May/June/JULY Football

We should want him to play as well. JH is a terrific athlete and I think he can contribute a lot to the team. Get him in the game!

 

Just re-watch the Cal game if you have any question about whether Heard can contribute to this team.

I have never heard a coach complain about having too many fast, shifty players on the field.

 

State of the OLine

​

Since I hadn’t heard much unsolicited about [Zach Shackelford] I decided to ask. Apparently he’s doing about as well as can be expected on the mental aspects of the job but he’s definitely still learning to get the line-calls down dependent on the defensive front. Physically he keeps up in conditioning and appears to have the requisite mental strength.

Mental maturity is an often overlooked aspect of taking the step from high school stardom to freshman nobody. Some make the transition as seamlessly as you could hope for, others, require more time. Step 1 is showing your mental strength in off-season. The next real football test is the first day of pads. It’s good when you hear a player is mentally mature is what I’m getting at. Not all of the freshman are, but Shack is. Arriving on campus early certainly helped.

We discussed how Patrick Hudson is impressing with his quickness and strength. Understandably people are excited about those early returns. A hot topic is where he’ll play next season – guard or tackle. According to one source look for Hudson to first crack the depth chart at guard. That obviously means Kent Perkins will remain at tackle but I think that works as far as the best five.

Best guess on OL is Williams-Hudson-Shackelford-Vahe-Perkins. That’s a run 1st, run 2nd line, which is ideal considering the running backs and quarterback situation.

[Per another poster]

 

I've had a chance over the last few days to accumulate a few morsels of information on the football team as it gets ready to wrap its final stretch of off-season workouts this month before taking a slight break before the team reports in early August.

1. The team morale is very good right now. At the risk of unloading a ton of yearly hyperbole your way, there is an excitement that exists right now as you'd expect with almost every team in America, but all the right words about the attitude of this group seems to be in the right place.

Perhaps the thing that stood out the most to me in conversations with those around the program was the acknowledgment that the underclassmen have, as a group, embraced a leadership role that is not typical in college football.

"I know everyone will point to someone like Malik and say he's the leader, but we've got a group of young guys that believe something special is going to be created by their (recruiting classes) and they are pushing each other and thriving because of the motivation that comes with thinking they have a chance to be special."

Another source was a little more direct.

"If (the young players) have to lead, then (they'll) do it. (They) didn't come here to feel like (they) did in some of those games last season and there's a commitment to make sure that doesn't ever happen again. (They're) tired of feeling like that."

"We need to stop being humiliated. It's time to humiliate everyone else."

2. The incoming freshmen class has fit in like a glove with the rest of the players. According to those I spoke with, the members from the 2015 recruiting class have gone out of their way to make those players feel welcome and comfortable. Essentially, there's a feeling that exists that the 2015/2016 classes are in this together arm in arm.

3. If there's a negative piece of news to pass along, I don't get the sense that anyone feels like any QB has completely pulled away in the competition heading into camp.

"All of those guys are working hard and they take turns having the best day," one source with knowledge of workouts said.

In talking to various sourcing, everyone had an idea of who the starter would be this season, but none told me that one quarterback from the trio of Ty Swoopes, Jerrod Heard and Shane Buechele had stood out clearly from the others.

For the record, hearing that "everyone is playing well" and that there hasn't been a clear leader isn't what you'd exactly like to hear a few weeks away from the start of camp.

4. A sense of urgency definitely exists at wide receiver.

"They can count," one source said of the numbers at the position. "If you let someone get a rep over you, you might as well give him your position and your number, and just transfer."

5. I can't believe I'm writing these words, but everyone I spoke with had something positive to say about Tristan Nickelson.

"He's out to prove he's not the worst lineman. That boy is hungry."

When I mentioned that I had been especially tough on Nickelson's projection in the starting line-up, my source officially put me on blast.

"He knows what people say. Keep it up, though. He's been a different guy this summer because of people like you saying he can't play."

6. Finally, I asked three different people who they thought was the best player on the team that no one is talking about. Their answers?

Edwin Freeman. Breckyn Hager. Kent Perkins.

[Per another poster]

 

Godz,

Your morsels of information are an oasis in the desert that is the off-season.

