2019 Recruiting - Football

According to OB, Roschon Johnson QB is in,

 

There has been some in-fighting within the ranks of the recruiting gurus in the last 48 hours

 

".... Gbenda broke onto the scene following a strong junior season that saw him rack up 56 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, and two passes broken up. The natural inside linebacker is a little bit undersized for the position and will need to continue adding weight, but he’s a solid athlete — he posted a 4.36 shuttle and a 32-inch vertical this spring.

”Seeing how I haven’t been playing football as much, but I have a work ethic that’s really at the top because I’m learning every day,” Gbenda said. “My athleticism on the blitz and really just my natural instincts. With the defense, I see myself fitting more as the Rover. But I’m good at blitzing, so I can fit in that role, too.”

With both starting linebackers graduating, Gbenda will have a chance to make an instant impact for the Longhorns....​

Dominant 4-star ILB David Gbenda officially signs with Texas

 

" .... In watching the clips from this season, Mpagi’s frame is the first thing that stands out. From his ankles to his calves to his knees to his thighs and into his upper body, the 6’4, 220-pounder looks really thin on film. There’s no question that Mpagi could gain 30 pounds easily once he arrives in Austin, but his ideal position is probably more at B-backer than as a 4i defensive end in coordinator Todd Orlando’s tite front.

As a senior, Mpagi certainly demonstrates burst off the ball, overall twitchiness, and some evidence of technique with his hands. Explosiveness is a genetic trait and Mpagi has it. He’s not an instant-impact recruit at B-backer, but let him develop for two or three years and those natural traits combined with some polish could produce a truly impactful skill set....."​

Lengthy 3-star WDE Peter Mpagi signs with Texas

 

Fast and furious this morning. Woke up at 5am thinking it might be a while so I just checked in and already 9! Nice!

Welcome to the Longhorn family everyone!

 

OL Andrew Coker stuck with TCU

 

As I understand it, we could get everyone in by the end of the day the only question is Shepherd and he is also a maybe. But he is also a maybe to flip

 

247 on Derrian Brown

" ..... “I feel, personally, he might be a little underrated,” Mansell said of Brown, the nation’s No. 13-ranked running back according to the 247Sports Composite.

What Mansell likes about Brown is a skill set that should play well in the Big 12. Brown is the new-age running back, Mansell said, an all-purpose player capable of impacting the game in a manner such that he never has to leave the field due to being a true three-down back who can block, catch and do everything a third-down specialist typically handles.

“I don’t want to compare him directly to (New Orleans Saints running back) Alvin Kamara, but he’s in that mold,” Mansell said. “He’s a kid that’s going to give you 70-80 rushing yards, 60-70 receiving yards, have a punt return or two and at the end of the game you’ll notice he had a really productive day.”

What Herman and running backs coach Stan Drayton should dig the most about Brown is that he’s heading to the Forty Acres with a lot of tread remaining on his tires...."

* * *
“(Brown is) ideal for what you want in a back in an offense like Texas because he can pass block, run between the tackles, he’s got great vision — I see him as a patient runner,” Mansell said. “James Cook probably has more top-end speed, but I don’t know if he can run between the tackles like Brown can. (Brown) won’t shy away from being physical and he can stuff it up in there and get you two or three tough yards.”

..... Mansell thinks the Longhorns found a true gem in Brown who has an intriguing set of tools and likely has his best football ahead of him. “I can’t wait to see how that translates to the next level,” Mansell said....."​

Four-star Texas signee Brown fits mold of new-age running backs

 

In the state playoffs (Huntsville vs Fort Bend Marshall), he was in their backfield almost every play, chasing down QB Malik Hornsby the whole game

" .... A physical presence with tremendous strength and speed, Sweat is slated to be a defensive end for Todd Orlando’s defense. He is gifted with a substantial amount of size and churning feet that he utilizes exceptionally well when disrupting offense’s rhythm. Sweat is the kind of defensive end that makes plays you might not necessarily see on the stat sheet.

Over the course of his high school playing years, there were plays where Sweat didn’t give his best effort and there were games where he was unblockable and probably the best player on the field. The Longhorns will need that exact same motor and juice that Sweat played with during his last outing at Huntsville to carry over to the next level. Sweat is fully aware of these things and he’s ready to make a statement when he gets to campus.

“I just have to continue to get faster and a little bigger in the weight room,” Sweat told Burnt Orange Nation. “Once I get that workout plan, I’m going to take that real serious. I’m trying to come in and play as a true freshman.”....."​

Talented 3-star DE T’Vondre Sweat signs with Texas

 

Looks impressive

" .... According to the video, Warren had 85 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks during a monster senior season that could vault him into the ranks of four-star prospects.

In it, Warrens shows off his ability as a speed rusher from the edge and as a run-stopping force. He displays excellent quickness off the ball and strong overall athleticism, including change-of-direction ability. Capable of overwhelming opponents physically, there’s a nastiness to Warren’s game that is aided by his strong motor — just look at how he finishes nearly every tackle with the maximum amount of force.

The question with Warren is how quickly he can translate his game from 2A Louisiana high school football to playing against high-level college athletes. There will definitely be a major jump, as the quality of his competition does not appear strong.

