2019 Recruiting - Football

Yes, that being said, the Texas head coach should be working his butt off making relationships with the Texas HS coaches. It only makes sense. College coaches and high school coaches should have good working relationships where one is helping the other (not steering or deterring kids) to be more effective together getting high school athletes to the next level (college).
Mack was great, because he wasn't about the macho jackassery that goes on. He understood people, was respectful and helpful. He made people feel like they mattered. It's the way things should be in life and work.

 

Y'all see this?

http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...fire-assistant-zach-smith-was-very-tough-call

I heard he was the lead on the Garrett Wilson recruitment.

 

https://www.hookem.com/story/dotted...-one-state-commitment-expected-campus-friday/
Recruits:
David Gbenda, inside linebacker, Katy Cinco Ranch
Noa Pola-Gates, safety, Williams Field (Ariz.)
Javonne Shepherd, offensive tackle, North Forest

Commit:
Jake Smith, wide receiver, Notre Dame Preparatory (Ariz.)

 

hmmm

 

Back when I was being recruited as a track guy from what would now be a 6A school, here is how the mail went - University to high school; high school secretary to head football coach; either then into the round file if the coach was pissed at the University (or still pissed at me for not playing football) or back to the secretary for delivery to me (I know because I was dating the secretary's daughter at the time). Fortunately, I made my own contacts at the schools I was interested in.

From what I hear from my son and daughter's husband nothing has changed.

 

It's just wrong. At the same time, the proper relationship of the coach should be as an unbiased adviser. The kids and their parents are told lot of things by the college recruiters. It's nice to have another adult supposedly in the know to help sort through the pile of letters. But if a kid grows up wanting to be a Longhorn it's a crying shame, A CRYING SHAME I tell ya', that some small-minded man would get in the way of that.

 

Deion Sanders on DB Lewis Cine --

"I think he’s a Day 1 starter in college."​

 

I think it's sad and deplorable that he was fired for domestic issues. Arguments happen. Don't make a judgment on second hand information.

 

Regardless of this situation...arguments happen, violence does not just HAPPEN.

 

Reversal of fortunes. 247Texas now says 2019 OL Javonne Shepherd will be in Austin Friday, and will be coming with 2020 stud WR Demond Demas and 2020 OL Cedric Melton (Klein Cain)

I think FootworkKing might be driving them, but not certain

 

Here are the 2019 JUCO rankings. We have pursued the #1

https://247sports.com/Season/2019-Football/RecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=JuniorCollege

 

Apparently we have a shot at TCU commit OT Andrew Coker (Katy Taylor). He is a big dude who moves well -- 6'8, 338 lbs (Nike verified)

Here is what Ian Boyd had to say about Coker --

How he fits at Texas: This is what Orlando Brown's HS tape looked like, just a massive human being who was quick enough to get to the right spots and thus often had highlights where he was either bullying helpless victims or watching guys make business decisions. This dude is 6-foot-8, 330 right now and moves really easily at that size. The game is simply too easy for him right now so it'll be interesting to see what his development curve looks like in college when technique will start to matter more and he can't just toss people out of his way. His ceiling is definitely at LT and he'll probably stick there but RT would make sense if he ends up stronger in run blocking technique than pass protection. With his reach and mass though, a LT that's very difficult to get around seems the most likely outcome. If he's closer to 6-6 or 6-7 and can get down in a stance he might work out at guard. Taking him would amount to hoping that he'd respond to a demanding culture and maximize his deep, untapped potential either in the art of drive blocking DTs or dropping into protection. - Ian Boyd​

http://insidetexas.com/recruiting-notebook-71218/

 

Here is a little more on 4-Star Rodas Johnson who is supposed to be visiting this week. He is originally from Texas, but moved to Ohio in elementary school but with a father who is from Texas. They are both Longhorn fans.

He plays on both O & D in HS but will probably play the DL in college. Johnson holds offers from the likes of Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin, ou and others. He is supposed to be in state now visiting relatives so we are trying to get him in with everyone else. We will see.

