Inside Texas December 2015

CAROLINA BLUE! JAVAN FELIX’S CLUTCH SHOOTING FUELS THE UPSET OF #3 NORTH CAROLINA

NEW OC HIRED

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Sterlin Gilbert brings his high-octane offense to Austin

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in this issue

Huge Win Over UNC |

Bill Frisbie Javan Felix’s last-second shot give Texas the win over #3 Tar Heels. by

Horns Take Down Bears |

Justin Wells A hobbled Longhorn squad pulls off a big win over Baylor in Waco.

Sterlin Gilbert |

by

Chris Hall Sterlin Gilbert and Mike Mattox bring their high-octane offense to Austin. by

Inside the Gameplan |

Boyd Ian takes a look at the options for QB in 2016

Texas Falls to UConn | by Mike Blackwell Sterlin Gilbert and Mike Mattox bring their high-octane offense to Austin.

Notes on the highlights of the month.

Ridley Will Be Missed |

By Tim Preston

Mike Blackwell A broken foot during practice cut short a promising season.

Recruiting Notebook |

10

16

20

by Ian

December Hoops News & Notes |

6

by

Justin Wells and Ian Boyd This notebook focuses on prospects in the trenches. by

Publishers -- Michael Pearle, Clendon Ross | Managing Editor--Clendon Ross | Editor-- Mike Blackwell InsideTexas.com Editor -- Justin Wells | Lead Writer -- Bill Frisbie | Contributor -- Ian Boyd Designer/Photographer -- Will Gallagher | Recruiting Analyst -- Eric Nahlin insidetexas.com To Subscribe/Customer Service -- Phone: 512-659-8167 | Email: help@insidetexas.com

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HORNS TAKE DO

AUSTIN - Texas played big late, capped off when Javan Felix drained an 18-foot, buzzerbeater to give Texas a thrilling 84-82 upset of No. 3 North Carolina at a sold out and and rocking Erwin Center.

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OWN TAR HEELS by

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Bill Frisbie

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- TEXAS VS NORTH CAROLINA -

T

he Tar Heels tied the game with sev-

You can also give Smart a sharpie. The

The only other question is whether

en seconds left before Felix etched

first-year Texas coach has a signature

these Horns can evolve from a mediocre

win against the bluest of college hoops

free throw shooting team into at least

blue bloods.

average. The Horns were just 14-of-23

his name into Longhorn hoops lore.

“It’s amazing what you can do when you

from the charity stripe (60.1 percent) but

have to do it.” said Texas coach Shaka

“We want our guys to play with no hesita-

Smart.

tion,” Smart added. “Early in the year, for

Officials studied the replay for three min-

a variety of reasons, we had some avoid-

The key stat, however, was the three-

ance. It’s hard to be good that way.”

point shooting on both ends of the court.

utes before announcing the verdict on an historic Longhorns win.

drained them down the stretch.

Texas was torrid outside the arc, nailing Obviously, this is a ‘W’ that the NCAA Se-

12-of-24 three-balls. As important, the

lection Committee will still be discussing

Horns held UNC to just 2-of-8 shooting

“You’re in limbo (during the officials’

in early March. The only question, now,

from three-point range in the 2nd half.

review),” Smart said. “The coach in me

is whether this one ranks as Texas’ best

wanted to talk to our guys about what we

win ever at the Erwin Center. (Showing

“We need to make every friggin’ shot,” a

are going to do if we went into overtime.

my age, but I was in the stands when

perturbed Carolina coach Roy Williams

I do believe in power of intention, and I

Texas upended No. 3 Arkansas in Febru-

said, “and not just at home when we’re

didn’t intend for that (OT) to happen.”

ary, 1978. For the record, Texas upset

ahead by a dadgum 30 points.”

Kansas in 2011, but that one was at Lordy, did the Longhorn faithful need

Lawrence).

something like this following a frazzled week of football misadventures. Texas officially announced the hiring of offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert just before tip-off. And, so, when Charlie Strong hugged the Texas hoops coach during the postgame celebration, Smart asked: “Did you get your guy?”

The man of the hour on a drizzly afternoon was, of course, Felix. The senior led all scorers with 25 points and collected the loose rebound after Isaiah Taylor’s attempt at a three-point, game-winner in the final two seconds glanced off the iron.

“When I started to go get ball, I knew had one-point-something something (left),” Felix said, after being doused with water in a jubilant, post-game locker room. “I knew I had time to put a shot up. You still got to go through your regular shot routine to give you your best chance to make the shot.”

8

Javan Felix

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Williams saw his UNC record against

- TEXAS VS NORTH CAROLINA -

Texas fall to 1-6. (He extended Felix an

“I just want to contribute to the team

Taylor took a seat with his third personal

off-handed complement, referring to him

either with defense, or me scoring,” Davis

at the 16:29 mark and Texas trailing 53-

as an “old man, YMCA player.”

said. “It was one of those nights when I

49. Felix was whistled for his third less

hit some shots.”

two minutes later. Davis followed his runner in the lane with his fourth trey to keep

“Texas wanted the basketball game a lot more than we did,” Williams said. “They

The visitors jumped to an early seven-

physically imposed their will on us.”

point lead before Carolina’s Brice John-

Texas within striking distance at 57-55.

son was whistled with his third personal

It was a 64-59 Tar Heel lead before a

Texas played most of game with two

eight minutes into the contest. Davis

pair of Lammert FTs, and Felix’ fifth trey,

bigs (Cam Ridley, Connor Lammert) to

followed Felix’ three-ball with a trey of his

put Texas up 65-64 with 7:41 left. Taylor

challenge UNC’s physical frontcourt. But

own to give Texas its first lead at 19-17.

knocked one from outside the arc to knot

Smart has also emphasized offensive

UNC responded with a 9-3 run, but Rid-

the affair at 74 with 3:41 left. Ridley’s

rebounding during the early weeks of his

ley’s putback pulled Texas within one.

