Inside Texas Spring Issue

2019 SPRING ISSUE

SPRING FEVER! DESPITE LOSING KEY PLAYERS FROM THE SUGAR BOWL WIN OVER GEORGIA THE FUTURE LOOKS PROMISING FOR TEXAS.

W W W. I N S I D E T E X A S . C O M

in this issue

Spring Game Recap |

by

6

Joe Cook

Joe looks at the notable takeaways from the spring game.

Spring Game Thoughts |

10

Scipio Tex Position-by-position observations by Scipio. by

Mike Blackwell Charles Omenihu and Kris Boyd highlight NFL-bound senior class.

16

5 Quick Thoughts - Spring Game |

22

Longhorns in the Draft |

by

Ian breaks down the Orange-White game.

by Ian

Boyd

Mike Blackwell Jordan Whittington is a quick study with abundant talent.

28

Recruiting Notes |

Justin Wells and Joe Cook The 2020 class is starting to take shape.

32

Hoops and Baseball Recaps |

38

Generational Jordan |

by

by

Joe Cook Basketball and Baseball teams have polar-opposite season endings. by

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SPRING GAME

Texas’ spring practice is officially over with the conclusion of the Orange-White game. Now, Texas fans will have to wait until September for the next action at DKR, but here are some observations from the scrimmage with an eye to the big picture coming later.

6

E TAKEAWAYS

By Joe Cook

Photographs by Will Gallagher

T

he best performances of the

of offensive performance tonight,” Tom

DeMarvion Overshown on the game’s only

spring game on offense came

Herman said after the game. “Not only

score, while Johnson and Whittington had

from Casey Thompson, Jordan

difficult, almost impossible to do much with

several solid runs. Johnson did leave the

Whittington, and Kirk Johnson’s work on

the wind the way that it was. There’s really

game favoring his wrist late in the game.

the ground. Thompson had 15 total carries

no threat of throwing the football.”

for 42 yards and a score. Whittington had

Still, the work on the ground from those

a team-high 62 yards on 12 carries.

The defense teed off as a result, and that

three was one of the offenses’ biggest

was a beneficial outcome for that unit ac-

highlights.

Because of the gusting winds, most of the

cording to Herman.

best plays came on the ground for both

-Whittington looked natural at running

teams. Thompson had ample opportunity

“They had taken a few of these on the chin

back. Not comfortable, but natural. Accord-

to scramble because that seemed to be

lately in the previous few scrimmages,”

ing to Herman, he might look natural at

the only place the first-team defense gave

Herman said. “It was nice to send them

anything.

“The guy could probably go drive the bus tomorrow too if we asked him to,” Herman said. “I’m amazed at how well he took to that position and just his ability, having never played that position, to do some of the things he has done throughout the course of the spring.”

Texas made efforts to not only get Whittington the ball, but to do it in space from a variety of alignments. He lined up in the backfield, lined up in the backfield with another back, and split out wide. He caught four balls for 27 yards and almost had a touchdown reception if it weren’t for a great play from Joseph Ossai.

Last year, Texas “formationed” success for Lil’Jordan Humphrey. There’s a good chance Texas “formations” success for Whittington as well.

Though the wind did affect Thompson’s passing ability, the lack of protection seemed to have more to do with his

Casey Thompson

9-for-23, one interception evening as the white squad’s QB. Thompson was under pressure from the first-team defense often,

the second-team offense yards. He didn’t

into the offseason with a little bit of confi-

which lead to scrambles where he found

have much help from the elements. Nei-

dence.”

much of his success on the ground.

ther did Sam Ehlinger or any QB. So work on the ground was necessary

Once Thompson got behind the orange

“Obviously, I hope none of us are going to

for the offenses Saturday, and that trio

line, he went 5-for-8.

try and take anything away from any kind

provided it. Thompson took a lick from

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Herman has mentioned the second team

“I think he’s taken that to heart,” Herman

OL as a concern this spring, and it once

said of Green working toward adding more

again was a concern during the spring

physicality. “I think he wants to improve

Despite Thompson arriving one year

game. It often started at the snap with

that part of his game and you saw a little

earlier, both freshmen haven’t seen a live

Rafiti Ghirmai, who is learning the position,

bit of that tonight.

college snap, leaving Herman’s concern

offering some poor snaps to Thompson

backup job come fall camp.

about QB experience behind Ehlinger

that sometimes tanked the play. “Still a

-In a game where plenty of third string and

work in progress,” Herman said about that

walk-on players got a considerable amount

“High to quite high.”

unit.

“We’ve got to accelerate their ability to slow the game down and think very quickly on their feet,” Herman continued. “ Right now, it always seems like they’re a step behind everything that’s going on. That’s why we have training camp. We’ve made progress. We’ve got to speed this up because chances are we’re going to need a couple of those guys.”

-Defensive miscellany: Jeffrey McCulloch intercepted Sam Ehlinger on a poor decision early in the game. Ehlinger let the RB leak out of the backfield, square up both middle linebackers, then make a move toward the flat. McCulloch followed the RB the entire time, read Ehlinger, made a play on the ball, and almost brought it back for a score.

Jordan Whittington

Kobe Boyce recorded an interception on a poorly thrown ball from Thompson.

Both teams combined for 12.0 TFLs and

of action, Roschon Johnson’s snaps were

“I think we all feel confident in the trajec-

limited in his first career spring game.

tory of Casey and the improvement and

5.0 sacks. Scholarship players that got to

strides he has made,” Herman said. “ I

the QB include Ossai, Ayodele Adeoye,

It’s because he’s behind Casey Thompson

don’t think there’s anybody in the country,

Ta’Quon Graham, and Byron Vaughns.

in reps, on field play, and time spent at

if you’ve got a redshirt freshman that

Ehlinger had to add a tackle on his inter-

Texas.

hasn’t played in any games as your back-

ception.

up quarterback, that’s a little concerning.”