 

Let me get this straight, no QB has separated since Spring practice ended with Buechele leading the pack (to anyone with eyes).

Sooooo...during the time they've been throwing in shorts in unofficial practices no QB has separated. Big deal.

That's not even competitive football, it's practice without organization or supervision by their actual position coaches.

Same thing every year. Bunch of useless summer tidbits. Last two years we heard July boasting over Swoopes morphing into a much improved, hands down best QB.

Now it's Buechele is no better than anyone else at the position. Wait til the pads come back on and the real players surface again in real competition.

Over the last 20+ summers waiting for summer practice, one thing is clear...July 'sources' opinions are often less accurate than common sense predictions of Joe Fan.

And if these summer 'sources' are coming from OB's, it's a handful of non-athlete writers masking their clueless predictions under the guise of 'sources' to get article views.

 

Strong on fowler

 

So much for flying under the radar

 

McRaven should have called up his Navy buddies and had a F-18G (electronic warfare version of the F-18) fly over ESPN while that was airing.

 

Okay, this is really cool – mad editing skills.

 

Ketch's 10 Thoughts (Thanks, Malik.)

My favorite thing about Malik Jefferson has nothing to do with his ability to make sideline-to-sideline plays on the football field.

Or his ability to rush the passer.

Or anything related to him putting on a helmet and pads.

No, it turns out the thing that Jefferson provides me the most has nothing to do with the exhilaration that brings us all together on Saturdays. Instead, it has everything to do with the rest of the days that we all live together and navigate life in a very complicated world.

Malik Jefferson gives me hope at a time when I feel like that four-letter word is needed the most.

In the last few weeks alone in college football, we’ve seen an up-close look at one of the worst college/NCAA scandals and cover-ups just 100 miles down the road from Austin, indications that Joe Paterno protected an animal over children for at least a quarter-century and everywhere you look are cheats, liars and enablers of the worst kind. The sludge seems so sick that I’ve even questioned my choice in life to engage in a life’s work that takes advantage of the same passion that often bears so much responsibility in so many of these ugly situations.

Earlier this week, I was putting together a show sheet for two hours of radio and realized as I was writing it all down that every single segment was full of some sort of college football ugliness and none of it was actually related to something on the field. And right when I’m ready to scream, “No more!”, Jefferson is there to remind me of the best parts of my job.

It’s him taking pictures with others or showing kindness to a smiling child that glowingly looks up to him.

It’s him always seeming to lift up his teammates with words of encouragement or kindness.

It’s him wrapping his arms around the word “potential” and turning it into realization.

One of the best things about my job is watching kids change their lives through this little game that we all love to obsess over, knowing that years and years of hard work can eventually translate into a life forever changed. Yet, when I talk about Jefferson’s “potential” being realized, I’m speaking more about him as a man than athlete. In this time of division and conflict in our country, it’s refreshing to see someone like Jefferson engaged in discussions and working to be part of the solutions in this world that is in dire need of a few.

In all, Jefferson is just a really good young man that seems to genuinely cares about people… all people. We’re in an age when everyone can be so angry and mean on social media, yet I can’t ever remember seeing him write something that would make me cringle.

I hope I’m not putting too much pressure on the kid in writing this, but he should feel zero pressure because all he needs to do is keep being himself.

Stay gold, Malik. We like you just the way you are.

[Per another poster]

 

Keep seeing rumors that DT Chris Nelson may actually be making a push for PT
Would be a good development, if true

 

Higs' candidates for defensive breakout players in 2016 --

1. Wheeler
2. Omenihu

 

On Monday Texas Tech HC Kliff Kingsbury was asked about Texas’ freshman QB Shane Buechele. Kingsbury had nice things to say about Buechele, “That young kid’s gonna be good. We were the first team to offer him. We had him in camp. Just really liked the way he carried himself. Really quick release, really accurate. Not the biggest kid, but you could tell, like Patrick (Mahomes) he has that background, has that pedigree and has that ‘it’ factor.”

http://texas.thefootballbrainiacs.com/2016/07/open-post-wednesday-july-20th/

 

He only said nice things about Boo cuz he thinks he's better looking than him.