three-point play gave the Horns a 79-76

tenure after Texas got outmuscled and

lead with 1:59 on the game-clock. A

out-motored in that key, hustle stat. On

A Taylor turnover led to an uncontested

Taylor put-back broke an 80-80 deadlock

Saturday, Texas dominated the offensive

layup and 37-32 Tar Heel advantage.

with 23 seconds left.

glass to the tune of 16-to-4. Overall,

The visitors padded their lead by knock-

Texas outrebounded UNC 36-27.

ing down four foul shots, but Davis kept

Taylor tallied 13 of his 18 points after

Texas in this one down the stretch. The

intermission and was poised to drain the

Freshman Eric Davis Jr. confidently

freshmen knocked down his third trey

game-winner. That honor, of course, went

tallied 16 points and helped keep the

after Carolina threatened to make it a

to Felix.

scoreboard close after Taylor struggled

double-digit deficit. Davis’ buzzer-beating

with early foul trouble. He was one of five

layup mean Carolina took a slim 44-42

“We know how good we can put if we put

Horns to score in double figures.

halftime lead into the locker room.

everything together,” Felix said.

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9

BEAR HUNT SUCCESSFU

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UL WITH A “W” IN WACO

by Justin Wells

WACO — Texas arrived in Waco as 21-point underdogs.

They left as 6-point victors. Barely. insidetexas.com

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- TEXAS VS BAYLOR -

B

ehind Tyrone Swoopes, more

Despite missing key starters in Malik

Chris Warren, and a nasty at-

Jefferson, D’Onta Foreman, and

good springboard for next season.”

titude, UT took down No. 12 Baylor,

Hassan Ridgeway, the young pups

It was a first half for the ages. After

23-17, in front of 48,093 fans at

played like dogs. From Anthony

a Duke Thomas interception, a brief

McLane Stadium.

Wheeler, Breckyn Hager, and Con-

skirmish broke out when the bench-

nor Williams, these youthful Horns

es cleared thanks to some extracur-

were all fight.

ricular activities. It was symbolic of

Texas (5-7, 4-5) now has more Top 15 wins than Alabama, Ohio State,

the opening stanza. One in which

Iowa, and North Carolina. Combined.

“Chris Warren grew up today,” said

Texas completely dominated. And it

It shows the capability and potential

play-caller Jay Norvell. “We had

might’ve began earlier in the day.

to which this program holds. How-

guys grow up today. The truth is

ever, it didn’t come without some

we are a very immature team. We

“It started in warmups,” said Strong,

tension. After building a 20-point

have to take our football seriously.

on the melee. “(Baylor) was chirping

halftime lead, Baylor installed a new

We have to grow up and care about

a little and our guys got upset. And I

offense at the half, and found points

football everyday.”

was glad it happened.”

Warren, freshman, making his

It provided a much-needed spark.

But Texas responded with a 12-

second career start performed much

When you provoke these young

play, 62-yard march, a drive where

like his first with another 100-yard+

Horns, who forced four Baylor turn-

Andrew Beck caught two 3rd down

rushing performance. His 110 yards,

overs, this how they respond.

on its next three consecutive drives.

conversions, and ended with a Nick Rose 37-yard FG, a 6-point margin with under four minutes to play, and visions of an upset in their eyes.

“I’m just so happy for our football team,” Strong said. “Happy for this whole program. It’s all about preparation, and confidence, and team chemistry. You look at the really good teams, and they have great team chemistry. That’s what we told the team. ‘Go play for your teammates. Play for the seniors.’”

Baylor (9-3, 6-3) took the ensuing drive to midfield, but a Poona Ford

Tyrone Swoopes

forced fumble and recovery all but sealed the Bears fate. on 28 carries paced the Longhorns

Texas got on the scoreboard first at

“I’m so glad for our seniors,” said

rushing attack. He has optimism for

McLane, normally reserved for BU

Strong. “I said to the team before

next year. He sees it almost every

points. After holding the Bears on

the game, ‘we need to go get this

day.

4th down on their opening posses-

one; we need to go get it done for

sion – BU had scored a touchdown

our seniors.’ To our young players

“From what I see in practice,” said

on its first possession of every game

I said, ‘just go out and play with

Warren. “I know we have a lot of

in 2015. It took statistically the worst

confidence.’”

potential in our room. I know we can

defense in Texas history to stop

go out there and make plays. That’s

them. A few plays later, Swoopes

what we needed to do. This will be a

found Caleb Bluiett on a play-action

And they did.

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- TEXAS VS BAYLOR -

57-yard score, and a 7-0 lead.

20-yard score got BU on the board

Oklahoma, then go on the road and

– it was the first time Baylor had

beat Baylor. (Strong laughs) I don’t

After another BU stop, Texas drove

been held scoreless in the first half

have an answer for this team. I wish

56 yards on seven plays, culminating

since October 29, 2011 at Oklahoma

I did. I wish each week and every

in a Rose 23-yard field goal, and a

State.

week could’ve been like this one.

10-0, Texas advantage.

I don’t want to make any promises On BU’s next possession, Chris

about next year, but we have a lot to

When freshman PJ Locke stripped

Callahan connected on a 24-yard

look forward to.”

BU’s Chris Johnson, fellow frosh

FG, cutting UT’s halftime lead in half,

Wheeler scooped up the free foot-

20-10.

Texas senior DB Duke Thomas, who

ball. Swoopes found pay-dirt minutes

played all four secondary positions in

later and the Horns built a 17-0 mark, with 1:11 remaining in the 1st quarter in front of a stunned Baptist crowd on an incredibly beautiful day. Moments later, Baylor went to its emergency QB – wide receiver Lynx Hawthorne – after third-stringer Johnson was helped off the field with a concussion. It was a big adjustment, for both teams, considering BU didn’t have another quarterback on its roster.

“We had to adjust,” said Paul Boyette. “They had their 3rd string QB in and we wanted to see who the next guy up was. We found that out today.