“Roschon knows that he’s not ready right

Marcus Tillman led Orange with 5 tackles,

now,” Herman said after the game. “That’s

He would say how pleased he was with his

Montrell Estell led White with 6.

okay. You’re not supposed to be after 15

redshirt freshman.

practices of college football. I don’t think Jalen Green had a standout performance,

that’s a huge concern of ours. He under-

“We’re happy,” Herman said. “We think

including a big hit and several pass break-

stands he needs to grow in this offense.”

we’ve got as good a situation there as pos-

ups. Postgame, Herman emphasized the

sible with Casey Thompson.”

importance for Green to make physical

Johnson completed one of his two passes,

plays like he did Saturday.

and will compete with Thompson for the

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9

In lieu of Ambien, I watched the Spring game again and wanted to share a few thoughts on players and positions. Injured starters sitting, wind conditions, zero sum games and stripped down playbook disclaimers are all mentioned now in obligatory fashion.

by Scipio Tex

Demarvion Overshown

First, the Defense....

he’s well ahead of schedule given his HS offense background. He’ll get a baptism by fire, but should be very good soon.

DEFENSIVE BACK

Montrell Estell did a fine job getting involved as a tackler and led the scrimmage in stops.

With players like Josh Thompson, Brandon Jones and Caden Sterns sitting on the sideline, the first string unit still looked like a credible FBS secondary. A big portion of the credit for that goes to safety Chris Brown, who played QB for the defense and tackled very well throughout. He’s tough and he plays with good anticipation that offsets his physical deficits.

of wrapping up and allowed a 5 yard gain to go for 20. Despite his quickness, he can’t get snaps without better tackling.

Demarvion Overshown flows really well to the ball and has a terrific

BJ Foster looked like himself (2 PBUs) and I loved what I saw from young Jalen Green at CB (2 PBUs, two powerful tackles, always in the right spot). We already knew about Green’s length and quickness. The physicality he displayed was surprising and, in my mind,

10

D’shawn Jamison threw a weak shoulder into Duvernay instead

first step. I know he wants to be a safety, but he’d help us more as a utility LB given the riches and experience we have in our safety personnel. Orlando will likely just tell him he’s a safety...while playing him in the box.

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Assembling a coherent secondary with multiple missing starters

pairing him with Adeoye, unless we start a dime look behind them

checking out Pom squad girls on the sideline is a testament to this

to prevent teams from isolating RBs on our LBs.

unit’s depth. Guys like Watson and Adimora arriving this summer will only add to the fun.

Regarding McCulloch, I was probably most pleased to see him make some routine linebacking plays on inside zone. There wasn’t

Speaking of depth (or its lack)...

much to test his eye discipline or footwork in the Longhorn offense, so we’ll see how that goes once we see RPOs and misdirection.

LINEBACKER

Joseph Ossai played primarily as a de facto rush end, but also showed his own versatility carrying up a RB route to the end zone.

Jeffrey McCulloch stood out to me. The big LB is moving better and

He’s an interesting player in that I can’t point to any one over-

reprised last year’s KU game when he ran the route on a RB dump

whelming attribute he possesses. He’s just pretty good at football.

off and nearly sealed the pick six on the poor read by Ehlinger.

Pretty good against the run. Pretty good pass rusher. Pretty good in

He also did a very credible job covering Ingram on a wheel route,

coverage.

notching a PBU with active hands. While clearly more comfortable in space, that’s also the place where he had a negative play, miss-

Marcus Tillman looks the part and is an athletic fit. He just doesn’t

ing an open field tackle on Whittington late. That’s the danger of

know what he’s doing yet.

Jeffrey McCulloch

11

Luke Brockermeyer didn’t look out of place athletically, but obvi-

just 8 months ago. Moro Ojomo did better against the run than

ously we don’t want to be in a position of playing a young walk on.

as a pass rusher, which surprised me. Obviously, given that he’s fourteen years old, he still has plenty of upside.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Jacoby Jones flashed a couple of times lined up wide with his ears pinned back. He’s a naturally skilled pass rusher. It’s clear to me

The first team OL struggled to get a consistent push on them.

that we’ve already identified him as a useful situational pass rusher

Orlando didn’t do much in terms of twists or stunts to free them as

and will incorporate him accordingly if he can do the same on game

pass rushers, but their ability to create a constricted pocket with an

day.

honest up field rush was encouraging.

Daniel Carson is now solidly 300+ and I was a bit surprised by his Coburn is getting some ink for his flashes and explosiveness, but

immensity.

in my mind he’s a 25-40 snap player and won’t be able to play extended snaps against any opponent that wants to run tempo.

While I appreciate the attempt at Chris Nelson comps, likening him

FINAL THOUGHT

to a fully developed senior with a much better conditioning base isn’t instructive of what he’ll bring in 2019. Good thing we have the

My main takeaway is that Orlando should be able to field good

steady Gerald Wilbon to split time with him and Roach/Graham/Ojo-

personnel and scheme looks to stop the run situationally (good

mo having the ability to play nose in certain pass rush looks. Roach

physical DL, solid tackling box safeties) and stop the pass situ-

and Graham both did a nice job against the run and will show better

ationally (a dime look with one LB and multiple pass rushers). That

as we put in some twists that play to their mobility. I like TQ Graham

would be a welcome rebound from a pretty miserable money down

but I need to see more from him as a pass rusher when his initial

performance in 2018.

momentum gets thwarted. He’s standing and looking for batted balls instead of trying to get push every time.

The upside of the defense will rest in how Texas plays more neutral offenses, both by scheme and personnel.

Roach looks every bit of 290. Our starting LB against Maryland

Taquon Graham

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Casey Thompson

...The Offense

looks good in his new body, Whittington is elusive and multifaceted and Kirk, If Healthy (this is his legal middle name), is a legitimate slashing change of pace runner who doesn’t mind running inside.

Daniel Young is at least solid depth.

QUARTERBACK Ehlinger, Thompson and Johnson were a combined 24 of 54 for 152 yards passing and two interceptions. Is that good?

The fact that all of the Texas RBs can catch is an added bonus and should be featured prominently. I can’t say they are all blockers though, after seeing Jordan Whittington in pass pro. As expected for a freshman who logged his HS snaps scoring touchdowns

All of the disclaimers apply in spades, but man. The good news is that we have a lot of data points on Ehlinger under live fire and

instead of blocking for them.

they don’t look like anything we just saw.

WIDE RECEIVER

On the positive side, Thompson is legitimately elusive.

I saw too many drops and some bad routes, though we didn’t open

That’s all I’ve got.

the playbook past Page 1.

On the positive side, we have enough talent, diverse skill sets and

RUNNING BACK

bodies.