 

Visitor List -- will change

2019
QB Roschon Johnson – Port Neches-Grove (Port Neches, TX) TEXAS
RLB DeGabriel Floyd – Westlake (Los Angeles, CA) TEXAS
CB Marques Caldwell – Alvin (Alvin, TX) TEXAS
WR Jake Smith – Notre Dame Preparatory (Scottsdale, AZ) TEXAS
TE Jared Wiley – Temple (Temple, TX) TEXAS
DL Rodas Johnson – St. Francis De Sales (Columbus, OH)
DB Noa Pola-Gates – Williams Field (Gilbert, AZ)
LB David Gbenda – Cinco Ranch (Houston, TX) Maybe
OT Javonne Shepherd – North Forest (Houston, TX)

2020
RB Zach Evans – North Shore (Houston, TX) – Maybe
RB Ty Jordan – West Mesquite (Mesquite, TX)
CB Jaylon Jones – Steele (Cibolo, TX)
CB Lorando Johnson – Lancaster (Lancaster, TX)
DB Bryson Washington – C.E.King (Houston, TX)
DL Princely Umanmielen – Manor (Manor, TX) – Probable
WR Demond Demas - North Forest (Houston)
OL Cedric Melton - Klein Cain (Houston)
ATH Michael Henderson Jr – Ranchview (Carrollton, TX) – maybe

2021
DE Landyn Watson – Hutto (Hutto, TX)

 

From TFB --

2019 linebacker Maninoa Tufono has also formed a very tight relationship with “the voice of the class” DeGabriel Floyd. After hearing some things in the background, we actually feel that Texas may have a slight lead here, ahead of Washington and USC. There certainly is some confidence from the Texas side. ​

 

I don't think I'm living in an ivory tower, but let's not give these hs coaches more credit than they're due....they can make it difficult all they want, but what do you do if that school/coach/staff/secretary likes OU and won't let you in? You know the kid exists, heck send him a letter/email/whatever and make the contact. Then give it your best shot and move on.... All of these great Texas hs kids don't come from the same school, there's limited scholarships..... Sabre, you may be correct (and I'm in my bubble, kinda hard to breathe when they shut off the oxygen), but I feel like you may doing a little bit of hand-wringing over something that, really, Texas or any other university can't really do anything about but put their best face forward to the potential recruits. We could recruit nothing but Texas kids, everyone loves our coach, we shower Texas hs coaches with affection and praise, and somehow, kids still pick OU, TAMU, and go out of state to play..... it seems like wasted effort/lip service. Texas is on TV every Saturday, has more natties than anyone else in the state (haven't checked the Aggie math lately but will stick with my claim), so if someone just doesn't find that appealing or his coach is successful in keeping him blind to the good thing we got going on, I say, "so what/see ya".....

 

My posts were never intended to be tied to Herman, his success or failure in any part of the country. Just the fact that coaches can, will, and do bar certain people from their campuses, which directly impedes the ability to recruit a kid.

bystander,

I actually attended a "parents meeting" as an invited guest. The coach, who had won something like 8 or 10 straight district championships, but only once won his bi-district contest, told the parents, "You don't know what is best for your child; you are not professionals. I know what is best for your child's future, and I will direct him where he needs to go to school." Personal opinion, I always thought he didn't want the kids having great success in D-1 because it would cause people to ask why he had never gone deeper in the playoffs.

FWIW, one of those kids the coach wanted to go to Texas Lutheran, I helped walkon at Texas, where he lettered 3 years, graduated with a 3.7 in accounting, and is now Sr VP a Fortune 10.

 

Sounds like a parenting issue.....in this social media world a coach can say/do all he wants but he can’t stop twitter.....

 

If a coach is banned from the school, that does not mean he is banned from the home. You make an appointment and go meet the whole family, which is going to happen anyway. If, however, you are banned from the school and the home, then that is a problem.