We knew they’d run the ball. We just had to maintain our gaps. Moving forward next year, we have to keep building our confidence really. We need to know ourselves and be more confident in ourselves. I think that’s

It was 17 unanswered points when

2015, including safety, said it best for

what it comes down to, being more

BU’s Lynx Hawthorne hit the pylon

the future Horns.

confident.”

on an 8-yard TD jaunt. It brought Baylor within three, 20-17, with 9:40

“Texas is built off tradition and pride,”

Rose connected from 40 yards with

remaining in the contest. And made

said Thomas. “We showed that to-

2:01 left in the first half, giving Texas

the Longhorn faithful anxious. It was

day. If you don’t want to come here,

the most unusual 20-0 halftime lead.

a rerun of a movie they’d seen all too

you don’t want to work. Working

often in 2015.

hard, that’s us. Coming here, you

Baylor got on the scoreboard when they opened the 2nd half with a

have to know there will be a grind.

Except this time, the good guy wins.

steady dose of single wing, wildcat,

You have to know you have to beat somebody out. You have to be pas-

or the play where the guy playing QB

“This is a springboard for the Spring

sionate. When you step on the field,

keeps it every snap. Running backs,

now,” said Strong. “Now we have

there’s only one way to work.”

Johnny Jefferson and Terence Wil-

something we can build on, and take

liams, all toted the rock during an

into the offseason. I’m not pleased

The run for 2016 begins tomorrow.

8-play, 69-yard drive. Jefferson’s

with the year we had. You go beat

Buckle up.

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- TEXAS VS BAYLOR -

WHAT THEY SAID...

DUKE THOMAS “Texas is built off tradition and pride. We showed that today. If you don’t want to come here, you don’t want to work. Working hard, that’s us. Coming here, you have to know there will be a grind. You have to know you have to beat somebody out. You have to be passionate. When you step on the field, there’s only one way to work.”

CHRIS WARREN III

DAJE JOHNSON “We’re very close. It’s like we’re right at the edge of being great.

The players in the future are going to make that happen.”

“From what I see in practice, I know we have a lot of potential in our room. I know we can go out there and make plays. That’s what we needed to do. This will be a good springboard for next season.”

23 - 17 15 156 151 3-14 0 27:38

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FIRST DOWNS RUSHING YARDS PASSING YARDS THIRD DOWNS TURNOVERS TIME OF POSSESSION

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29 395 84 4-16 2 32:22

TULSA DUO TAPPED TO RETOOL OFFENSE

BY CHRIS HALL

Sterlin Gilbert - photo courtesy of UT Athletics

I

think Sterlin Gilbert is the most important recruit of Charlie Strong’s 2016 class.

He doesn’t have the size or speed (or eligibility) that the other signees have, but Texas’ new offensive coordinator will have

more immediate impact than any other new arrival this offsea-

football history after they allowed 453 yards/game in 2015.

That sounds incredibly bad, and is bad. It’s about 50 yards more than defense of 2013 (407 yards/game) and no one wants to be remembered in the record books that way.

son. Or at least, that’s what Longhorn Nation is hoping.

Keep in mind, though, that Texas plays in the Big 12 and

The second most important recruit of 2016:

Tech, TCU, and Oklahoma. It’s understandable for a young

faced four of the country’s top 10 offenses: Baylor, Texas

Matt Mattox. Yes, UT’s newest offensive line coach.

and developing defense. I don’t think anyone would say it’s

There’s much to be said for how UT’s offensive scheme will

acceptable, but understandable nonetheless.

develop throughout the coming Spring. Last year’s squad fin-

That being said, if Texas was more mature offensively — or

effort only produced five wins.

preparing for a bowl game now. Three of UT’s six losses

ished 94th in total offense and 85th in points per game. That

The Longhorns will have to win nine games or so next season to keep the fanbase happy, and the staff employed. It’s fair

to interject here Texas had many defensive woes as well. It’s true. This was, statistically, the worst defense in Longhorns

16

just able to efficiently pass the ball — the Horns would be

came by a field goal or less. Instead, they’re back in offseason before the 2016 calendar year begins.

Thus, the Mattox hire is crucial.

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Gilbert has one year to turn the offense around, and he needs

Several times the running back simply missed the hole or

tox, a like-minded person in the coaches’ “war room,” will help

sive line get consistently good movement.

as much buy-in from the program as is possible. Having MatGilbert make practical the vision he’s casting for offensive side of the ball.

Don’t think that isn’t a big deal.

It’s true, Texas had an impressive day running the ball against

Tulsa On Film

Oklahoma—but for very different reasons. It wasn’t because

I don’t know Matt from Adam. So I decided to familiarize myself with his offensive line at Tulsa. I wasn’t evaluating them,

the players, so much as I was trying to get a feel for how Mattox had coached them.

I watched the first half of Tulsa’s games against OU and

Memphis, came away with a few impressions and how those hopefully translate to the Texas offensive line in the fall.

the offensive line was mauling people (see the film review).

It was because of rivalry, WRs blocking downfield, and the horses in the backfield. Tulsa ran the ball on Oklahoma

because of scheme, yes, but also with consistent movement along the line of scrimmage. That happens with technique, aggression, and cohesive team play on the offensive line.

I was impressed, honestly.

Fastest Offense in the Country

Good Movement on Inside Zone Tulsa ran the ball impressively against OU, all things considered. With sub-par talent at the running back position, Tulsa

had 100-yard rusher against the Sooners while averaging 4.4 yards/carry.

open lane. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see the offen-

Midway through the season, Tulsa was the fastest offense in

the country. By the time they played Memphis, they averaged a play every 18.8 seconds. If you’ve never played major college football — especially as a 300-pound lineman — that’s really fast.

Mike Mattox - photo courtesy of UT Athletics D’Onta Foreman busts loose for 81 yards insidetexas.com

17

- GILBERT AND MADDOX -

My junior year at Texas we installed what we called our “Jet

individually, it means they must be well coached. That, and

It was set of five plays or so, and every player knew the sig-

ation, Tulsa’s offensive line was “basically a rag tag bunch of

communication needed on the offensive line, and meant as a

experience except at guard.”

