What aspiring DB wouldn't? LSU is in the mix. So yes, we may have to recruit him into his senior year of high school. Dylan Sumner-Gardner would be an early candidate to commit if he could stick to one last name. Hyphen curse is the cosmos' answer to the Mack Brown curse, imo.

Who are the must gets that will be in attendance?

Keep in mind that it's been reported by old friend/ex-BC intern Eric Nahlin that a contingency of much needed defensive backs like Lewisville Hebron defensive back Jamal Adams will be in attendance for the second junior day so prospects can sit in on Akina's meetings and watch spring practice. The balance of talent between the two gatherings isn't as disparate as it has been in previous years, (i.e. "Yeah why don't you come on down the weekend after next when you'll be able to have a little more one on one time with Mack and Sally.")

That said, here's a couple of 2014 prospects that Texas needs to land (or gain ground on):

Solomon Thomas (DL, Coppell): Thomas is a big defensive end that could play any technique from three on out. He's a high character kid with a good head on his shoulders, hair that will remind you of a 2010 Jordan Hicks, and the type of top flight recruit that looks west rather than east. If Stanford and Alabama want you, then you're a must get for Texas.

Cameron Hampton (LB, Dallas Carter): He's drawn comparisons to fellow alum Jesse Armstead -- on the field, not the liquor store (allegedly) -- but he's not nearly the physical presence Armstead was. What Hampton is, though, is a rangy linebacker with playmaking ability. Recently his commitment was declined by A&M. So, to recap: lean linebacker with range from just off of I-20 in Dallas who Aggie turned down. Bartender, give me a Peter Jinkens. Tell you what, make it two.

Tony Brown (CB, Beaumont Ozen): Landing Brown likely isn't going to happen, but Tony will be in Austin this weekend. UT's number one hope with Brown was to sign his sister, Bealoved, to a track scholarship, but Bev Kearney scissored that letter of intent like she scissored ... anyway, Bealoved committed to LSU. Brown is perhaps the most physically gifted defensive back in the state, if not the entire nation. SEC offers arriving in silver briefcases can't be far away. He has the footwork and hips of a small corner, but the build and physicality of a Jammer. And gold braces. Gotta love The Triangle.

KD Cannon (WR, Mount Pleasant): Cannon's leanings have theoretically migrated all over the Big 12, Norman to Stilllwater to Austin. Top programs in the Big 12 have a full court press on the east Texas speedster. 4-star size, 5-star hair, 6-star speed = average star ranking: 5!

Keep in mind the possibility of a surprise commitment form a lesser known kid who simply overcomes the staff with his willingness to recruit Texas.

See if you can guess his name from this list. A kid from Lufkin isn't a bad bet...

Darrion Johnson - DB - Brenham

Cameron Hampton - LB - Dallas Carter

Everett Williams - LB - Mansfield Legacy

Zach Whitley - LB - Galena Park North Shore (stock climbing fast, offer now before he's an Aggie)

Derrick Dixon - S - Dallas Skyline

Ed Paris - DB - Mansfield Timberview

Nick Watkins - DB - Dallas Bishop Donne

Dylan Sumner-Gardner - DB - West Mesquite

Tony Brown - DB - Rosenberg Terry

KD Cannon - WR - Mount Pleasant (will attend one of the two)

Willie Ivery - WR/RB - Sulphur Springs

Ty Barrett - OT - Dallas Skyline

Orlando Brown - OT - Duluth (GA) Peachtree Ridge

Jovan Pruitt - OL - Dallas Bishop Dunne (prototype Searels OL, OU has offered)

Connor Mayes - OL - Van

Solomon Thomas - DE - Coppell (will attend one of the two)

Jarrett Johnson - DE - Katy Seven Lakes

Andrew Williams - DE - McDonough (GA) Eagle's Landing

Deondre Clark - DE - Oklahoma City Douglas

Keke Coutee - ATH - Lufkin (2015)

Terry Mark - WR - Lufkin (2015)

Erik McCoy - OL - Lufkin (2015)

D.J. Williams - DT - Lufkin

Jamel Jeffrey - WR - Lufkin (Aggie commit)

Trey Cumbie - QB - Lufkin (2015)

Who do you think Texas lands this weekend?