Jump to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Surly Horns

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Featured Replies

18 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Not at this time

Here’s your $9.95. 

  • Replies 17.4k
  • Views 2.8m
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Most Popular Posts

  • derpyhorndog
    derpyhorndog

  • closetojumping
    closetojumping

    I’m not interested in getting political, but your description of circumstances can get immediately fucked. Negged for attempting to absurdly minimize the assassination attempt on a presidential candid

Posted Images

1 hour ago, texifornia said:

Not at this time

It's going to be a real bitch to get this thread to 1,000 pages.

1 hour ago, Katfid54 said:

It's going to be a real bitch to get this thread to 1,000 pages.

Two things: the portal/transfer stuff was spun off and for the most part, we are no longer desperate and trying to constantly ignore mediocrity with pages upon pages devoted to chicken fried steak.

3 minutes ago, Reese Bennett said:

Two things: the portal/transfer stuff was spun off and for the most part, we are no longer desperate and trying to constantly ignore mediocrity with pages upon pages devoted to chicken fried steak.

Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.

On 12/8/2024 at 12:33 PM, satyanash said:

Georgia has weaknesses, maybe more than us. But we're not built to exploit them. 

The best way to negate a vaunted DL is with a mobile QB. We don't have that with Ewers. UGA's gameplan is to shut down the run game coming downhill (and the screen game, which is an extension of our run game). They are fine with conceding the intermediate throws (slants, comeback routes, lofted throws to open space) that are part of Quinn's limited skillset outside the 20s. Once we get into the redzone and those throws go away, we have nothing.

And that isn't an exaggeration. There is nothing in our offense’s toolbox now that works against Georgia in the redzone. We used to roll Quinn out in the redzone to hit corner routes. Quinn can no longer do that with his ankle injury. We can't run inside or outside the tackles. Scoring in the redzone requires Quinn to zip much tougher throws that he currently cannot make.

Further notes on this. Georgia's nose tackle absolutely abused Majors all game, and Campbell did so badly he was benched.

Ian Boyd: Does Texas have an offensive identity for the playoffs?

Quote

The loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship was troubling for the Texas Longhorns. For the second time this season, they squared off against the perennial SEC contender and were unable to generate points. Once again, the Longhorns found themselves missing the level of power in the trenches necessary to overcome Kirby Smart’s “big human” built Bulldogs.

The recruiting win during the week leading up to the SEC Championship for defensive tackle Justus Terry stands out all the more now after Georgia once again proved they are still the toughest team in the SEC up front with the hardware to back it up.

This loss puts Texas in an interesting position heading into the playoffs for what it revealed about the offense’s ceiling against top defenses. The bracket would protect the Longhorns from a rematch with Georgia until the National Championship, but what sorts of offensive concepts and specific players can this team hang their hats on against playoff-level competition between now and this hypothetical round three? Is Georgia uniquely suited to stop Texas or did they reveal flaws other top teams can exploit?

The problems against Georgia

Smart and the Dawgs changed up their plan from the first matchup for stopping the Texas offense. In the first matchup Georgia played Jalon Walker at Mike linebacker and put the D-line into odd fronts before walking him down to serve as an Edge with another true Edge opposite. This time Georgia was mostly in quarters coverage and more traditional 4-2-5 type fronts and personnel, unless the Longhorns played with two tight ends in which case Georgia used more of the base 3-4 defense. The run game simply wasn’t there against the Bulldogs, largely because of personnel mismatches up front.

You can see multiple things going wrong on this snap for the Longhorns. They miss a combination which allows nose tackle Nazir Stackhouse (#78) to enter the backfield untouched, which is never helpful, but even if they had blocked him the defensive end has set a very tight edge on the left guard Hayden Conner, killing the horizontal stretch potential for the play. There were positive snaps of inside zone and long trap but the more direct power game ran into similar issues.

Any given run play tended to result in at least one Georgia D-tackle creating a mess on the interior which more or less doomed the play. These issues weren’t restricted to the run game either.

In the first clip, Quinn Ewers‘ movement in the pocket won’t remind anyone of Ben Roethlisberger or Tom Brady, but he has virtually no options on a two-man route with the running back still yet to work free for a check down. Even if he’d kept his eyes down the field after stepping up, Mykel Williams (#13) probably hits him during the throw and potentially turns Texas over.

On the second clip, this is a very bad decision but Cam Williams has also been put on skates and pushed into Ewers' face. Against two-high quarters coverage the Longhorns routinely defaulted into trying comebacks or fade routes against 1-on-1 coverage outside. Ewers threw some good balls, some of which were dropped, and a couple of bad ones that were picked. Over and over again you saw Georgia decisively winning 1-on-1 matchups and blowing up plays.

Sarkisian’s solutions?