Package,” inspired by what Oklahoma was doing at the time. nals. They were to be ran as fast as possible, with little to no change up to catch the defense off guard.

possibly they’re genuinely a team. In Ian Boyd’s recent evalu-

Okies (with a single Texan)” that had “little size or meaningful

While frank, methinks he’s right.

I hated it.

I knew it was a good thing and very productive at times. But

my goodness, it sure could make a fat man tired. Sometimes while we were running it and getting closer to the goal line, the thought running through my head was that I just had to outlast the defensive lineman in front of me. The pace was

Their line was composed of two returning starters at left and

right guard, a former walk-on, and a converted DT at the tackles, and a redshirt freshmen at center. All of which, I’m pretty sure Mattox didn’t recruit out of high school. He was only at Tulsa one season.

hard on a defense (and hard on the offensive line as well).

That being said, what their offensive line accomplished is

Being the fastest offense in the country means your linemen

offense in the country. They’ve averaged 35.9 points/game,

can’t be out of shape. That’s a good thing. It means they have

impressive. Currently in 2015, Tulsa has the 16th ranked

and are now on their way to playing Frank Beamer’s Virginia

Tech in the Independence Bowl. Not bad, and Mattox surely deserves his fair share of the credit. Far better to make much with little, than to make very little with much.

Mattox will have more returning

starters at Texas (3) than he did at Tulsa in 2015. It’s safe to say

he’ll have better talent to work with

overall as well, including Freshman All American Connor Williams and first-year starter Patrick Vahe.

In 2016, look for a Longhorn of-

fensive line that consistently moves people off the line of scrimmage.

Connor Williams

to be disciplined when they’re tired, if nothing else, and able to endure more than their opponent.

be our base.”

Look for a Texas offensive line that’s in shape and plays fast.

The Sum is Greater Than It’s Parts

Slow-footed, fat boys won’t be able to keep up the pace.

Oklahoma is headed to the College Football Playoff, which

means they’re one of the top four teams in the country. The

fact that Tulsa could hang with them offensively is impressive.

The final score was 52 – 38.

And look for an offensive line that cohesively plays together.

It’s the only way to beat teams that are bigger, stronger, and faster. But it’s possible.

If Mattox can get Tulsa-type production out of Texas’ offen-

sive line — never thought I’d say that — the Longhorns (and

When a team plays well collectively, against better talent

18

Mattox was quoted in his introduc-

tory press conference: “Our power running game…will always

Strong) will be sitting pretty at the end of the 2016 season.

insidetexas.com

The The process process of of Charlie Charlie Strong choosing and successfully hiring Sterlin Gilbert to be be the the new new OC at Texas raised all kinds of questions about the climate in Belmont and and whether whether Charlie Charlie has has the the ability ability or or support support necessary necessary to to stick stick around around for for the the long long haul. haul.

But But now now that that an OC is hired, we can discuss this in terms of pure football talk, because because whether whether Charlie survives a tough 2016 schedule schedule depends depends almost almost entirely entirely on on whether whether his new offensive coordinator is able to field a good QB. While While the the new new offense offense is is built built on the running game it also puts a higher premium on on throwing throwing the ball than most any other run-centric offense in football history.

There There is is no no getting getting around the need for a QB that can can punish punish defenses defenses for for how how they they play play the the run run game. game.The The “shoot” “shoot” part part of of the the “veer “veer ‘n’ ‘n’ shoot” shoot” offense offense is is what what makes makes this this offense offense special. special.

20

INSIDE THE TEXAS GAMEPLAN Options at Quarterback

Jerrod Heard

By Ian Boyd

21

- Inside the Gameplan - QB Options for 2016 -

G

ilbert is going to have probably five or six real options to sort

through in finding his QB for 2016. What he’s looking for in

particular is a QB that can handle the RPOs (run/pass options) that

make up the bulk of the standard down play-calls, make quick reads and throw accurate strikes outside the hash marks, and connect on the

If Swoopes had been redshirted and brought up in this system, there’d be good hope for him eventually realizing his awesome physical tools and leading the Texas offense. As it happens, without taking a redshirt season that would then exclude him from the competition, this will be Swoopes’ final year as a Longhorn and there probably just isn’t enough time to repair

frequent vertical option routes that set this system apart.

the damage.

Arm strength, ability to make quick (and easy) reads from the pocket,

Swoopes does look the part for this system, his strength in the Watson days

and overall grasp of how the system attacks defenses are the most important tools for a QB to have. There’s also often some QB run-

game mixed in so literal quickness and physical toughness are also valuable skills. Here are the options

was always making the quick and easy reads on the outside and zipping passes with placement and velocity that made them exceptionally difficult to defend. However, Tyrone has never been consistent on deep throws, rarely hitting receivers downfield at all, much less in stride.

Without John Harris around and facing greater expectations, he regressed

THE RETURNING VETERANS

even further in confidence and simply doesn’t seem comfortable as the starting QB for the University of Texas. Where he does seem comfortable

There isn’t just a ton of hope for what these guys will offer given that their

and confident is as a role player in the “18-wheeler” wildcat package where

inability to wield effective passing attacks is the reason that Texas is going to

he can focus on simple run reads and using his superior physical ability to

have three different play-callers in three different seasons.

TYRONE SWOOPES

dominate people in short-yardage situations.

The smart money is on Swoopes focusing his practice time around the 18-wheeler package and possibly even moving to a new position.

Tyrone Swoopes

22

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- Inside the Gameplan - QB Options for 2016 -

Jerrod Heard

JERROD HEARD

If Gilbert doesn’t move Heard down the depth chart and eventually out wide to receiver, I’ll be concerned about the level of freedom the new coach has

My thinking at this point is that Jerrod Heard is actually a WR who has been able to get by at QB thanks to the possibilities of the spread-option.

in regards to personnel decisions because quite frankly I can’t see Heard winning the job in this particular system.

