2020 Recruiting - Football

Here is some Eric Nahlin talking about "fit" -- top 5 on defense and offense
Inside the Gameplan: Ranking the 10 best fits in the 2020 class - Inside Texas

#1 Prince Dorbah - In the ultimate of ironies, Prince Dorbah spent his high school career as a 4i-technique in Highland Park’s three-time state title winning defense. That was never going to be his fate at Texas, although the Longhorns’ prior usage of that scheme did mean he might end up playing multiple linebacker positions like Jeff McCulloch and Joseph Ossai before him. Incidentally, Dorbah is lighter and perhaps better suited to that than his predecessors, but those days appear to be behind Texas.

What Texas needs now are guys that can win the edge and affect the QB as a true weakside end, and Dorbah is their guy for that job. He’s still only 6-3, 210 pounds but he’s cat quick and piled up massive stats rushing the passer for Highland Park despite playing mostly as a 4i-technique. He reminds me of Brian Orakpo, who came to Texas at a very similar size and played early because of his natural arc-running ability around the edge before eventually filling out into a 260-pound monster as an upperclassman. Texas may need Dorbah as a situational pass-rusher immediately but the goal will be to groom him to replace Ossai as the featured weakside edge player when that day comes.

Given the low numbers in this role because of Orlando recruiting to a different scheme, Texas really needs Dorbah to pan out as a pass-rusher. Fortunately, he’s a fantastic prospect.

#2 Alfred Collins - Texas signed three really promising interior DL prospects but Collins, the final addition to the class, is probably the best. What sets him apart is a lightning quick first step that works in conjunction with a 6-5 frame to make him nearly impossible to block. With Texas moving to a four-down front his fit in the offense becomes clear. While he could credibly play as a strongside end in the Under front he’d do maximal damage as a 3-technique that aligns to the same side as the weakside end on the boundary.

The idea with this front is basically to overload the boundary with disruption between those three defenders so that offenses have to overcompensate and can’t try to get players into space elsewhere. You can’t use the tackle to help block a 3-tech like Collins with a really good edge-rusher outside of him. Instead he’s freed up to to attack the guard in some space so he can push the pocket while using his long arms to disrupt passing windows. Texas hasn’t really had a dominant 3-technique this decade save for Malcom Brown and if Collins can be that it’ll do wonders for the new style. If he stays outside and plays strongside end then he could be a three-down player that can help pinch close B-gaps on standard downs to protect conflicted linebackers before moving outside the rush the edge on passing downs.​

 

Nahlin on the offensive fits

#1 Hudson Card -- Typically the QB is going to be the most important member of the class and this year is no exception, Card is your frontrunner to replace Sam Ehlinger in 2021. Card doesn’t have many weaknesses for a high schooler. He’s been good at reading progressions in the Lake Travis offense and feeding the better receivers on their team. After losing Lake McRee before the season, Card helped the Cavaliers feed their top two targets enough to push each one over 1000 receiving yards. He’s also got a knack for improvisation, scrambling at times to find time to throw down the field or else to take off on his own.

He himself was one of their top two targets as a sophomore when he also had over 1000 receiving yards before taking over when their starter Matthew Baldwin went down in the last two games of the season. Since then Card has grown every year as a passer while adding additional size and making the most of his natural athleticism. He’s posted vertical leaps around 36” and has plenty of film executing a terrifying QB run game on the perimeter. His change of direction and first step quickness is truly elite for a QB.

The passing game execution is even more exciting. Card is already familiar and repped in RPOs and spread dropback concepts and has become increasingly accurate on deep throws down the sidelines as he’s grown stronger and more mechanically efficient.

Card has a lot of tools for Texas to work with in the coming years. He’s coming to Austin with much more advanced skill than QBs from previous eras after starting for three years, working with a private coach, and getting coordinated and coached by a former Texas GA in a similar offense. However, his natural athleticism means that he’s a very long way from being maxed out. He’ll get at least one year to sit and learn before entering the competition for 2021.

Like the other guys on this list, Texas is really going to need him.

#2 Jaylen Garth -- Jaylen Garth strikes me as the sort of player that Oklahoma regularly signs for their offensive line that Texas rarely seems to find on the roster. Garth is listed at 6-5 and might be only 6-4 but he has an impressive wingspan that could make him more effective than tackles listed two or three inches taller. He’s really quick and light on his feet and has some surprising power and anchor for a guy who’s most recent film features him as a 270-pound junior.