Can a glaring weakness become a mild to moderate strength in the course of one half of an offseason?

The starters and most helpful role players will be the athletes that can catch the ball, run reliable routes, make sight adjustments and

A bulked up Ingram, a highly adaptable Jordan Whittington and a healthy Kirk Johnson seems to suggest that it’s possible. Ingram

take what Big 12 defenses concede by scheme in complement to Collin Johnson in what should otherwise be a broadly distributed offense. I don’t think theoretical upside will determine our pass

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Denzel Okafor (78), Junior Angilau (75), and Samuel Cosmi (52)

catchers. I think it will be largely be about dependability.

reliable.

Al’vonte Woodard and Josh Moore have the talent we want. Can TIGHT END

they be dependable? Moore had a drop. Woodard had a route miscue.

Poor jobs all around. I wouldn’t want to be in their film room. Cade Malcolm Epps caught five balls running the same route and I think

Brewer had an easy drop and an offside penalty. Jared Wiley had

he’ll have some situational value, largely predicated on whether our

two easy drops. Reese Leitao left the dog house to log some late

opponents play the matchup or just run their coverage. His catch

snaps.

radius is huge, but he’s a slow starter and not yet very physical when pressed and crowded early.

None of them blocked particularly well either, though Wiley’s upside as a potential blocker in space and in-line is pretty apparent once

As a defensive coordinator, I’d walk up a mature cornerback and

he gets stronger and learns the trade.

ask him to win. He should be productive against defenses that don’t challenge him, allow an easy release or concede 6-7 yard gains.

Circle the LSU and Oklahoma State games to see how he adapts

OFFENSIVE LINE

to physical coverage.

Zach Shackelford and Sam Cosmi are good to go. Shack was Bru McCoy’s physical maturity is pretty shocking for a freshman.

deprived of a lot of strength and conditioning development early in

He’ll get heavy rotation early if he can learn the playbook and be

his career due to injuries, prior management and starting before he

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was ready and he’s a much stronger player with two years of real

needs to find some answers to a speed rusher.

strength and conditioning under his belt. Cosmi is one of the best half dozen players on the team.

Rafiti Ghirmai needs to drill 100 snaps a day before and after every practice. His reps were bad enough to actually disrupt the timing of

I liked some of the things I saw from Junior Angilau, particularly with

the offense, but the good news is that this is correctable with simple

respect to his general athleticism, massive size and his ability to

repetition. The guards flanking him did a credible job on the 2nd

punch a pass rusher.

team and I like some of the things I saw from Imade.

However, he’s not helping himself when he lunges or gets out of po-

Adding Parker Braun to this mix will create some interesting battles.

sition. He’ll be a better guard than Patrick Vahe in short order if he

This OL will really get solved if Angilau can continue to come on

can just nail some of the fundamentals. Once Junior realizes that

and we can figure out the best positional fits in the Kerstetter/Oka-

he’s huge and athletic and that he’s not going to lose in a phone

for dynamic.

booth, he’ll stop beating himself.

Denzel Okafor and Derek Kerstetter had their moments and Oka-

FINAL THOUGHT

for’s footwork has improved when lined up outside at tackle, but he can’t always translate his technique into athletic fluidity. Kerstetter

I’m not sure what can be taken from that offensive performance

has a high and light base but the ability to move and aggression are

except to say that I hope that counted as our season opener.

there.

From a purely physical standpoint, Christian Jones was carved by

Join the Conversation

ancient gods. He has all of the requisite base attributes, but you can tell he’s still thinking instead of doing. His potential upside is

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huge, but it will take a while. Reese Moore is similarly green and

YOU HYD R AT E

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WE DON ATE

15

by Mike Blackwell

Charles Omenihu

LONGHORNS

2019 DRAFT

Armanti Foreman

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Kris Boyd Photos by Will Gallagher

- 2019 NFL DRAFT -

CHARLES OMENIHU

“It’s a blessing, definitely a blessing,” said Omenihu, who was born

5th Round | Houston Texans

in Houston. “My friends and family can definitely come and watch me play. Just a dream that’s finally been fulfilled and like I said, just

Charles Omenihu wore number seven at Rowlett High School in

a blessing. I can’t thank the Houston Texans enough for giving me

deference to his favorite pass rusher, Jadeveon Clowney, who

this opportunity.”

wore the same number while terrorizing quarterbacks for the South Carolina Gamecocks in college.

Omenihu earned the opportunity by playing well enough in his senior season to be named Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year

When he arrived at Texas, Omenihu switched to number 90, the

and First-Team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press and the league’s

number Clowney wears now while he’s disrupting offenses in the

coaches. The 6-5, 280-pound Omenihu played in 51 games - with

National Football League for the Houston Texans.

33 starts - while in Austin, with 99 total tackles and 17 sacks.

Perhaps it’s serendipitous that Omenihu will now find himself on the

KRIS BOYD

same team as Clowney: the Texans drafted the former University of

7th Round | Minnesota Vikings

Texas defensive end in the fifth round (the 161st pick overall) in the NFL Draft, the highest Longhorn draftee this year.

Kris Boyd was the other Texas player picked in the draft, taken in the seventh round by the Minnesota Vikings. Boyd was a bit of an enigma for the Longhorns during his career: he was a physically gifted player prone to being penalized and damaged by doublemoves in the secondary.

Several scouts indicated that Boyd has a fourth-round skill set, which obviously means the Vikings received big-time value in plucking the Gilmer High School graduate who picked Texas over Texas A&M when choosing a school. Another member of the 2015 class, Holton Hill, is also a defensive back for Minnesota.

Boyd participated in 45 games for Texas (starting 33) and recorded 54 tackles in his 2018 senior year. He had just two interceptions in his career, and “the book” on him says he often struggles to pick up the ball in the air. However, he also has attributes that scouts covet: size, physicality, a willingness mix it up with receivers, and is a strong tackler, which should make Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer - a defensive guy - extremely happy.

Boyd also returned kicks at Texas, and as a 7th-round draft choice, he will likely be asked to compete on special teams.

LIL’JORDAN HUMPHREY Free Agent | New Orleans Saints Receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey probably has mixed emotions following the draft, to say the very least. He declared himself eligible for the draft with a year of collegiate eligibility remaining, then ran slow

Lil’ Jordan Humphrey

18

times for scouts. The result? He didn’t get drafted.