The first alarms went off for me when watching his HS championship

THE WATSON ADDITIONS

victories for a feature on him that we printed over a year ago. What really stood out was that he really won those games with his legs and not with his arm. In fact, when Georgetown was able to bottle up his running for a brief period in his junior year showdown with Jake Hubenak, Heard started to panic and wasn’t sure what to do until they adjusted the run game to get him going again.

Watson’s QB recruiting was somewhat frustrating since he generally went after raw clay, even going out-of-state to get it, rather than selecting any of the numerous Texas HS QBs that had already been trained and developed to execute modern passing systems. Whether or not Texas makes it through

Another alarm went off when it was reported that Denton Guyer’s head

2016 may well depend on whether one of Watson’s two signings in the 2015 class are able to take the reins.

coach emphasized to Wickline and Watson that the key to his success in high school was simplicity on offense that simply allowed him to run wild. He’s

KAI LOCKSLEY

now the “returning starter” for an offense that will ask him to do the exact opposite and regularly make reads and throws from the pocket.

Because his father is a prominent offensive coach in the college ranks, it’s

If you look at the skill sets of history’s greatest wide receivers, you’ll often

generally assumed that Locksley has a QB’s mindset and it’s simply waiting

find similar traits that we see in Heard. Such as a front-running confidence

for the chance to come out. Unfortunately, there is little to no evidence on

that feeds off beating people with open field moves, great vision and

film that such is the case.

instincts for running with the ball, and superior explosiveness in his movements.

To begin with, Locksley has never executed an offense built around the

While Heard’s ridiculous ability to dart laterally and forward with suddenness that most other athletes can’t match will occasionally find usage at QB, it’d be all that he’s ever asked to do as a WR. Assuming he has the hands for the position, I think his skills could translate into becoming a special player out wide, especially in this offense where special athletes at WR are set up to do extraordinary things.

passing game before and didn’t receive the valuable snaps and instruction as a young man that most college QBs today have already received. There’s a huge difference between a freshman who has already read and thrown something like a curl-flat hundreds of times in game situations and a freshman who’s done it a few times in a controlled setting. To think that he’s going to be ready as a RS freshman to lead this offense is not being realistic.

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- Inside the Gameplan - QB Options for 2016 -

happen if things broke down, and confidence to throw the ball. Sometimes he seemed to have too much confidence and threw a lot of picks trying to buy time and get the ball out under duress or trying to rely on his arm to beat coverage.

However, this offense’s spacing is designed to clear up the reads and minimize the risk by isolating the receivers, allowing them to run into open grass, getting the ball out quickly or else offering max protection, and eliminating the likelihood of a safety being in position to pick off an errant or tipped pass.

On his senior tape, Merrick showed the ability to make the kinds of reads and throws that are a big part of this offense as well as the ability to run and allow a little bit of QB run-game to be a part of the offense.

Kai Locksley Secondly, Locksley has really struggled with accuracy and basic mechanics and is currently 4th on the depth chart. When you are running an RPO offense where the QB needs to stick the ball in the RB’s gut and then make a decision to pull it and throw open a receiver, whether they are running a short route or a deeper combination, accuracy is important and so is the ability to throw a football without a great deal of wind-up or effort.

His two most encouraging abilities are how he reads stretch concepts and how well he leads receivers on deep routes, particularly “7” routes that are basically post routes that go out towards the sideline rather than inside. He’s also capable of throwing comeback routes with anticipation, which is likely to come in handy in Gilbert’s vertical pass concepts.

He has no hesitation when firing a throw into a narrow window, even when throwing something like a curl route to the field as he does at 2:32 on his

Have you ever played a game of pick-up basketball where you notice the guy who had a long wind-up for his set shot and nailed all of his jumpers in pre-game shooting is easily silenced during the actual game? Why does that happen? Because the circumstances he requires to execute a shot never exist in an actual game where people are trying to stop him.

I’m afraid that’s Locksley as a passer, and maybe Swoopes and Heard to a lesser extent. If his feet are set properly he can throw a pretty impressive ball.

What’s more, Locksley has always shown a high aptitude for the receiver position and was a near-lock to end up at that position in Tallahassee had he remained there. There can be little doubt that Texas’ success in stealing him away from Jimbo Fisher was largely related to the Horns offered a better chance at getting developed at QB rather than quickly moved out wide. Now it’s time to pay the piper.

MATTHEW MERRICK The veer ‘n’ shoot was designed to unleash guys like Merrick. As a high school player Merrick flashed a lot of the tools that you love to see in a QB including arm strength, the ability to keep plays alive and make something

Matthew Merrick

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- Inside the Gameplan - QB Options for 2016 -

film. The ability to punish a defense with deep lobs off play-action and with

This is a skill that would get a lot of play in the veer ‘n’ shoot as he’ll

throws outside on isolated coverage are what can make this offense come

regularly be looking to pick out weak spots and then make throws down the

alive. Merrick is probably the best man for the job currently on campus.

field, possibly while getting flushed out of the pocket. That exact ability won

but a QB in this system needs to be able to deliver the ball almost subcon-

RG3 the Heisman in this system.

sciously while being mindful of other factors on the field.

His ease in releasing the ball also makes him effective on traditional concepts, like curl-flat, which seems to have been his offense’s favorite passing

SPRING ADVENT

concept. At 3:35 you see him read the flat defender and then throw a strike to the curl route in an instant.

There’s at least one option coming in for Texas in the spring and possibly

Buechele curl-flat

another that could also prove competitive in a battle for starting QB that currently only has one major contender.

As soon as the strong safety turned and chased the flat route, Buechele was zipping in the middle of the field a curl route to the Y receiver. This is

SHANE BUECHELE

Shane Buechele

Shane Buechele is the veer ’n’ shoot’s answer for Baker Mayfield. He has great lateral quickness that makes him hard to tackle in the backfield and very effective on zone read plays where he can take the edge or cut back inside if he faces over-pursuit. Those abilities are great, but Texas has plenty of guys at QB that can scoot and all of them (save maybe for Merrick) are probably better at it than Buechele, as talented a runner as he is.

a great concept for a QB in this system to be good at for the occasions in which opponents try to play man coverage outside but it’s also indicative of Buechele’s aptitude for reading defenders and then making them pay within the window of opportunity.