Oklahoma’s willingness to prioritize athleticism, functional power, and wingspan over the sorts of height and weights that scouts award extra points for gave them a starting tackle tandem of 6-4 athletes in 2018 of Bobby Evans and Cody Ford. Those two would each finish 1st team All-B12 and help keep Kyler Murray totally clean to execute the most devastating vertical passing game in NCAA history. Andrej Karic is another highly athletic and promising OL in this class but Jaylen Garth may prove to be the biggest star at tackle.

Sometimes the shorter, powerful OL with better feet and quicker turnover is a better tackle than the massive fellow, particularly if they have a big wingspan. Think 6-2 Isaiah Wynn who played LT for the National Championship runner-up Georgia Bulldogs and is now the starting left tackle for the New England Patriots.​

 

Just hope he doesn't lose his shiftiness when he puts on weight.

 

You’re right, it still is. That is, until his team can get it done on the field with some consistency.

Like most of us, I thought he was “the guy” until the 2019 season. The goodwill is all but gone. It’s time (in 2020) to get it done.

 

Like Keontay did?

 

Texas is the first team to sign 2 top 75 QBs in one cycle since 2007

 

There are, of course, many 2020 recruting post-mortems popping up, many of them super long. Here is the Mike Roach/247 part about Bijan

We’ll start with the star of the Texas recruiting class, Bijan Robinson.

Tim Beck found Robinson through his coaching connections in Arizona and brought his name to the table. Robinson took an unofficial visit to Texas during the spring along with some assistant coaches and teammate Jonah Miller, but before that time, he really wasn’t considering the Longhorns. Texas did a fantastic job on that visit and put themselves into the running with several other programs to land Robinson.

Fast forward to May. I was newly thrust into the full-time recruiting role at Horns247 and trying to play catch-up with out-of-state prospects. I was able to connect with a source near Robinson at that time who told me if they were wagering in Las Vegas, Texas would be the heavy favorite. It was at that time I started to report confidence towards Texas landing Robinson.

When Robinson visited Texas officially in June for the Heat Wave pool party, many in the offices at Moncrief thought he was coming to commit. Following the visit, sources at Texas told me they felt everything went as well as it could have and they expected the five-star back to join the class.

— Then there was the following week when Robinson arrived in Atlanta for a national combine. Reporters from another outlet quickly picked up a ton of Ohio State buzz for Robinson. This took sources in Austin by surprise as Robinson had just come off a very strong visit and gave very strong indications he would end up at Texas. As it turned out, Robinson was spending a lot of time with Ohio State commits during the event and he himself admitted that he was caught up in the hype of it all.

During that time, communication with Texas dwindled and the staff started to investigate other options. Robinson and his coaches re-established communication with Beck and Stan Drayton in mid-July and it started becoming clear that Robinson would indeed end up at Texas. After committing to the Longhorns, Robinson toyed around with the idea of taking other visits, but he told me during the All-American Bowl that he decided to shut things down and stick with Texas mid-season. ​

 

I think the comment about Collins fitting in with the offense is in error.

 

Nice. As a technical point, I didn't know walk-ons signed on signing day (or any other time other than signing any waivers, acknowledgement of rules, etc.). I thought they just showed up.

 

defense not offense

 

Card

The potential impact of Card didn’t dawn on me until recently. Based on what I saw in one of the all star games and what I have been reading, my sense is that he could be elite at the college level. Exciting days may be ahead, and soon...

 

Our past five class rankings, displayed 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Rivals: 11, 31, 4, 4, 13
ESPN: 10, 33, 3, 5, 9
247: 7, 25, 3, 3, 9

The 2016 class still has a few 5th-year seniors around, but a chunk of them just graduated. The lackluster class of 2017, which bridged the gap between Strong and Herman, will be true seniors and redshirt juniors this fall.

Maybe the 2020 recruiting class wasn't as good as the previous two (mostly because it was a little smaller), but we're headed in the right direction overall. It wasn't long ago we considered a class ranked roughly #10 as a victory.

We've been winning 8-10 games and notching impressive bowl wins while relying on a #30-ish recruiting class as our most experienced players. Imagine what we can do when our upperclassmen are coming from back-to-back top 5 classes, and the underclassmen are from top 10 classes, if not better (starting in 2021). The future is bright.

 

Let us revisit that "lackluster class."

Sam Ehlinger, Toneil Carter, Josh Thompson, Ta'Quon Graham, Gary Johnson,
Montrell Estell, Reese Leitao, Marquez Bimage Kobe Boyce, Derrick Kerstetter, Daniel Young, Jordan Pouncey, Cade Brewer, Samuel Cosmi, Rob Cummins, Jamari Chisolm, Joshua Rowland, Damion Miller.