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- 2019 NFL DRAFT -

But...

games played and 29 starts, including all 14 games last season. He had 39 tackles last season, with 5.5 tackles for loss and a couple of

He signed with the New Orleans Saints, a team coached by Sean

quarterback hurries.

Payton and quarterbacked by Drew Brees.

A Lakeland, Fla., native, Nelson took a circuitous route to the 40 Humphrey’s decision to leave college early was certainly swayed by

Acres; he initially committed to Charlie Strong at Louisville, but

his numbers from 2018: 86 catches for 1,176 yards and nine touch-

flipped his allegiance to Texas once Strong was hired in January

downs. Perhaps the most telling stat for Humphrey is this: he led

of 2014. Though his odds of making the team are daunting, he left

the Big 12 in missed tackles forced after a catch, with 22. He was

Texas as a fifth-year senior, so he’s both mature and experienced.

also almost impossible to defend on contested catches, combining a big body with strong hands in a package Brees might love to utilize around the end zone, should he make the team.

The Saints have had plenty of success in evaluating receivers, especially those of Humphrey’s size (see: Marquez Colston). New Orleans may very well have found a free agent gem with Humphrey.

GARY JOHNSON Free Agent | Kansas City Chiefs Former Texas run-stuffer/linebacker Gary Johnson signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, and was the first Longhorn to sign after Omenihu and Boyd were drafted.

Johnson is seen by most scouts as strong within the tackles, but perhaps with an unremarkable skill set as it pertains to the sidelineto-sideline requirements of the NFL; hence, he went undrafted.

Still, a linebacker like Johnson could be valuable in the interior, where his hand-fighting and toughness should bode well. Johnson came to Texas from Dodge City Community College, and thus arChris Nelson

rived hungry and poised for a fight.

That hunger was reflected in his final two seasons at Texas, which

DAVANTE DAVIS

culminated in the Sugar Bowl win last January.

Free Agent | Seattle Seahawks

CHRIS NELSON

Former Texas cornerback Davante Davis might become a part of

Free Agent | Pittsburgh Steelers

Legion of Boom II if he can make the Seattle Seahawks football team after signing a free agent contract. Davis, like Boyd, had

The man who created the “Nelly Rub” - defensive tackle Chris Nel-

an up-and-down career at Texas but is another willing hitter and

son - was a free agent signing by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nelson

tackler who should fit in well with the Seahawks’ physical defensive

was the stalwart of the Texas defensive line last season after the

mentality.

departure of Poona Ford following the 2018 draft.

Davis’ talents were such that he got an invite to the NFL Combine, Chosen as a captain in 2018, Nelson finished his career with 45

where he made some scouts believe he might eventually be able to

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19

- 2019 NFL DRAFT -

convert to safety, though he played cornerback for the Longhorns.

Beck became a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2018 after missing all of 2017 with a broken foot.

Davis, a four-star recruit from Booker T. Washington high school in Miami, played in 48 games and started 26 in college. He recorded

BRECKYN HAGER

119 tackles and 24 pass breakups, with four interceptions. His eight

Free Agent | New York Giants

pass breakups as a senior placed him second on the team in that category.

Breckyn Hager’s senior year was not as statistically productive as his sophomore and junior seasons at Texas, but it was neverthe-

CALVIN ANDERSON

less good enough to land a contract with the New York Giants as an

Free Agent | New England Patriots

undrafted free agent.

Former Texas offensive tackle Calvin Anderson may have found the

The Giants are a franchise in a bit of disarray, which obviously

perfect landing spot in the New England Patriots, with whom he has

helps Hager’s chances of making the squad as a linebacker/pass

signed as an undrafted free agent. Anderson is highly intelligent - a

rush specialist. The MO for Hager has always been as a player who

prerequisite for anyone who hopes to play for Bill Belichick.

might be described as a “tweener” or hybrid linebacker/lineman, but after showing up at the UT pro day at 242-pounds, he clearly would

Anderson played at Rice before coming to Texas, where he started

like to be considered a linebacker, although he played defensive

and contributed immediately in his only season in Austin. The

end for the Longhorns.

Patriots also have a track record of taking undrafted free agents and turning them into productive players, and based on how quickly

He finished his senior season with 31 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, 7.5

they signed him, it appears the team had Anderson targeted.

tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries. To make the Giants’ roster, Hager will certainly have to “hurry” to make an impression in

Anderson started every game at left tackle for Texas in 2018, after

training camp.

starting the previous 36 games while with the Owls.

ANTHONY BECK Free Agent | New England Patriots Just on numbers alone, Beck is probably happy to have landed in New England. He signed an undrafted free agent contract only weeks after hall of fame-bound tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement. New England quarterback Tom Brady loves tight ends, so if Beck can win him over in training camp, he has a chance to stick.

Beck was not invited to the NFL Combine, which surprised and possibly annoyed Texas coach Tom Herman.

“Andrew Beck can do it all as a tight end, an Hback or a fullback and was voted a team captain here,” Herman said. “You won’t find a tougher

Breckyn Hager

guy or more of a team guy.”

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- TEXAS vs IOWA STATE -

5

QUICK

thoughts 2019 Orange-White Game

by Ian Boyd

A

ctually the white team won, which included the no. 1 defense, which is the reason they won. For the defense to perform like this was probably the most encouraging thing that could have happened. You’re nuts if you’re worried about this offense after they struggled in a exhibition/scrimmage setting playing against a 30 mph wind.

Oklahoma looked similarly shaky a year ago in a similar setting and then had the most explosive offense in college football history.

There were other issues of course, the orange offense dropped a number of good balls as did some of the members on the white offense, but the defense took advantage of the conditions and set the tone early and often with their play.

But it was good to see the defense show out and it’s obvious that some of the players on that side are starting to put it together. Let’s start with…

#1 Jalen Green was a Revelation The Texas offense had a gameplan/script on

That’s no small matter either, Texas got a lot

offense designed to feature Malcolm Epps and

out of Holton Hill and then Davante Davis for

Jalen Green wasn’t having it. He put on a clinic

their ability to shut down bubble screens or

on how to use physicality to disrupt the timing

support the edge. Given the reports on where

and advantages of a bigger receiver, always

Anthony Cook was before his injury, it would

arriving with the ball on every toss Epps’ way

seem that Texas’ blue chip young cornerbacks

and even early on a slant where he bumped

are coming along nicely.