It’s easy to see Buechele mastering enough of the passing game to allow the

What makes Shane special is his release and how easily he can throw a ball with velocity and placement without needing the perfect footwork or setting to throw a strike. I’m beginning to suspect that the QBs who also play baseball are perhaps best equipped to handle the rigors of throwing passes while large and violent people are trying to hurt them. Hot corner, imo.

2016 Texas run-game to get going before eventually becoming an outstanding QB in this system.

What say you? Do you think one of these potential signal-callers could get Texas to eight or more wins and save Charlie’s job? Or is this a lost cause?

Over and over again on his tape you’ll find Buechele seeing the defense lose leverage to open a window or give his WR a favorable matchup and then you’ll see him be able to deliver an accurate ball in a millisecond thanks to

Join the Conversation

the ease and speed with which he winds up and throws. You can see what I’m talking about at 2:20 on his tape where he sees the boundary safety get sucked in and immediately throws a perfect go route to the boundary side receiver.

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Kraken_Texas_mechanical.indd 1

5/19/11 2:17:09 PM

TEXAS FALLS JUST SHORT I

G

ame One A.C. (After Cam) came Tuesday night at the

UConn lead to 65-61, and the UT guard made one of two

Erwin Center, a contest that ended with Texas losing

free throws with 33 seconds to slice the lead to 65-63 before

to the University of Connecticut, 71-66.

the Husky tandem clinched the win for Kevin Ollie's team.

Javan Felix's three-pointer with seven seconds left proved

Ironically, the game was iced by former Texas guard Sterling

to be too little, too late.

Gibbs, who made four free throws in the final 26 seconds as Texas efforted to pull out the win. Another Husky with

The Felix three was the only non-Tevin Mack three pointer

a Texas connection, Daniel Hamilton, added a pair of free

made by the Longhorns in the game. Mack, who led the

throws with 14 seconds left to UConn as well. Hamilton is

team with 20 points, was five of nine from beyond the stripe;

the brother of former Longhorn Jordan Hamilton.

the rest of the Longhorns were one of 14. Ouch.

Isaiah Taylor's free throw with 57 seconds remaining cut the

Rodney Purvis paced UConn with 16 points, while Hamilton

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IN TIGHT LOSS TO UCONN by

by Mike Mike Blackwell Blackwell

and Shonn Miller each had 13. Gibbs, who has also played

Prince Ibeh and Connor Lammert were the bigs who started

for Seton Hall in a much-traveled career, scored 12 points.

Tuesday night in the Cam-less lineup, along with Javan Felix, Isaiah Taylor and Eric Davis. Ibeh finished the game

The game was played on the same day Texas center Cam-

three points and four rebounds. Lammert's box score read

eron Ridley underwent surgery on his foot, which suffered a

seven points scored, along with eight rebounds.

break at practice as Texas prepared for the Huskies. Prognosis for Ridley indicates that he will - at the earliest and if

Minutes-wise, Lammert played 27, Ibeh 18 and the other

at all - return to action in "8-10 weeks, but potentially longer"

frontcourt player who figures to get some of Ridley's time,

according to Texas coach Shaka Smart, so Tuesday's game

Shaq Cleare, played 12 minutes. Cleare finished the game

marked the first look at the Longhorns post-Ridley.

with five points (he made both of his shot attempts) and grabbed six rebounds.

Reviews were cautiously optimistic.

29

- Texas vs UConn -

Blocked shots? Ridley was averaging 3.4 per game; Ibeh had five, while Lammert and Cleare were shut out in that category.

"This is a tough one, because I thought we had a good level of enthusiasm for the majority of the game," said Smart.

"We just didn't get the stops we needed to in the second half. And we had a few possessions in the second half where we lacked poise and took a couple of bad shots."

As for missing Ridley, Smart said, "Obviously we were not able to throw it inside as much as we did the first 11 games.

But I thought (the other bigs) did some good things, Shaq rebounded the ball really well."

Smart said Ridley's surgery went "well" and added that the senior was in good spirits after the procedure.

The first half was back-and-forth, ending with the Huskies ahead, 34-33. Mack came out blistering for the Longhorns, scoring a dozen points on four of eight shooting from the field, three of six from beyond the three-point line.

After starting the game with an 8-2 lead, UConn cooled and Texas surged ahead 16-10 after a Mack three-pointer with 12:05 left to play. The two teams continued trading buckets: a Purvis three-pointer gave the Huskies a 25-24 advantage with 6:51 left, and a Lammert three-point play pushed UT

Tevin Mack

of the half with 2:03 left to play, giving Texas a 33-32 lead before a Purvis layout gave UConn the halftime advantage.

back in front, 27-25 just 30 seconds later.

Ollie said he was particularly impressed with Gibbs.

Felix canned a couple of free throws to give the Longhorns

“That’s what fifth-year seniors are supposed to do,” Ollie

a 29-25 advantage, but Gibbs drained a three-pointer to cut the UT lead to 29-28 with 4:41 remaining. After a pair

said. “At the end of the game, I know I can count on him to make big plays for us.”

of UConn buckets, the Longhorns scored their final points

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31

DECEMBER NEWS AND NOTES H PS

By Tim Preston

EASTERN EXPOSURE Longhorns Basketball started out their

season with a 7,000+ mile trip to China (thanks, Steve!) to play Washington in

Shanghai to play the Washington Huskies.

Yao Ming was there. Bill Walton was

there. The president of some company

Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai

called Alibaba Group was there (oh, he’s worth $25 Billion? Okay. Yeah, he was

16 free throws in a six point loss. That’s a long ways to travel to

there, too). It was great.

lay an egg on the floor in front of a multi-billionaire from Shang-

Except for the game. That was not so good. The Longhorns

missed 54 shots from the floor, got outrebounded 11 and missed

hai. Coach Smart’s maiden voyage as a Longhorn left plenty to be desired, but an entire season was left to play.