Obviously Texas may not face another team as talented up front as Georgia. The Bulldogs are well known for making the hoarding of weapons up front the foundation of the program and haven’t always left many freaks left for everyone else.

That said, the playoffs will feature more teams with good fronts who aren’t easy to run the ball against. The playoffs are generally a “who’s who” of teams that have either unique size and power at D-tackle to bedevil college rushing attacks or else lucky schedule draws. Even beyond that, Georgia’s ability to play press-quarters didn’t make life easy either, particularly without a healthy Isaiah Bond on the perimeter.

We got to see some of Sark’s new spread solutions for creating open targets for his quarterback within closer proximity. Texas ran a number of different crossing patterns built around motion, legal picks, and occasionally nifty route running in order to try and beat Georgia’s coverage.

These clips are useful for explaining how it was Ewers was able to throw for 358 yards without ever troubling denting the Georgia defense. A lot of factors went into that outcome, including penalties, negative plays from stuffed runs and sacks, and even Georgia’s punter. But ultimately Texas had to work hard to get guys open under the safeties and struggled to find windows to punch the ball in once the Horns approached the end zone. Georgia’s coverage blanketed a lot of the 1-on-1 shots Texas was able to create and 50-50 balls went more like 70-30 in the Dawgs’ favor.

Without the ability to consistently control the line of scrimmage, Texas’ lack of off-schedule playmaking really burned them. When Ewers can escape the pocket he’s capable of doing some magic on the move, but he tends to put his eyes down when he’s caught in congestion and thus loses his greatest weapon, that amazing ability to flick the ball off platform down the field.

The other possible solution, the true progression passing game from spread sets, was also questionable. Here’s a few mesh plays where Texas tried to use 1-2-3 progressions rather than using motion and rubs to create a one-read play:

The shallow cross to the post-wheel side of the field has been open for Texas at least twice a game yet they rarely get to it. On clip one Ewers’ eyes are all over the place before he throws the wheel route without seeing the cornerback sitting on it. Meanwhile the shallow cross is running open underneath. In the second clip he had the shallow in his sights but an unseen corner blitz ruined the play.

So how does Texas answer for a team that can stop the run and create pressure while denying the initial reads in the passing game? The best answer is to block better so the runs and designed shot passes can land. Whether Texas looks more like the team which ran over Texas A&M or was trampled by Georgia against other playoff teams will tell the story of the Longhorns’ run.

 

  • Popular Post
1 minute ago, satyanash said:

Further notes on this. Georgia's nose tackle absolutely abused Majors all game, and Campbell did so badly he was benched.

Ian Boyd: Does Texas have an offensive identity for the playoffs?

 

Is like quoting your own posts and then using Ian fucking Boyd as supportive evidence like your version of a hat trick of masturbatory masochism? Does it get any better for you? Because I can't imagine how. 

23 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Further notes on this. Georgia's nose tackle absolutely abused Majors all game, and Campbell did so badly he was benched.

Ian Boyd: Does Texas have an offensive identity for the playoffs?

 

TLDR: Georgia defense once again destroyed Texas at the line of scrimmage

39 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Further notes on this. Georgia's nose tackle absolutely abused Majors all game, and Campbell did so badly he was benched.

Ian Boyd: Does Texas have an offensive identity for the playoffs?

 

You should post this on the main board. You might have the response you want there. 

21 minutes ago, westexhorn said:

TLDR: Georgia defense once again destroyed Texas at the line of scrimmage

And if we make a field goal we win. Our team is really good 

Eric Nahlin: Kenny Baker off to much better recruiting start than Bo Davis

Quote

When Bo Davis arrived with Steve Sarkisian in January of 2021, no position group on the team was as well stocked as defensive tackle. Frankly, no position group was even close. Davis inherited Keondre Coburn, Moro Ojomo, T’Vondre Sweat, Byron Murphy, Alfred Collins, and Vernon Broughton. That will amount to six NFL Draft picks after Collins and Broughton are drafted this spring.

In Davis’ defense, he did well to develop his players. Coburn and Ojomo weren’t as bad as fans said in 2021 — that defense had issues all over — but they were much improved the following year. Coburn was drafted in the sixth round while Ojomo went in the seventh. The next duo, Sweat and Murphy, provided good depth before having a much larger impact in 2023. Sweat won the Outland Trophy and was drafted in the second round. Murphy was the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year and got drafted in the first round.

While he’s not coaching Collins and Broughton this year, Davis’ fingerprints are still on their development. Like the four before them, their final year has been by far their best. These thoughts aren’t about Davis the developer, or the motivational bus speaker, but rather as a recruiter. When you leave a job you want to leave the situation better than you found it. In that regard, Davis’ tenure at Texas looks a lot less successful.