Epps off his spot.

Shark McCulloch was moving well out there Green was also ever-present and active on

as well, his INT was largely just a horrible

the edge in run defense. Whether he can hold

decision by Ehlinger who seemed to forget he

up down the sideline against top Big 12 WRs

was there, but he was running laterally with

wasn’t something that this scrimmage could

some nice giddyup all night. I didn’t watch the

prove one way or the other but that physical-

defense as closely on this watch but Luke

ity should translate. If Green ends up being a

Brockermeyer and Russell Hine also showed

guy that regularly gets help over the top and is

well and made some nice plays. We may never

asked to be an enforcer on the perimeter that

see them play on Saturdays at LB but they

would seem to be a role that he can execute

sure are big and solid guys to have as your

very well.

practice squad guys.

Jalen Green

22

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#2 Texas Offense Shows Interesting Wrinkles Texas took advantage of their hybrid RBs regularly in this game and moved them all over the place to either do work in the passing game, catch the ball on screens, create matchups for the wide receivers, and clear up the middle of the field for QB runs or in routes.

For instance, they motioned the RB out wide once to set up a slot fade route for Malcolm Epps. Thompson checked to it but the defense doubled Epps and left Danny Young alone in the flat, so Thompson Sam Ehlinger (11) and Malcolm Epps (85)

checked down and hit him but the ball was dropped.

The big gain to Devin Duvernay came when they motioned the RB outside him and a LB chased him to maintain man coverage matchups. Then Duvernay ran an under route and got a rub on D’Shawn Jamison, Sam Ehlinger hit him in stride, and then Jamison bounced off Duve as he took off for a big gain.

The white offense mixed in a lot of the QB counter game that Oklahoma has utilized so effectively in recent years and that loosed Whittington on one bubble screen and Thompson on a few QB runs.

Herman noted after the game that they’ve installed a number of new RPOs that they didn’t mix in for this game that they didn’t want to put on tape.

They actually ran a fair number of concepts in this game, all stuff from the previous season, but it was still surprising how non-vanilla the game was at times and how often they were willing to run the ball and try to play smash mouth football.

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23

- 5 QUICK THOUGHTS | SPRING GAME -

#3 Flashes of

Greatness from

Jordan Whittington and Malcolm Epps Whittington played pretty well in this game, turning 12 carries into 62 yards at 5.2 ypc and then catching four balls for 27 yards. I’d have to check the film but I was suspicious that for the second half Herman had Orlando back his defenders off a little bit and pretend as though the wind wasn’t blowing in the offense’s face.

He was hitting the traditional cutback on inside zone reasonably well but he had a particularly nice run on a GT counter-read play, a scheme that often lends itself to setting up the RB to bounce outside which Whittington does as well or better than anyone else on campus this year or for the last 10 or so.

Jordan Whittington

Texas had a number of slip and bubble screens drawn up for him, many of which were thwarted by a defense that had them all sniffed out, including one where Jalen Green arrived with the ball and lit him up. The execution on those will be cleaner in the fall and harder for defenses to key when packaged with a more multiple play script.

Don’t write off Malcolm Epps. He was struggling with his route adjustments and Ehlinger was looking for him on a number of occasions and not finding him where he wanted to throw the ball against the coverage.

I laughed the first time they ran a tunnel screen for the 6-6/245 pound monster, it was stuffed by B.J. Foster. The second time Epps had better blocking and found a lane,

open field. That time I just shook my head in amazement, this guy moves really well for such a big man.

His non-catch on a comeback later in the game from Casey Thompson barely beat Jalen Green and ended up being ruled out of bounds but it was impressive. He was starting to put it together later in the contest and the attention he got from Ehlinger and Collin Johnson on the sideline after the drives made clear that they see him as worthy of investing in.

When Epps won a circle drill against Foster I figured he was ready to go in this game but it took him a fair while to get going. Still, those hands and that athleticism makes him a pretty fascinating talent to watch moving forward.

then showed some nasty quickness and shake in the

24

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- 5 QUICK THOUGHTS | SPRING GAME -

That dude is really quick and he’s a pretty tough and willing runner for a 190-pounder.

Overall it’s clear that Thompson is figuring

#4 Casey Thompson’s performance was a mixed bag Casey Thompson

out where the ball goes in the passing game and at times gets some pretty good balls out and on target. He doesn’t always handle the pocket well and is much more likely to scramble when his first read isn’t there, he doesn’t like the picture he’s getting, or there’s pressure.

Currently if they needed Thompson to win them a game they’d need a gameplan that included heavy doses of RPOs and QB runs but he seems plenty capable of executing those at a high enough level to produce.

Roschon Johnson obviously isn’t there yet.

He didn’t get many snaps and what chances he did get were mostly runs or passes where he was clearly trying to adhere to a process rather than just taking off and things were just moving too fast. He’ll make a sizable leap before the season starts and isn’t on as fast a track as Sam Ehlinger was but hopefully he won’t need to be.

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- 5 QUICK THOUGHTS | SPRING GAME -

#5 Final scattershooting notes

Jospeh Ossai

Jordan Pouncey looked pretty good and seemed to be the guy

ton to drop it. He definitely flashed, he moves really easily out

Thompson trusted most, especially working to him on some

in space.

option routes in the seams. Most of the key conversions from Thompson weren’t to Bru McCoy, who looked promising but

Cameron Dicker is a real weapon, hopefully they don’t need

not always in the right spot, but to the older guys Pouncey and

him to pull out a lot of wins but it sure is nice to know that he

Al’vonte Woodard.

could. I didn’t pay much attention to the punting, that’s more of a @Scipio Tex move to take note of how a kicker looks and

We probably shouldn’t read too much into that just yet, espe-

making a note, but potentially Texas could have a very strong

cially with a summer and fall for McCoy ahead, but it should

kicking game this season. An easy way to produce better

have been encouraging for fans to see how those younger

margins of victory and some blowouts is to be excellent on

guys are picking up the system.

special teams.

Joseph Ossai had a sack due to inside pressure from Keondre

The RBs are going to be heavily involved in the passing game.