 

Offense Needs Balance

​

Sterlin Gilbert likes to throw the football.

Leading into the 2016 season, the offensive chatter about Texas mostly surrounds the quarterbacks – Shane Buechele is the likely starter – and augmenting an aerial attack that finished 118th nationally in passing yards per game last season.

But while a large portion of Gilbert’s offensive reconstruction project will revolve around the passing game, Charlie Strong cautioned Tuesday at Big 12 Media Days that Texas won’t abandon the run.

“I’ve always said this, ‘If you’re going to be a good football team, you’re going to have to run the football,’” Strong said.

For all its troubles through the air, the Longhorns had little issue moving the ball on the ground in 2015.

Foreman, a junior, and Warren, a sophomore, represent one of the Big 12’s most intimidating rushing duos. Both backs are over 6-feet with Foreman weighing 249 pounds and Warren checking in at 252 pounds. They each have speed, too, as they both rushed for a touchdown of 80-yards-plus last year.

For Strong, there’s just too much talent in his backfield to ever completely abandon the running game.

Abandoning the run likely isn’t Gilbert’s plan regardless. Last season, his first year as Tulsa’s offensive coordinator, the Golden Hurricanes threw 492 passes, finishing 11th nationally in passing yards per game. However, they actually had more rushing attempts (591) than passing, finishing 62nd nationally in rushing yards per game.

[247]

 

He knows he caught a horrible Texas team last year and somehow won the game. He also knows that was probably his shot at Texas for the remainder of time he will be at Tech. He is just trying to cover his ***.

 

An oldie but goodie. I remember seeing this when The Dread Pat Moorer first came to UT.

 

I just got a feeling these young men are going to kick some *** this year.

 

Strong on Davante Davis:

 

The 2016 Longhorns will only feature 25 scholarship upperclassmen (71% of the team will be freshmen or sophomores) and in a quality program, at least half of those players should be significant NFL prospects. At Texas, I can count the number of likely NFL draft picks on one hand. And I don't need all my fingers.

However, while the program's best talent is in gridiron diapers, that doesn't mean the upperclassmen won't play an important role in the success of the 2016 season. You can still be a very useful college player without a clear NFL future.

The absence of upperclassmen stepping up (and mostly stepping out of the program) has influenced Strong's 11-14 start. When a true freshman starts, unless it's some generational talent, it's a rebuke to the juniors and seniors.

[BC]

 

Why UT Should Scrap The 3-3-5

​

Texas has a ton of talent at corner, DE, OLB, and pass-rushing DTs that are all just needing some protection from a nose tackle and a good mike linebacker who will do the dirty work inside. Texas is probably at least another year away from having either, and they need to do all they can to leverage the exceptional talents of Malik and Co. in the short term.

The problem with the 3-3 for the 2016 Texas team isn’t the scheme itself or the lack of emphasis it puts on stopping the run. The problem is more... that it doesn’t match the strengths of the current personnel.

There’s a general opportunity in the Big 12 in 2016 for a defensive system designed to attack OL with movement and confusion as the league is seeing a lot of graduation and attrition for the unit at many programs.

Returning OL starters per team:

1. Bailor – 1
2. Iowa State – 2
3. Kansas – 3
4. Kansas State – 1
5. ou – 3
6. Oklahoma State – 5
7. TCU – 1
   
8. TEXAS – 3
9. Texas Tech – 2
10. West Virginia – 4

​

West Virginia is the only team that’s returning an imposing interior OL while many good units are getting decimated by graduation including likely league contenders Oklahoma (returning their tackles), Baylor, TCU, Tech, and Kansas State. Oklahoma State does return all of its OL, but they are terrible.

If Charlie and Vance are willing to adjust and move away from relying so heavily on the 3-3 stack front in 2016, there could be an opportunity to put a thin DL roster in position to make plays and protect a young but athletic LB corps with an aggressive approach. If that could happen, we could see a big-time year from Malik Jefferson and perhaps an opportunity for this defensive staff to stick around until the roster is better suited to run their preferred schemes.

[Detailed IT article with lots of diagrams-4-dummies like me]