2022 Signees

Capture.thumb.PNG.8215be36ec4a508c8b964e0fee9b9781.PNG

To defend Davis a little bit, the Texas staff was way behind on evaluating the 2022 class. When that happens you’re more likely to miss on the mental evaluation than the athletic one. All four of those guys are already out of the program. Something should stand out, for all the talk about ‘large humans’ only one of them was sort of large and Bryant didn’t have the length or athleticism you’d ideally recruit.

Davis missed the physical evaluations, too. Ross has never weighed 280 pounds in his life. Swanson was always undersized and was going to take a long time to physically develop. Solid player, but how long can you afford a guy to sit on the bench at a position of such value? Bledsoe was the last to leave the program from this class. Great athlete but way too inconsistent. The lack of overall player size was surprising in real time. Compare it to the offensive line class they took in 2022.

2023 signees

Capture.thumb.PNG.89efaf7faacc92469e53b827b4ad6829.PNG

Issues really began to compound in the 2023 cycle. For some reason, Davis didn’t alter course from the previous cycle until midway through this one. Landing Mitchell was an institutional win over Georgia. That’s another one where it’s fair to question the mental evaluation. Mitchell’s Texas career was practically over after the UTSA game but he has since regrouped nicely. Trill Carter was a depth take the staff was forced to make after so many misses. He was closer to 6-foot and didn’t play much before transferring out.

2024 signees

Capture.thumb.PNG.8e6b08d865083b2f3d6e5b6b2d699657.PNG

For some reason Jermayne Lole isn’t tagged as a ‘DL’ but that doesn’t matter, both he and Norton transferred in after Davis’ departure. Tia Savea transferring to Texas was 100% Johnny Nansen‘s doing. January was a great get. He and Mitchell are incredibly important to the overall health of the room. Hills was a bit of a reach but he brings some nice things to the table.

He’s at least comfortably over 300 pounds already and has decent athleticism for an interior player. Davis also had D’Antre Robinson committed. He was never fully bought in as a recruit and got out of his letter of intent when Davis left. If you’re counting at home, Bo Davis’ remaining signees are Sydir Mitchell, Alex January, and Melvin Hills. Let’s compare that to Kenny Baker‘s first class.

2025 Signees

Capture.thumb.PNG.f615e181dbb451e5200d373b9e8d8c36.PNG

This class is actually underrated. Sharma’s a top 100 talent, in my opinion, and Charles is top 50. Charles isn’t really 6-foot-4, but unlike Bryan, he has rare athleticism. All three pass the physical and athletic evaluation. While Baker was behind the eight ball by coming into this cycle ‘late’, he benefitted from Texas having such a great need. Indeed, these were institutional wins, especially Terry. However, Baker did well to get career years out of Collins and Broughton.

This is what a Texas defensive tackle class is supposed to look like. Why did it take so long? Did Davis have a flawed process? Did he not have the institutional support he needed? Maybe for one year, but for three? Not likely.

High-Wire Act

You’ll note all three signees are from out-of-state. That’s a bit curious when Texas would have taken Zion Williams, DJ Sanders, and Chace Sims. Williams, ironically, committed to Davis and LSU on the strength of Davis’ time at Texas. Sanders and Sims committed to A&M. It would have been nice to have gotten a fourth but I’m glad Texas didn’t reach beyond those three.

Though there were more instate defensive tackle prospects than normal, none of them approached the three Texas signed. Had Texas not signed Terry, this class would have been malnourished like the previous ones. That was a little too close for comfort but Texas got it done. Now, let’s hope Baker can have similar success in the portal and more immediately right the wrongs of previous cycles.

 

Zion seems like a great kid. Affable, funny, into drama club. I asked Gerry once point blank if he had the requisite toughness and aggression. He said that was the big unknown. 

7 hours ago, Hookem10 said:

And if we make a field goal we win. Our team is really good 

…and we’d be even better if we dot some I’s and cross all the T’s.

  • Popular Post

KJ Lacey is a DUDE GAMER!

 

 

 

Edited by Getafix

On 12/10/2024 at 2:07 PM, satyanash said:

Eric Nahlin: Kenny Baker off to much better recruiting start than Bo Davis

 

First it's Ian Boyd.  If that is not enough, go with Nahlin.  Good Lord.

On 12/14/2024 at 1:28 PM, Getafix said:

KJ Lacey is a DUDE GAMER!

 

 

 

Bryce Young vibes here for sure...about the same size....mix in some Kyler Murry and we may have ourselves something here.

 

4 minutes ago, jdhorn92 said:

Bryce Young vibes here for sure...about the same size....mix in some Kyler Murry and we may have ourselves something here.

 

Arrested Development GIF

5 hours ago, jdhorn92 said:

…mix in some Kyler Murry and we may have ourselves something here.

You want him to be a little bitty beech?