Coburn that flushed Ehlinger to him and also ran down Thomp-

They had Keaontay Ingram and Jordan Whittington working

son for a minimal gain on one of his many scrambles. Again,

the normal RB passing work that they utilized a year ago and

didn’t get a great look at the defense on this watch but he

you know there’s going to be so much more once it’s time to

seemed to be mostly working off the edge. He also carried a

start winning games. We probably won’t know what all they

vertical by Jordan Whittington pretty well but then got beat by

have in the works until they host LSU on September 7th.

an amazing back shoulder throw by Ehlinger only for Whitting-

Follow Inside Texas twitter.com/InsideTexas

26

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27

A GENERATIONAL JORDAN - TEXAS vs KANSAS -

by Mike Blackwell

F

ifty years ago, give or take a few months, the Texas

And in actuality, none of the Whittingtons probably believe

Longhorns won a national football championship,

their family’s generational game has “culminated” at all

thanks primarily to winning The Big Shootout against

merely with Jordan’s arrival in Austin. You see, they’ve seen

Arkansas. Jordan Whittington wasn’t around at that time, ob-

him play, they’ve watched him work, they’ve witnessed his

viously, but his path was born in that same autumn of 1969.

touchdowns. For the Whittingtons, the true culmination has

Funny how things work out.

yet to come; just you wait.

What does 1969 have to do with Whittington, UT’s freshman

Yes, young Jordan is talented, hard-working and mega-

phenom who has everyone on the Forty Acres downright

hyped; but the family has been around the game long enough

giddy, even though it’s only April?

by now to know that true culmination comes with wins and championships. Jordan still needs some more of those,

Simple. In 1969, his uncle Larry pulled on a green and white

though he’s already had plenty of both.

Cuero High School football jersey, thereby marrying the Whittingtons to a game that has culminated with Jordan pulling on

Certainly the path set a half-century ago has been well paved

the number 21 for the Longhorns this spring.

for him: his uncles played at Cuero, and one of them, Arthur,

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Jordan Whittington

played at Southern Methodist University and won a Super

was sports, and she encouraged that.”

Bowl with the Oakland Raiders, in addition to a state championship for the Gobblers. The Whittingtons and football glory

Two generations later, the latest in the Whittington string is

in Cuero go hand-in-hand.

making a huge impression with the Longhorns and their faithful. Long before arriving in Austin, Jordan had made a huge

“Every time I think of football, I think of Cuero football be-

impression on the high school level, racking up video-game

cause I started here,” Arthur told the Victoria Advocate. Larry

numbers before ending his high school career with a state

said the Whittington football tradition was actually born from

championship last December.

the character of their mother and Jordan’s grandmother, Ruby.

And about that state championship game...Jordan’s performance was almost extra-terrestrial in that it can’t be truly,

“My mother taught us right from wrong,” Larry told the Advo-

accurately described with words. If you saw it, you know. In a

cate. “She taught us if we want something we’ve got to go

40-28 win over Pleasant Grove, Whittington managed to win

get it, and to never lie or cheat. She didn’t have much of an

both the offensive and defensive MVP award awards, and a

education and she wanted us to get an education. Our thing

glance at his numbers from the game clearly reveals why.

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29

- JORDAN WHITTINGTON -

was 12 of 12 passing with a touchdown, too.

Oh, and he returned kicks to boot.

With those kinds of numbers, the problem - if you can accurately call it a problem - for Texas coach Tom Herman is: Where do I play Jordan Whittington?

In the spring, the emphatic answer to that question was running back.

However, listening to Herman talk about the all-purpose Whittington, it’s clear that he will not be spending all of his time at running back, although he quick and successfully assimilated.

“Just getting the footwork down, the landmarks down, the timing, the patience and all of that, yeah, it was a bit surprising, “ Herman said of Whittington, who left high school early in order to participate in UT’s spring camp. “It was a pleasant surprise, certainly. For him to look and feel that comfortable...is impressive.”

Herman has spoken specifically about Whittington’s efficiency of motion with the rock.

“It doesn’t take him seven steps to change He set a championship game record with - yes, it’s true - 334 yards rushing on 28 yards; quick math reveals that that is 11.9 yards per carry. He broke records in the game held previously by former Longhorn running back Jonathan Gray and also somebody named Eric Dickerson.

His speed is top-end, too.

track fast. (Devin Duvernay) would probably beat him in the

He tied a championship game record with five rushing touchdowns, and added 43 receiving yards for another touchdown.

And oh yeah, when he was not gaining yards, catching passes and scoring touchdowns, he was making eight tackles at defensive back. The Gobblers finished the season with a 15-1 record, and recorded its first state championship in 31 years.

100, but I think what makes him difficult for the defense is there’s no wasted movement.”

With the numbers posted and the obvious passing of the eye test for anyone who has seen him play, Whittington has given plenty of evidence that living up to his great potential is mostly a matter of “when” rather than “if.” That assumption is made even more palatable with the realization that Whitting-

In his final three seasons at Cuero, the third-youngest of 10 siblings gained over 3,000 receiving yards, stepped off 5,400

30

really smooth.”

“Fast enough,” is Herman’s description. “I don’t know if he’s

But wait, there’s more.

all-purpose yards and scored 60 touchdowns. Oh, and he

direction,” Herman said. “I mean, it’s boomboom-boom, and accelerating. He’s got great patience. He’s

ton has also always shown not just a willingness but also a desire to work hard.

Oh, and he’s smart, too.

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- JORDAN WHITTINGTON -

been spectacular, he’s been the perfect teammate, a dream “I knew he was going to be a special player the first time we

combination of hard work, athleticism and intelligence, a

got to work with him in junior high,” said Cuero head coach

once-in-a-generation player and a Texas high school football

Travis Reeve. “He’s a great athlete, but he’s also really smart.

legend.

He was the leader of his class.

And yet, as is always the case on the Forty Acres, what is “As time went on, watching him work and how hard he

behind you is not nearly as important to burnt orange nation

worked in the offseason, he was just the perfect combination

as the dreams of what might become of you - and the Long-

of talent and work ethic and intelligence and leadership. Guys

horns - in the future.

like that don’t come around all the time. He maximized his potential. He’s a guy that’s exceptionally talented but he works

Fifty years ago, Whittington’s uncle Larry latched on a pair of

like he’s of average talent.”

shoulder pads, starting a family love affair with football that has resulted in Jordan’s arrival in Austin.

And now it’s time for Herman to reap what Reeve has sown.