However, many athletes from Louisiana, especially from smaller schools, have plenty of untapped physical upside when they arrive on campus. Warren fits that mold — he’s the defensive end version of 2016 signee Malcolm Roach, who played linebacker at Madison Prep in Baton Rouge.

So, if it was hard to feel excited about Warren when he pledged due to the lack of film on him, Texas fans now have more insight into a player who could eventually replace Roach in the starting lineup....."​

Savage 3-star DE Myron Warren signs with Texas

 

They still at it ....

 

" .... Jones, a three-star talent who is ranked as the No. 23 junior college prospect and the No. 2 strong-side defensive end, according to the 247 Sports Composite rankings, will have two years of eligibility when he arrives on the Forty Acres in January.

With the addition of Jones, the Longhorns will have a viable replacement option and added depth at a position where Texas will need someone to fill holes on the defensive line. Jones will be among a handful of defensive lineman who could potentially replace departing senior defensive ends Charles Omenihu, who tallied 16 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks during the 2018 regular season, and Breckyn Hager, who compiled 31 tackles, 7.5 of those for loss, and 2.5 sacks

The 6’4, 250-pounder took an initial visit to Texas in May of 2018, but later committed to Oklahoma close to the start of the regular season. But despite the commitment to the Sooners seemingly eliminating the Longhorns from the mix, Texas defensive line coach Oscar Giles, who recruited Jones, continued pressing until the Horns were able to get Jones back to Austin for a second visit in November when Texas hosted Iowa State. Jones flipped his commitment to Texas just a days later with a verbal on Nov. 21, throwing him into Herman’s #fUTure19 class.

Currently on the Texas roster are five defensive ends if you include occasional B-backer Malcolm Roach, who missed nearly two months with a broken foot and then played defensive end upon his return...."​

No. 2 JUCO SDE Jacoby Jones signs with Texas

 

Kennedy Lewis is in

 

Brayden Liebrock is in.

 

BON on Brayden Liebrock

" ....the most prototypical build Herman has landed since arriving in Austin — Reese Leitao is close, but doesn’t have the pure height and length of Liebrock. At 6’5 and capable of eventually carrying at least 240 pounds, Liebrock projects as a capable in-line blocker in college. He wouldn’t have earned an offer from Michigan if he didn’t.

On his junior film, Liebrock is at his best working at the second level, where his reactive quickness and willingness to keep his feet moving after contact make him an effective blocker. Executing blocks at the line of scrimmage will most likely take some time to develop, as he needs to add strength in his upper and lower body to anchor against college defensive ends.

Right now, Liebrock’s best attribute is his ability as a pass catcher, as he recorded 39 catches for 600 yards and five touchdowns as a junior, good for 15.4 yards per catch. As much as Herman wants his tight ends to be able to execute in-line blocks, he also wants athletes who are capable of lining up in the slot and beating linebackers with their speed or boxing out safeties with their height.

In high school, Liebrock has plenty of experience working from the slot, as he’s too quick for linebackers, capable of threatening the seam with his speed, and able to go up and high point the football in traffic like a basketball player going up for a rebound. On another play, he shows his ability to get out of his break on a hitch to create separation, then snags a football thrown low at his feet as soon as he turns.

In route-running ability, Liebrock compares favorably to a smaller player currently on the roster in Cade Brewer, but may be an even better athlete — his Hudl page lists a 4.6 40-yard dash and it wouldn’t be surprising based on the film if Liebrock could run a verified time in that range. It’s rare for a 6’5, 220-pounder to look as fast and fluid on film as Liebrock does consistently. The fact that he’s doesn’t rely on his height and maximum stride length to cover ground is extremely helpful in that regard....."​

4-star TE Brayden Liebrock, an elite receiving threat, signs with Texas

 

" .... Johnson is the highest-ranked member of the Longhorns’ 2019 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings, coming in at No. 37 nationally and No. 5 at his position. Furthermore, he’s one of only four Longhorns signees ranked within the top 100 nationally. Johnson saw his stock rise significantly between his junior and senior campaigns, rising 124 spots in the rankings in the last two seasons.

Oak Ridge is a run-heavy offense, which features pulling tackles frequently. Johnson was asked to pull across the formation, as well as execute combo blocks, which he did with relative ease. His ability to move across the field, as well as block at the second level becomes even more impressive considering he added 16 pounds between his junior and senior seasons.

As a blocker, Johnson uses his size well and puts himself between defenders and the ballcarrier to create a clean lane, as well as sealing off the edge for outside runs.

Perhaps most important for a running game, he prides himself on putting defenders on their backs. If he’s able to do that while staying upright, he can be a dangerous tool in Herb Hand’s blocking scheme...."​

The headliner of the Longhorns class has officially inked his NLI with Texas

 

Tyler Johnson and Jake Smith are in the house!

 

Jake Smith is one I’m really excited about

 

Looks like Sheperd is set to sign...

 

I count 17 already.

 

The entire family is in

 

of prior commitments who is not in...

still possible that either have not committed or possible flips?

 

Arguably our top commit

 

Sorry Misery but .....

 

Looks like all the possible flips (Washington, Warren) are going our way.