Justin Wells: Texas signees and prospects in Under Armour Next, Navy All American games

Quote

The Longhorns Class of 2025 will be well represented for the two major recruiting all-star games soon. The Under Armour Next All American Game and Navy All American Bowl will host a number of signees and targets over the next few weeks. Beginning this year, rising seniors from the Class of 2026 will participate. Here’s who to watch.

Under Armour Next All American Game in Orlando, Thursday, January 2nd at 3pm (CT) on ESPN

  • KJ Lacey, QB, Saraland (Ala.) – Texas signee
  • Justus Terry, DL, Manchester (Ga.) – Texas signee
  • Lance Jackson, EDGE, Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove – Texas signee
  • Jonah Williams, S, Galveston (Texas) Ball – Texas signee
  • Zelus Hicks, S, Carrollton (Ga.) – Texas signee
  • Javian Osborne, RB, Forney (Texas) – 2026 Texas target
  • Naheem Burroughs, WR, Jacksonville (Fla.) The Bolles School – 2026 Texas target
  • Kevin Ford, EDGE, Duncanville (Texas) – 2026 Texas target
  • Anthony Davis, LB, Loganville (Ga.) Grayson – 2026 Texas target
  • Blaine Bradford, S, Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic – 2026 Texas target

Navy All American Bowl in San Antonio, Saturday, January 11th at 12pm (CT) on NBC

  • Jaime Ffrench, WR, Mandarin (Fla.) Jacksonville – Texas signee
  • Kaliq Lockett, WR, Sachse (Texas) – Texas signee
  • Kade Phillips, CB, Missouri City (Texas) FB Hightower – Texas signee
  • Michael Terry III, ATH, San Antonio (Texas) Alamo Heights – Texas signee
  • Devin Carter, WR, Douglassville (Ga.) Cedar Grove – 2026 Texas target
  • Jordan Clay, WR, San Antonio (Texas) Madison – 2026 Texas target
  • Jamarion Carlton, EDGE, Temple (Texas) – 2026 Texas target
  • Bryce Perry-Wright, DL, Buford (Ga) – 2026 Texas target
  • Tyler Atkinson, LB, Loganville (Ga.) Grayson – 2026 Texas target

 

Didn't see an other school thread for 2025, so apologies. Looks like Dallas Wilson is trying to get a release from his NLI and Oregon isn't being quick to let him go.

GfJCRwtXwAAkwCi?format=jpg&name=large

1 hour ago, BornAndRaised said:

Didn't see an other school thread for 2025, so apologies. Looks like Dallas Wilson is trying to get a release from his NLI and Oregon isn't being quick to let him go.

GfJCRwtXwAAkwCi?format=jpg&name=large

He could always just go for a semester and transfer in April, but whatever. 

There's no more NLI. All he signed was scholarship papers. Can't he just enter the portal? Or does that not start until school starts? So if Oregon makes the semifinals he could enter the portal?

NLIs don't bind the player to the school.  He can just enroll somewhere else.

  • Author
5 hours ago, BornAndRaised said:

Didn't see an other school thread for 2025, so apologies. Looks like Dallas Wilson is trying to get a release from his NLI and Oregon isn't being quick to let him go.

GfJCRwtXwAAkwCi?format=jpg&name=large

 

Is Texas completely done in the 2025 class or is there a possibility of a February signee?

1 hour ago, JBJ said:

NLIs don't bind the player to the school.  He can just enroll somewhere else.

I don't think NLI's exist anymore....might be some other form of contract or maybe that doesn't exist yet? I'm sure whatever replaced the NLI will be more ironclad and binding.

54 minutes ago, Dondrysdale1 said:

Is Texas completely done in the 2025 class or is there a possibility of a February signee?

We’re done. It’s all portal now. At this time last year we were still in Terry Bussey’s ear but there’s not a comparable situation this year. 

2 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said:

I don't think NLI's exist anymore....might be some other form of contract or maybe that doesn't exist yet? I'm sure whatever replaced the NLI will be more ironclad and binding.

Edit-- sorry I was talking about NIL not NLI.  

Edited by utee94

Just now, utee94 said:

Nothing is replacing NIL.  There will always be NIL.  Direct payments from the schools to the players are entirely different and are not NIL.

Why are you talking about NIL? lol

Just now, utee94 said:

Nothing is replacing NIL.  There will always be NIL.  Direct payments from the schools to the players are entirely different and are not NIL.

NLI is not NIL, jethro. 

Y'all are quick-draw McGraws up in here. :)

 

1 minute ago, utee94 said:

Nothing is replacing NIL.  There will always be NIL.  Direct payments from the schools to the players are entirely different and are not NIL.

 

IMG_0262.gif

It is some bullshit that Florida kept negotiating with the agent after papers were signed. That is a precedent we don't want out there in the world. 