FRESHMEN PROGRESSION The much-ballyhooed freshman class for the Longhorns

Davis went for 19. Then against those same UW Huskies,

UT careers in pretty weak fashion in China against Wash-

later, against #3 North Carolina, Davis and Roach would

(Eric Davis, Kerwin Roach and Tevin Mack) started their ington (4-32 from the field qualifies as weak, right?). It didn’t get much better from there on.

Until the team headed to the Bahamas for the Battle 4

combine for 22 points and the freshmen progression was on. It’s not always going to be a smooth ride, but these

Atlantis where they played, surprise!, Washington again.

This time against the A&M Aggies (remember them?)

Davis scored 15 and Roach went for eight. A few weeks

young guns aren’t shy about shooting, playmaking, talking or, well, really anything.

Eric Davis Kerwin Roach

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Tevin Mack

JAVAN’S ICY VEINS After a 2-3 start, Texas had won three in a

from the day he took the job. Texas kept on

in mid-December. UNC, a common favorite

half and they didn’t quit as the Tar Heels an-

row before welcoming the Tar Heels to Austin to cut down the nets in April, had had their

struggles against UT when Rick Barnes was the coach but this year was different, right?

Shaka’s team was outmatched, outhorsed, outwhatever-you-want-to-put-here, right?

Wrong. Texas came out fast and on fire from

three against North Carolina, taking the action to the Tar Heels like Coach Smart has wanted

fighting even after UNC got up big in the first swered shot for shot down the stretch. Then,

with time running out and the Longhorns staring overtime in the face, a rebound caromed off to Javan Felix. He caught the ball, sized

up the shot, sized it up some more, did a bit

more sizing, still more sizing and then, finally, released the ball, with :01 remaining to beat top-five UNC. It was awesome.

THE ENSUING WINNING STREAK After the big win over the Light Blue Nation, Texas extended their win streak all the way out to six games. The Longhorns

A CRASH BACK TO EARTH

winning streak included wins over three teams with postsea-

Then, in late December, the Longhorns got some terrible news.

special time for the team as the vision and commitment from

game through the early parts of the season, had broken his foot

belief and excitement.

rendering him out for, at least, the conference schedule and,

were playing with confidence, poise and excitement. The

son aspirations in UT-Arlington, UNC and Stanford. It was a

Cam Ridley, averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks per

Coach Smart appeared to be paying off for a team that needed

during a layup drill in a practice session at Cooley Pavilion,

Made more positive was the fact that Texas received the com-

mitment from five-star guard Andrew Jones (combo guard out

of Irving MacArthur) to go along with the signings of four-star players Jacob Young (guard from Houston Yates) and 6’11”

center James Banks. Things were rolling for the Horns. They were really rolling. What could go wrong?

possibly, the rest of the season.

Texas would lose the next two games (home against UConn

and at Texas Tech) by single digits and the question remained, “What would Texas be without their star center?” Now Coach Smart is left attempting to reinvent his team as they enter the league play in the toughest conference in the country.

No problem…hopefully...

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BIG

THE

MAN

WILL BE MISSED

T

he impact of Cameron Ridley’s broken foot could prove to be as big as the center himself.

Surgery “went well” according to reports, but extremely optimistic early speculation indicated that Ridley would return in late-

February at the very earliest. But realistically, knowing the history

Averaging a double-double through 11 games, the 6-10,

290-pound Texas center suffered the injury in a practice prior to the Longhorns’ recent game with UConn, and might very well have played his last game in burnt orange.

of big men and their feet, would it benefit Ridley to return that

quickly for a handful of games at the end of his collegiate career, possibly jeopardizing a shot at professional basketball?

Probably not. But that’s not a decision that has to be made now;

And that’s too bad.

for now, Ridley must heal. And wait.

It’s too bad for Texas coach Shaka Smart, who was cruising with

However, Smart and the Longhorns have no choice but to live

Houston native who averaged 12.7 points, 10 rebounds and 3.4

of which Smart is keenly aware. The Longhorns start conference

an 8-3 record in his first year primarily because of Ridley, the blocks per game.

It’s too bad for Texas guards Isaiah Taylor and Javan Felix, who

in the now; the games don’t stop when someone gets hurt, a fact play less than a week after Ridley’s surgery, which happened on December 29.

benefitted greatly from Ridley’s considerable presence in the

“We’re not the only team in America that has to deal with a

Pince Ibeh and Shaq Cleare, who now must not only replace Rid-

not going to feel sorry for ourselves. They don’t need to reinvent

paint. It’s too bad for Texas interior players Connor Lammert,

ley’s minutes, but also at least try to make up for Ridley’s impact on both ends of the floor.

In short, the remaining bigs must do things they aren’t accustomed to doing.

Mostly, it’s too bad for Ridley, a good kid who embraced the

new-found freedom he found in Smart’s scheme. He had worked

hard, lost weight and greatly increased his leadership role. Heck,

he even blocked a school record nine shots in a game a couple of weeks ago.

And now, this.

34

curveball like that,” Smart said bravely. “I told our guys, we’re

the wheel. They just need to do the things that we’ve asked them to do all along a little bit better.”

Or alot better. Lammert, Ebeh and Cleare - combined - do not

equal Ridley’s production. Lammert is about 60 pounds lighter.

Ebeh is effective defensively, but is nothing more than a scavenger on the offensive end of the court. Cleare is shorter, far less polished, raw and unproven, though talented.

Smart came to Texas with an up-tempo reputation, and now will

certainly be the time for that reputation to flourish. The Longhorns will also have to shift from what was fast becoming a Ridleycentric offensive attack.

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by Mike Blackwell

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35

- CAMERON RIDLEY effect of Ridley’s break is - and will be - signifi-

cant.