The expectation is that the ultimate culmination of that jour“He grinds,” Herman says. “He’s a worker. He’s a worker in

ney is yet to come.

the film room, he’s a worker in meetings. He loves ball.”

So now the question becomes how Whittington will get the ball: as a runner? A pass catcher? A kick or punt returner? All of the above?

Running back depth - or lack thereof - is probably going to mean Whittington will spend most of his time at running back, splitting carries with another highly-talented back, Keaontay Ingram.

“That’s my boy,” Ingram says. “Jordan, he’s going to be the real deal in the future. He could still go play wide receiver if he wanted to.”

He certainly could play receiver, specifically slot receiver, where his explosiveness would be matched up against lumbering linebackers who most assuredly would feel as though they’ve been tossed into the fiery pits of hell trying to cover the 6-1, 215-pound piece of dynamite.

He could return kicks, where his quick feet could make the first tackler miss prior to delivering the ball to the house at DKR. And, most probably, he can play running back, where his pass catching and toughness between the tackles will make him a defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare.

But alas, all of this is speculation, isn’t it? He has

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31

RECRUITING NOTES We’re almost halfway through the 2020 cycle for Texas and it’s been slow, but steady progress in recruiting.

Riding the recruiting wave after a 10-win, Sugar Bowl Championship started only days after the Longhorns players and staff were back from New Orleans.

U

T held an Elite Day for highly-pursued prospects on the proverbial big board for 2020 and

2021.

In between, Mookie Cooper, a four-star ATH from Trinity Catholic in Saint Louis, committed and decommitted in the space of a few months.

It was similar to a Junior Day, which Texas held the following month, usually in late February-early

His teammate, Marcus Washington, signed with

March. But with only 30+ in attendance, it gave the

Texas in its Class of 2019. Despite the early declara-

Horns more one-on-one time.

tions, Texas and Cooper are still on great terms and he’ll likely take an official visit this fall.

That carried over to Junior Day Weekend in late February, something this staff has created where

The last for 2020, to this point, is Bishop Dunne

it’s basically the state’s best from seniors to sopho-

(Dallas) ATH Jaden Hullaby. The 6-foot-2,

mores for two days. This allows more time individu-

215-pounder does a little bit of everything for the

ally, with parents and coaches who accompany the

Falcons, and Will first get a look at TE/H-back, a role

prospects during their visits.

Andrew Beck held for Herman last season.

This class started with Logan Parr, the four-star OL

The pace of the 2020 cycle will pickup soon. Texas

from San Antonio. Hudson Card, the four-star Elite

is hosting a strong group of priority targets like Ver-

11 bound quarterback from down the road at Lake

non Broughton, Kitan Crawford, Jahari Rogers, and

Travis, came in next.

Bijan Robinson this month for officials. UT is in excellent standing with all these prospects, and might

Prosper’s Jake Majors, another four-star OL, was

see a few drop between now and early August,

No. 3, followed by yet another four-star OL, Jaylen

when two-a-days begin.

Garth from Port Neches-Groves.

Join the Conversation www.insidetexas.com 32

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BY JUSTIN WELLS AND JOE COOK

Logan Parr, OL Helotes O’Connor

Logan Parr | Photo courtesy Parr family

Parr is the primary center candidate in this class. During the spring camp circuit, we only saw him take reps at center even though O’Connor will likely continue to use him at LT similar to Belton’s usage of Zach Shackelford.

Even from his tackle film, there are things you can see that translate well to the interior. His movement and bend is better than his strength right now, which translates well to moving to the second level on inside zone and finding a linebacker on outside zone plays.

His strength will come (he possesses a good build), but that’s not the hallmark of his game.

Parr was the second commit of the class and has joined Majors in recruiting in a more private than public manner, perfect for an OL.

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CLASS OF ‘20

CLASS OF ‘20

33

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Hudson Card, QB Lake Travis

Hudson Card | Justin Wells/IT

Much has been written about the first pledge in Texas’ 2020 class. His early commitment left it up for debate whether he was a QB or an athlete being told he had the opportunity to play under center. Ever since he forced into action for an injured Matthew Baldwin (2018 Ohio State signee) in the Cavs’ state finals run in 2017, Card has shown he has what it takes to be a quarterback in Tom Herman’s system.

His passing ability for someone who moonlighted as a varsity QB his first few seasons is pretty advanced. In his first full-time season, and with the benefit of five-star wideout Garrett Wilson, Card accumulated 50 passing touchdowns and nine rushing touchdowns.

In addition to his passing, he has receiver-level elusiveness that allows him to work in both designed runs and off-schedule plays. These traits were frequently on display this season against some of the better defenses LT faced. His elusiveness partly has to do with him measuring a very receiver-ish 6-foot-2, 179 pounds. This makes him dangerous and multi-dimensional, however, sometimes he relies too much on his natural athleticism which affects his mechanics. There are several cross-body, cross-field throws that will get him in trouble against better quality competition than what AISD typically has to offer.

At this point, he is a high-quality quarterback with plus athleticism you’d expect to come out of Lake Travis.

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CLASS OF ‘20

RECRUITING NOTES CLASS OF ‘20

35

RECRUITING NOTES CLASS OF ‘20

Jake Majors, OL Prosper

Jaden Hullaby, ATH Dalla

Jaden Hullaby | Hullaby Family

Jake Majors | Joe Cook/IT

Majors has one of the best qualities in a highlight tape we believe offensive linemen can have: nastiness. In his first few clips it’s readily apparent that playing a 48 minute football game against Jake Majors would be an incredibly unenjoyable experience.

While he looks to have good technique, it’s accentuated by a rare mean streak. The third play of his junior highlights where he and his teammate move to the next level on an RPO is something we see Texas coaches working on in practice constantly, and he made whoever he was going against look like a sled.

Jaylen Garth, OL Port Neches-Groves While the other two current OL commits project to the interior, Garth is a tackle the whole way.

Majors is a great fit in the offensive line class and a win over Stanford, something Texas fans haven’t seen a ton of recently on the offensive line.

Garth maintains an athletic base in his sets. Even when defenders almost rip loose, he manages to re-engage and keep

His Prosper film is all left tackle. He’s an interior player at the next level, and could be a center long-term if classmate Logan Parr isn’t.

moving. He finds players well at the next level.