Florida has been very shady with NIL stuff, so it's not surprising.  Sunbelt Billy is a desperate man.

6 minutes ago, Vertigo said:

It is some bullshit that Florida kept negotiating with the agent after papers were signed. That is a precedent we don't want out there in the world. 

It was inevitable. 

17 hours ago, satyanash said:

Justin Wells: Texas signees and prospects in Under Armour Next, Navy All American games

 

This is incredible, and a reflection that a) Sark can recruit and b) money talks. I remember during the Chuckles years being excited to have one or two players to watch in these games. 

Just now, Pato del Muerto said:

Next move is actual contracts with terms of release, to attend a university?

That sounds like legal hell for all involved.

My feeling is the more complex and expensive the NIL/Portal/Recruiting landscape gets the better. Texas can handle complexity as demonstrated by this opening round of the new NIL landscape. Not in small part due to members of this site. The future is very bright for this program. Meanwhile, there are traditional powers in our new conference that are at an obvious disadvantage. The only thing better than their bitching and moaning is our on the field success.

10 hours ago, JBJ said:

NLIs don't bind the player to the school.  He can just enroll somewhere else.

[Bru Mccoy has entered the chat]

  • Popular Post
21 minutes ago, Funk Doctor Spock said:

[Bru Mccoy has entered the chat]

[Bru Mccoy has left the chat]

[Bru Mccoy has entered the chat]

[Bru Mccoy has transferred to Tennessee]

7 minutes ago, BigHornedLurker said:

[Bru Mccoy has left the chat]

[Bru Mccoy has entered the chat]

[Bru Mccoy has transferred to Tennessee]

[Bru Mccoy has entered the chat]
 

[Bru Mccoy has left the chat]
 

[Bru Mccoy has transferred to USC]
 

[Bru Mccoy has taken a leave of absence]
 

[Bru Mccoy has transferred to Tennessee]

  • Popular Post

Eric Nahlin: How Texas' 2025 defensive recruiting class came together

Quote

Defensive end

We were sitting at IT HQ, Posse East, when Justin got a message saying Lance Jackson was committing to Texas. The day was January 20th, the same day as the Texas Junior Day. That info sent a jolt through the table as we knew the type of recruit Jackson was. He committed to Texas the following day on the strength of his childhood fandom of UT, a good relationship with Pete Kwiatkowski, and his lack of interest in “the process.” If only they were all like that.

Smith Orogbo was sort of like Kaliq Lockett in that he didn’t really start to blow up until the calendar struck 2024. Junior tape was really good, but he was a little slight of build. That wasn’t a huge concern, it would just add a little time to his developmental curve. With Colin Simmons on the roster, was that even a bad thing? Oklahoma had the early lead with Orogbo as they did with many in-state recruits. The Sooners were very aggressive in the early going of the cycle but all this one took was consistent pressure from the Horns. Like Jackson, Orogbo wasn’t concerned with the process or tweeting.

Texas expected Javion Hilson to commit at the Georgia game. When that didn’t happen we began to fade the one-time Florida State commit. As he prolonged his process it became an open secret he’d likely go to the school with the best NIL package. The rumored price tag was $700k and it would be malpractice for the staff to have that sitting behind the best young Edge in the country.

The staff was all over Chad Woodfork in the early going but his play was too inconsistent. Schools were afraid to pass on him because of the way he’s built but Texas, USC, and LSU all made the same call. I’ll be interested to see how he does at TCU. His lower half was built in a lab; upside is there. Kamauryn Morgan was a hot name early on. We thought he was very likely in the class leading up to the January Junior Day. His people overplayed their hand. A lot of other schools backed off and he signed with Baylor. Easy cycle for PK.

Linebacker

Elijah Barnes was going to Texas whether Jeff Choate was the coach, Johnny Nansen was the coach, or even if Mike Stoops was the coach. The family was fans of the school and the situation made perfect sense. Credit to him for his senior year. That was not a kid resting on his reputation and coasting his senior year. Jonathan Cunningham was the staff’s favorite of the in-state second tier prospects. All they had to do was push hard enough to keep him away from TCU and Utah and that’s what they did. I hate to call him a floor setter but practically speaking that’s what he was with them still hunting for higher rated players.

Pride ruined the Riley Pettijohn recruitment and I’m still not sure if that was due to Nansen or Pettijohn’s dad. Probably both. Steve Sarkisian tried to mediate but the Pettijohns were quite happy with Ohio State. That’s something that many missed, he really did like his Ohio State visit. I still feel he preferred Texas but OSU presented a very good option. It was a frustrating one because at one point he was as big of a lay up as Barnes.