Pouncey was inconsequential and was passed over by later recruits. Miller did not qualify and Cummins was always injured and retired from football, and I do not recall either starting.

All the others have started games for Texas. Carter and Rowland and transferred and G. Johnson graduated. Probably 5 will start next year. Not bad for a class of 17 put together and salvaged in a hurry. the rest will be on the two deep and will play.

That Ehlinger guy and the 3 Stars Cosmi, Kerstetter, G. Johnson (a 4 Star), and Brewer seemed to develop rather well. Could have been a lot worse. Ta'Quan Graham, Montrell Estell and Marquez Bimage have acquitted themselves well also on the field.

 

We basically just fired our O and D coordinators along with at least one other coach. We had a very lackluster year. Baylor roared by us with the rape culture still ringing in their ears. Not sure if that 2017 class was all that.

Can we really blame all this on the injuries we had this year? If so, then why fire the coordinators?

 

Hey Duke, get what done? What's your floor, what's your ceiling? Just asking....Name me the program that went from nothing to the CFP in 3 seasons or 4....Every single team that's been in there the last few years have had several (5-7) years of solid recruiting and retention of players. Texas is getting there, but nooottt yet. What happened with LSU? Rivals Recruiting class rankings (starting in 2014: 2nd/8th/5th/8th/14th/3rd/4th (2020)). And even then they couldn't beat Bama, but then got the transfer QB and the right assistant coach and BOOM, National Champions. Sure they switched from Miles during that but it wasn't like they weren't winning 8-10 each year....and recruiting well. I guess there's all kinds of outlooks for the team, I guess there's some that just want to keep firing coaches every 3-4 hoping for lightning to strike, but I don't think it's a likely scenario....

 

Defense, most likely. But it is evident that Herman was not happy with the defensive nor the offensive scheme. He could have gone easy and fired Giles and Hand for the under performing lines. But I think Herman looked at the big picture and decided it was not just the one particular area, but both overarching schemes that failed.

 

See Ohio State in 2011 & 2012, 6-7 to 12-0. Hey, you asked.

No amount of spin or lipstick will change the massive underachievement we witnessed last year. Can Herman get it done? I hope so but frankly I am not sure. But look, outside of a massive meltdown this year — which is improbable given the talent that is returning and the coaching changes — Herman isn’t going anywhere for at least another two years.

I want to see results on the field, not promises or recruiting wins.

 

Hand was very effective. His line was not the issue.

And while I am not a student of the D-Line, I believe that Giles was handicapped by an ineffective scheme and the less than optimum use of the available talent. See Ossai on 12/31/19. Change the scheme and the DL’s effectiveness improves considerably.

 

Here’s a jacked up story about a kid signing with Ole Miss but no offer.

Ole Miss: No offer extended to Northwood player who signed commitment letter

 

TCU, OU and Baylor liked the OL blocking scheme Texas used against them, for sure.

LSU won because Texas got no points on two possessions inside the 5 yard line. The OL could not move the LSU DL.

 

2008-2012 recruiting: 5th/3rd/27th/10th/4th. And it’s urban Meyer if u can get him lets go duke!

 

AND that was Luke Fickell going 6-7 after Tressel had to resign after the scandal. Tressel was 106-22 at the shoe. Duke, TELL me they weren’t loaded....

 

Texas did not have a short-yardage goalline offense period. Coaching and scheme issue and not a non-functioning OL issue. Ball inside the 5 puts the QB back at the 8 or so with the running back a couple of steps further back than that. No OL can hold 11 in the box for the length of time it takes the QB or RB just to reach the LoS much less the goalline.

 

FWIW, since Jimbo has been at aggy
5-stars signed - 4
4-stars signed - 39
3-stars signed - 32

Herman during the same time period
5-stars - 5
4-stars - 46
3-stars -21

42.7% of Jimbo's classes have been 3-stars
29.2% of Herman's classes have been 3-stars.

 

247 suggesting Josh Moore is a step closer to rejoining the team

Sort of like adding another WR to the class, if true

 

IT says Collins has been with us from the 2019 opener.
I think we posted a pic or video from that game at the time when it looked like our coaches were celebrating something unrelated to the game

 

Also, TFB think JWhit back to slot as well

 

TFB thinks we have a good shot with transfer WR Tarik Black
He was supposed to have already been in for a visit but missed. Will try again
He has talent, just been unlucky with injuries