He’s part of a three-man class currently that will swell to five

He obviously has the disposition and ability for the interior, and the size for it as well.

First reports around the time of his commitment had him in the 6-foot-4 range. He’s cleared that up this spring and has told reporters he is 6-foot-3, 290 pounds.

That’s a little shorter than some of the other OL Texas has recruited in recent years, but his on-field demeanor and how he treats others on the football field more than makes up for that difference in height.

or six. Chad Lindberg is one of the main targets for one of those spots for Texas. The remaining 1-2 could go to a handful of players.

Lindberg could be a tackle or a guard, but Garth’s career on the football field will be on the outside in my opinion. He is comfortable playing both tackle spots.

His floor is more exciting to us than Parr’s or Majors’.

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as Bishop Dunne We believe the best case scenario for Hullaby is he becomes Chris Warren with give-a-darn.

Warren flashed some ability late in 2017 to be that h-back type player that would provide an additional constraint for defenses to have to worry about. He wasn’t likely to get carries, but he could if needed.

He also was imposing and had blocking ability, but was one of the offense’s best backfield/matchup threats because of his size.

Hullaby can be that, but it will take a while to realize that potential. He provides a positive step for Texas recruiting Bishop Dunne, a school that regularly fields Power 5 prospects. He addresses a need. Clear targets at tight end for the 2020 class haven’t materialized yet, so the Longhorns gained a commitment from someone who could serve as another positional hybrid in place of the tight end on the field.

He isn’t the sexiest take, but he won’t be playing a sexy position at Texas.

Jaylen Garth | Justin Wells/IT

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CLASS OF ‘20

RECRUITING NOTES CLASS OF ‘20

37

STRONG FINISH I

by Joe Cook

T

exas won the NIT with its win over Lipscomb.

Texas.

Any discussion has to begin with the fact Texas didn’t make

If your view is a little more generous than that, Texas played

the NCAA Tournament. Texas should be in it every year.

some very good basketball during the five game stretch, good basketball more often than bad basketball.

The Longhorns still played five additional games in the NIT after not making the tournament, and often looked pretty

They played with energy on both ends of the floor, looked

good doing it.

as smooth as it has on offense all season, and added contributions from departing seniors and freshmen who look to

If your view of the NIT is that it is a competition to be the

contribute more next year.

69th best team in the country, it doesn’t change that Texas went on a five game winning streak. That is tied for Shaka

This opens up the very valid questions of where this team

Smart’s second longest winning streak as head coach of

was all season and why couldn’t they play like this when it

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IN THE BIG APPLE

mattered, like the second TCU game. That frustration would

that can win consistently. The end of this season suggested

suggest Texas could play like the 69th best team, or top 30

it’s still something he can accomplish at Texas. The middle

or so by other metrics, more often next year.

part of this season suggested otherwise.

The basketball featured at the end of Texas’ season is the

Smart has now recruited every player in this program. The

type of basketball that translates well against any opponent.

program’s successes are his, the program’s failures are his, too. They have been for quite some time.

It was there for this team against Kansas, North Carolina, and for part of Michigan State. It wasn’t there against Rad-

2018-19 was a failure to reach program expectations, but it

ford or VCU, or plenty of other examples.

was capped as well as one of those types of seasons can be capped.

Smart’s responsibility heading into his fifth season is to do something he has yet to do in Austin; put together a team

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39

- Elite College Coaching Jobs -

Kraken_Texas_mechanical.indd 1

5/19/11 2:17:09 PM

LOST SEASON

by Joe Cook

A

fter losing the final series of

The team finished with a 27-27 record

was on its way to defending its regu-

the season to Oklahoma, the

and 7-16 record in Big XII conference

lar season crown, but a difficult series

Texas Longhorns failed to

play. Not good enough to make the

loss at TCU — when a sweep was

qualify for the Big 12 Tournament, a

trip to Oklahoma City for the confer-

within grasp — started what would be

jarring thing to read for anyone after

ence tournament.

a tailspin during conference play.

season will go down as one of the

The young team with a young relief

Eric Kennedy is the only Texas player

most disappointing seasons ever for

staff and several freshman starters

who hit above .300 on the season,

Texas baseball.

navigated the difficult, early portion of

so it makes sense that the offense

the schedule about as well as it could.

struggled.

sky, two players expected to make

Capped by a sweep of then No. 1

One pitcher, reliever Matteo Bocchi,

considerable contributions, went

LSU, the Longhorns looked to be on

has a WHIP of under 1.00. No other

down either before or in the early

the right path heading into conference

Longhorn pitcher has a WHIP under

stages of the season. However, no

play.

1.20.

Taking two of three from Texas Tech

Longhorn pitchers were forced to

provided even more hope that Texas

deal with at least one baserunner per

last year’s run to Omaha. The 2019

Sure, David Hamilton and DJ Petrin-

one has even come close to making up for their lost production.

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inning, and often more, because of a

Not reaching the 30-win plateau and

the Longhorns played poorly and lost

problem throwing strikes.

completely whiffing on any postsea-

more games than they won, steadily

son appearance is nowhere near the

falling down in the standings.

Other than Bryce Elder, who has

standard the program expects.

received limited run support, Blair

The end game for Texas was missing

Henley, who is spotty in his effective-

the NCAA Tournament for the fourth

ness, and Kennedy, who has missed

Head coach David Pierce and staff

portions of the season this year and

had a final chance at the postseason.

committed similar mistakes to other

It would have required a sweep of

As head coach, responsibility ulti-

teammates, there isn’t much to say as

Oklahoma, and the Sooners took care

mately falls upon Pierce. The Big

far as positive.

of that possibility by winning the first

12 Championship in 2018 is still an

two games of the series, the second

achievement. The problem for Pierce

For a program as storied as Texas,

victory a 13-0 thumping that served

is that coaching is a ‘what have you

to defend the Big 12 Champion-

as an exclamation point to a disap-

done for me lately’ business.

ship in this manner is an extremely

pointing season.

significant step down for the program.

time this decade.

Was 2018 indicative of where he will

Texas Longhorn baseball is associ-

Completely missing the post-season

lead the Longhorn program? Or was

ated with excellence, Omaha, etc.

would have been unthinkable in

2019? It’s up to Pierce to show which

February. But after a promising start,

was the anomaly.

Blair Henley

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