I’m using hindsight but I think Madden Faraimo was a wasted pursuit and that probably should have been detected early on. Was that kid ever going far from home and if so did Texas have a chance over Notre Dame? Based on what we learned over the course of the fall I think we have our answer.

I do think Nansen took a lot of smart passes. There were a number of linebackers who I don’t think were as good as their ranking but he didn’t identify any under-the-radar players other than perhaps Kellen Wiley. Wiley was clearly an NIL play from Miami. Everyone had that kid headed to Texas. Not a great cycle for Nansen but all will be forgotten if Barnes reaches his potential.

Cornerback

Caleb Chester‘s recruitment was like Orogbo’s, just replace OU with Texas A&M. LSU pushed as well but he had no interest. Texas prioritized him like he was a top 100 prospect and when the player is already a UT type of kid that’s all it takes.

The Graceson Littleton development sort of caught me off guard. I was familiar with him from the spring but nothing materialized at the time. I uncovered his name while researching Texas’ pursuit of Dallas Golden. Texas went to go see him and he decommitted from Clemson that same day. Though he did visit Michigan before Texas, Texas was deemed the team to beat from our sources. Because the recruitment was so short he might be the most slept on player in the class.

As we all know, Texas’ initial evaluation of Kade Phillips was for safety and he preferred corner. He committed in July but it was known at the time Texas would need to continue to recruit him hard. LSU and Corey Raymond were doing well to drive home that he was a cornerback which obviously appealed to him. Texas did begin to view him as a corner but it was too late and he flipped to LSU in August. Phillips remained one of UT’s top corner targets into the late fall along with Dorian Brew and Cobey Sellers. Much was made of him not attending the Texas-Kentucky game. Many felt that was the nail for Texas but that was simply the two parties letting the heat die down. Discussions remained ongoing and obviously Texas won out.

Brew’s recruitment was sort of like Jonah Williams‘ in that everyone downplayed UT’s chances the whole cycle, Texas just couldn’t win out. This recruitment was a tough one to cover because his divorced parents didn’t see eye to eye and I didn’t want to poke and prod too much on the player side. I know some good people at Conroe High but it was a touchy recruitment. I will share something I haven’t before… I have significant questions on whether or not he’ll maximize. Great kid but he has a long way to go when it comes to understanding the game.

Devin Sanchez. They wanted to be recruited like seniors when Sanchez was a freshman. Ohio State was one of the few schools that played that game.

Safety

Long ago we had Zelus Hicks figured for the Texas class, but the 2026 version. I was barely following that one until I was told he was reclassifying. From my vantage point it appeared Texas was the school pushing the reclassification. When that happens that’s typically the school the kid will end up at. I left some hints in the prospect board at the time.

Jonah Williams was the most fun I had covering a recruitment in a long time. I met some good people that will benefit the site for years to come. Texas was laying in wait the whole calendar year. When I heard Texas would do whatever it took to land him in the early spring I knew this was one to track no matter what the public sentiment was. Things did get off to a rocky start with Texas’ evaluation being for linebacker but that wasn’t hard to overcome because Williams isn’t a spiteful kid. OU was the early spring favorite but by mid-spring we were hearing they were basically out of it. USC and Oregon made some fleeting noise but the real contenders were Texas, A&M, and LSU. By early June, if not sooner, we knew it was very likely that A&M baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle would be the next Texas coach. When that hit the Aggies were pretty much done. I think LSU was pretty much done, too, but Texas still had to overcome them down the stretch. Make no mistake, NIL played a role, but so did many other aspects. He always liked Texas, the family always liked Texas, he had a good relationship with Blake Gideon, and then baseball.

The coolest thing I learned about Williams while hopping around Galveston, well, other than he was going to Texas, was, “He prefers football, that’s why he’s enrolling early. And he will hit you. He’s a physical kid.”

Eric Nahlin: How Texas' 2025 defensive tackle recruiting class came together

Quote

Defensive recruiting got off to a much slower start than its offensive counterpart but which side ended up with four of the five highest rated players? For much of the cycle there was much wailing and gnashing over recruiting on Pete Kwiatkowski’s side of the ball but I’d say things worked out pretty well. Needs were largely met, save at linebacker and defensive tackle where one more signee at each position would have better addressed numbers.

Top-end talent can be found at each position: Five-star Edge, five-star defensive tackle, No. 1 linebacker in the country, five-star cornerback, five-star safety, etc. Given it was the most important position this cycle we’ll give defensive tackle its own article. Here’s how that class came together.

Kenny Baker had a difficult task upon arrival. Due to insufficient preceding cycles, D-tackle was the most important position in the class and the man he was replacing took Texas’ big board and relationships with him to LSU, a formidable rival. Admittedly, Baker got off to a pretty slow start, but some of that was by design. The first thing he had to do was scout the position instate and nationally to get an understanding of who he even wanted. Someone rearranging Bo Davis’ pieces should have happened long ago.