 

It didn't help that I showed up, because that is the only coach I have ever stood face to face with and accused of throwing a football game because nobody could be that stupid.

 

Sabre, I think that's one of the coolest things I have ever heard anyone doing....it's like the stuff I want to do all the time but don't because the voices in my head say um no not right now....

 

That would turn me off completely if that coach was talking to me. I'd just do my thing directly with the recruiters after our family did our own soul-searching. It's hard to know what to believe anyway from 3rd parties. So many agendas. Lots of rumors. In the end, big-time football is no joke and it's going to be tough at the top schools. The expectations are very high and then there's going to class. It's not for everybody. But if my son was a 5-star I would hope there was someone, somewhere I could actually trust. Bottom-line, given the current coaching staffs, if my son wanted to go to either UT, OU or A&M I'd probably go with whichever one he preferred ASSUMING nobody acted like a douche bag in my living room.

 

I didn't know that you knew Howard "I don't give a damn how many buildings have your family name on them, no scotch, no scholarship" Schnellenberger.

 

This is all interesting to me. So there you are and in walks (back in the not so far day) either Mack Brown, Bob Stoops, Les Miles and maybe Nick Saban. All on separate occasions. In your experience, are men of that stature considered closers? Is there high pressure to announce a commit then and there (or maybe within 24 hours after the obligatory family meeting) when they take the time to come into your home? Do they "big-time" the family? Do they get offended if they don't get a commit right away? Do they come to salvage the recruit or when the assistants indicate it's time to play the ace?

I'm sure there's all kinds of scenarios but if high school coaches have egos, I'm sure a coach with a ring has his own kind of expectation when he walks into the room.

 

Every coach & every situation is different. Now that the HC has limited visits to the home, it is much more of a chess game knowing when to go.

Mack Brown was apparently a superb recruiter, but I never liked his "now or never" approach, any more than I liked his only one QB, but at least he didn't lie to the kids like certain employees in Brazos County did.

The smoothest I've ever seen is Barry (from whom Mack learned a lot). I have accused Switzer of recruiting out of a 16 ton truck, because that's what it took to carry his wardrobe. Scott Hill did a great job of assembling family information for Barry, who would change from house to house. Inner city would be OU warmup & Nike tennis shoes. Highland Park or Tanglewood would find a $5,000 suit. Fort Stockton, the High Plains, farm towns would be Wranglers & boots. Blend in with what makes the family comfortable.

Hill was a master of playing the media, particularly the Dallas Times Herald by releasing false information - Scott even called Bosworth the night before he "leaked" Bosworth's commitment, when indeed he had not committed at all. Scott would "leak" stories about this unknown LB at (pick a school) that was their #1 target, but don't print that because nobody knows about him. Of course it made the next afternoon's Times Herald, and all the opposing coaches went screaming to "Longview", when the real target was a kid 50 miles away in "Palestine".

Some families can be pressured by "it's now or never" and some will rebel.

So, no, that doesn't answer your question other than you have to know everything you can about the family & kid and change strategies from place to place. One size does not fit all.

 

Makes sense. Barry didn't miss a trick did he? He was a smart man at his game.

 

I wasn't meaning to infer you were tying TH to the HS coaches banning him. Sorry if my post communicated that. I respect your experience and first hand knowledge about these situations. I know only what I read in the papers.

 

His intelligence is not limited to "his game". He is truly one of the smartest business people I know, and by far and away one of the most ethical, if not the most ethical. To my knowledge, he has made one mistake in business, although he was warned in advance. It was not critical to the venture and has since been corrected.

 

Something to think about is that most big high school programs rely heavily on boosters, and I can guarantee that at just about every program you are going to find a Texas Ex that is a booster for that program. It's the boosters that can help to keep the peace between the Texas coaches and the high school coaches. Just like Texas coaches don't want to piss off the boosters, neither does the high school coaches.

 

Fair comment. The issue is consistent and timely messages from the Texas boosters.