There’s something we sat on for much of the cycle. Two targets expressed to IT that they hoped Baker was doing okay. We didn’t push for details because whatever it was, was clearly personal. We also didn’t share it with the board because on top of it being personal we didn’t want to appear to be making excuses for him. It’s clear something was amiss during the spring.

While Baker had some significant headwinds, he also had some favorable tailwinds. Even before he was hired, Texas was taking special interest in Josiah Sharm in Northern California. I believe Jeff Choate had visited him and Johnny Nansen, Choate’s replacement who was hired a few weeks before Baker, also did. Another tailwind, Steve Sarkisian knew just how important the position was in the cycle and Texas was ready to allocate significant resources to the cause. This understanding was a source of my optimism throughout much of the cycle.

There was a point towards the end of June where it looked very likely Baker would soon gain commitments from Sharma, Myron Charles, and DJ Sanders. As we know, that didn’t happen. On June 28th, a work day I’ll never forget, Sharma and Charles chose Oregon and Florida State respectively within a couple of hours. Make no mistake, Texas led for each in the days and hours leading up to those decisions.

It’s too delicate to write exactly what happened but there was a reason Texas kept its optimism regarding Sharma and Charles. Less than a month after committing to Oregon, Sharma was a Horn. I have no clue where I was when that good news happened but I know exactly where I was when I received the news he was picking Oregon over Texas. Maybe I still have some morbid recruitnik in me after all.

Despite Charles’ commitment to FSU sources felt very confident he’d end up a Horn. By the time Texas waxed Michigan and Florida State got off to a horrendous start everyone had seen enough. It was time to make Charles a Horn. We can’t get too deep into Zion Williams‘ recruitment. There were curious circumstances when he didn’t visit Texas for his official visit at the end of June. He wanted to make that visit just as he wanted to visit for the Kentucky game. The short story is he has a strong relationship with Bo Davis.

A&M wanted DJ Sanders more than Texas when he decided in August. The two rivals were pretty even in wanting him in the hours leading up to National Signing Day. A&M had an interesting tiebreaker in its favor that Texas wasn’t going to match.

Starting in October we started paying close attention to the Justus Terry recruitment. I was skeptical at first but I kept hearing positives, especially in the lead up to his OV for the Georgia game. We wrote if Texas could beat Georgia then Texas would have a real chance. Normally game outcome doesn’t matter but we’re talking about a Georgia kid who has seen the Bulldogs dominate. The feeling was Texas would need to slay the dragon in front of him.

After the loss wwee sort of put that recruitment on the back burner as far as covering it publicly but we were still following it. There was still some optimism. We thought it best for Justin to see Terry, Joseph Mbatchou, Kevin Wynn, and Walter Mathis. I was confident Texas would land at least one of them and maybe two. That confidence stemmed from the simple fact that Texas HAD to win one or two of them.

The Horns gained a commitment from Mbatchou but that lasted 8 days. Florida refused to let him leave Gainesville without flipping. Originally Mbatchou told them he’d go home and think about it which would have given Texas a chance to hold on. It was a tough loss due to his upside but he’s essentially an 8/10 of what Terry is. You’d like to get both but if you could have only one it’s Terry.

Speaking of Florida, they also hosted Charles and wanted him to return the following weekend. IT heard whatever school he visited that weekend was where he’d sign. Texas received the visit. Mathis and his dad were pretty well locked into LSU and Davis. That was very similar to Brandon Brown and his mother. Bo picked a funny time to have a good cycle but his class still isn’t as good as Baker’s.

Wynn liked Texas but had the Horns behind South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida State. Pretty much nobody expected him to stick with FSU but he did. Another Aggie commit, Chace Sims, was pursued. Texas was very close to flipping him but the Aggies caught wind of UT’s interest and were able to keep him in the fold.

Closing

It wasn’t always easy but if D-tackle recruiting is easy you aren’t recruiting the right players. Texas could have used another body or two but the three it landed are terrifically gifted. Throw the ratings for Sharma and Charles out the window. Sharma was way up the board and Texas wasn’t going to let Charles get away no matter what.

Then there’s the last second half court swish. Landing Terry proved without a shadow of a doubt Texas had the resolve necessary to compete with the SEC for the most precious commodity — the five-star defensive tackle.

Eric Nahlin: How Texas' 2025 offensive recruiting class came together

Quote

Here’s a class retrospective with some notes you might have forgotten or heard for the first time.

Quarterback

Texas accepted a commitment from Alabama prospect KJ Lacey early in the cycle — between his sophomore and junior year — Steve Sarkisian clearly saw some Bryce Young elements to his game. Over time, fans ranged from hoping to keep Lacey away from Auburn and Ole Miss to wishing Sark would have pushed for Duncanville’s Keelon Russell.

Russell burst onto the scene his junior year and raised to five-star status. He flipped from SMU to Alabama and stayed firm to his commitment to Kalen DeBoer. What IT can say is, the staff was very high on Russell but liked what they already had in Lacey.

Running Back

All the early hype centered around Mater Dei’s Jordon Davison. Tashard Choice had his hooks in early but Texas faded in favor of Ohio State. Some of Davison’s shine wore off and he signed with Oregon. While I don’t think it would be accurate to say Texas moved on from Davison, the Horns were happy to shift focus to Shreveport’s James Simon. Simon ended up ranking much higher than Davison and I think the staff would agree with that rankings swap.

Simon is viewed as more versatile. Many assumed he was headed to LSU but Texas started pushing hard in time to keep that from happening. Choice had known Simon for a long time and did a great job keeping the lines of communication open. Rickey Stewart‘s commitment to SMU was effectively over the second the Texas offer arrived during the spring. He was viewed as the best running back in the state. Stewart has some similarities to Tre Wisner when it comes to toughness and versatility.

Tight End

Jeff Banks had not set the world on fire at tight end and I believe that’s why he pushed early for Georgia’s Emaree Winston. Winston is a good, versatile piece but competition wasn’t all that fierce for him. Early on, Texas was aggressive with Jasper’s Kiotti Armstrong but he committed to A&M relatively early. It’s clear what happened there, the Aggies couldn’t stomach losing Armstrong to Texas after losing Tyanthony Smith the year prior. Smith is also from Jasper.

Fortunately, Nick Townsend was there for the taking. Things got a little odd in that recruitment during the spring as it appeared Texas was looking at other targets, such as NorCal tight end Kaleb Edwards. But, by May, the Townsend recruitment seemed back on course. Texas held off Alabama. Townsend’s late interest in A&M was to get tickets to watch Texas.

Offensive Line

It’s important to realize the staff’s approach evolved significantly over time. In 2022, they knew they had to land foundational studs and that wasn’t going to be cheap. In 2023, they knew high profile players weren’t going to be excited to follow the 2022 class. In 2024, they took a smaller class because they had signed so many players in the previous two classes.

With the cupboard full they had much bigger needs in the 2025 class, primarily defensive tackle. Due to that, Kyle Flood took another developmental class. IOW, not an expensive class. Their thinking in the summer was they didn’t want to take a very expensive tackle for him to only sit behind Trevor Goosby and Cameron Williams. By September they were pretty well convinced Williams would depart for the NFL and so the need for a ‘foundational piece’ re-emerged.

That became Michael Fasusi who stuck with his OU commitment. There were actually times on announcement day where Texas felt it was getting him. That one was close. Jackson Christian was an early evaluation we had on commitment watch a couple of times. Then, the new A&M staff came in and we felt the Aggies became the team to beat. This recruitment swung decisively in UT’s favor after Christian attended spring practices at each school. He liked what he saw at Texas.

Nick Brooks was the Kyle Flood special. Texas simply wanted him more than USC or Georgia. When Texas offered Devin Coleman it told us how much Jordan Coleman was coveted. The recruitment for 2/3 of the Cedar Hill triplets was all but over.

Wide Receiver

All the drama centered around Dakorien Moore and by July when Moore picked Oregon the staff had enough of that recruitment. Just days, perhaps hours, before he announced Texas felt Moore was locked up. There were times this fall that Moore wanted to hear from Texas but the Horns were happy with what they had in the class. Everybody, accept apparently LSU, knew Moore was not going to LSU.

Nick Saban‘s retirement put Jaime Ffrench back on the market. Chris Jackson, with a little help from Lacey, pounced. Ffrench became known for having rotating favorites but by May he was Texas’ to lose and stayed that way through Signing Day. Kaliq Lockett had a no-frills recruitment. His profile rose exponentially starting last January and Texas’ interest rose with it. I’m having trouble even recalling who was a credible threat. I guess A&M felt they had a chance. Texas had confidence for quite a while before he committed.

Jackson liked Lucas Lovejoy’s Daylan McCutcheon for a very long time. Jackson was familiar having signed Parker Livingstone the cycle before. McCutcheon was one of a handful Texas was recruiting but not quite all-in for. Others included Kelshaun Johnson and Tanook Hines. On the heels of missing on Moore, I believe prioritizing McCutcheon was the correct call.

The staff had its pick of a lot of secondary receiver prospects. They had a chance to flip Johnson late but didn’t push. OU commit Emmanuel Choice had interest late. Marcus Harris would have been a lock. The list goes on. My belief is they held the class to three because they knew they were getting athlete Michael Terry who gave a silent, and stuck to it, in late August or early September.

And that’s the offensive class.

 

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.