“ Obviously we weren’t able to throw the ball inside as much as we had the first 11 games,”

Smart said after losing to UConn, 71-66. “We

were still figuring out how we want to play, even when Cam was playing. I think we were still

kind of getting into some kind of groove, at least

on the offensive end, in terms of what our priorities were. And that obviously changes when you take him out of the mix.

“We’re going to need more drives from our

guards. We’re going to have to the shoot the ball better than we did tonight. We’re going to need to get to the foul line and make free throws.”

Smart, who visited Ridley the day of his surgery, was optimistic about the big man’s future, but

also realistic about just how quickly - if at all -

he might be able to return to the Longhorns this

season. He also lamented Ridley’s loss on a personal level, his empathy apparent in the tone of his voice. This one hurts more than just Ridley.

“ His surgery went well,” Smart said. “ His spir-

its are good. He’s just a terrific kid, you’re so ex-

cited about his progress and his development and then something like this happens...you can’t help but feel like, ‘Man, this guy was doing so well.’

“Cam was really getting to the point where he was demanding

the basketball,” Smart said. “And there was an impetus from the

But, at the same time, he’s going to progress.”

coaching staff and everywhere that the ball needed to go in there

Smart said he would know more about Ridley’s potential return

bigs.”

prior to the surgery that recovery time is usually 8-10 weeks,

to him. Now we’ve got to continue to build that with our other

after a follow-up visit with the doctor, adding that he was told

which would put Ridley’s return at late-February or early March.

Texas’ first game, post-Ridley, came against Connecticut, and

Smart seemed to like what he saw of his Lammert-Ibeh-Cleare trio in the paint.

“I thought those guys did some really good things,” Smart said.

“If you look at Shaq and Prince, between the two of them they

“But I was also told that everybody responds differently, and it could potentially be longer than that,” Smart said. “We’re

certainly not going to put him back out there until he’s physically ready.”

played 30 minutes. I’d like to keep increasing that if we can. Shaq

When Ridley will be ready is a question neither Smart, nor anyone

on defense, getting his hands on the basketball.”

sistently without him in the lineup is another question that will be

rebounded the ball really, really well. I thought Prince was active

Though he was cautiously optimistic, Smart realizes that Ridley’s

else, can answer. Whether the Longhorns are ready to win conanswered only in time.

absence effects more than just the interior of his team; the ripple

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37

RECRUITING UPDATE

by Justin Wells

and Ian Boyd

This month we focus on prospects in the 2016 recruiting class who would bring physicality to the Longhorn defense.

How he fits at Texas: Taylor is a particularly exciting, yet raw prospect who is able to get by in high school by simply finding the ball and then relying on his absurd length and speed to beat anyone who is unfortunate enough to find themselves in his path of destruction. He’s probably quick enough to play the DE/DT swing position in Texas’ 3-3 fronts like Malcom Brown did but his eventual upside would be best realized as a 3-technique in a 4-2 front. He’d be a player that can cause problems for Texas stunting into interior gaps once he learns how to apply his superior length and athleticism to beating bigger op-

STEPHON TAYLOR, DL McDonough HS, New Orleans (2016)

ponents. – Ian Boyd

How this affects Texas: UT’s troubles in securing top-notch defensive tackles the last

Coach says: Stephon is a creature. You want crea-

few years is unnerving to the say the least. To build championship programs, the defen-

tures like Stephon upfront clogging running lanes and

sive interior is a required starting point. Enter Stephon Taylor. The 4-star defender from

getting after the passer from down to down. Work on

NOLA is a guy that can break that trend of no-name DTs. Taylor, who holds offers from

his pad level and keep working his hands and you

Alabama, LSU, Auburn, and others, is a unique cat in that despite living on basically

are going to have yourself a monster. The way he can

LSU soil, is looking out-of-state for his future address. He doesn’t have the same in-state

move at 6-foot-4, 295 pounds, is scary and with the

ties that most Bayou Bengals claim - grew up in Alabama - therefore don’t be shocked

right coach he has a chance to be a heck a player

when he leaves the Da Boot. Texas and Auburn appear to lead his recruitment in landing

wherever he goes. He would be near the top of my

the signature from the 6-foot-4 monster, with UT holding a slight edge. Land Taylor, and

priority list if I was coaching at Texas.

the pattern of missing on big-time defensive tackles starts to fade.– Justin Wells

How this affects Texas: Mike’s not a kid that you call a difference maker, but he’s a necessity. He’s a Larry Dibbles. The guy who helps with depth, works hard, and potentially becomes a rotation guy along the d-line. That’s if he sticks at DT, which I think he will. He’s been a Texas fan for the longest, despite committing to Stanford. Texas hasn’t pushed for his signature yet. If they do, and I feel like they will, I expect the Horns to land the gentle giant from Fort Worth. Dibbles was a player too. – Justin Wells

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Coach says: Big fan of this kid as a player. Plays the game

How this affects Texas: They

fast and relentless and that

call him the Shark because he

didn’t dip off from his junior to

never goes backwards. Watch

senior year. Love how he is

his tape. The guy was born

always flying to the football and

to play Fox in Strong’s 3-3-5.

is capable of making a lot of

McCulloch is the type of talent

plays out in space, as he will

that flourishes in a Strong-called

be playing on the outside at

defense. And with the Horns

the next level. If you can find a

2015 LB haul, UT just needs a

way to get a guy like this and

few more horses to make the

Malik Jefferson on the edges,

linebacker position a strength

you can get real creative and

moving forward. He’s a smart

raise some hell in pass rushing situations.

kid, with good grades in a family

JEFF MCCULLOCH, LB

of educators. He’s flirted with

Aldine Davis HS, TX (2016)

the usual suspects; Texas, Notre Dame, Stanford, and A&M. At the

How he fits at Texas: McCulloch’s specialty in high school has been play-

end of day, I think he turns Mon-

ing the edge in what translates as the Fox position at Texas. He’s a strong

crief into a Shark Tank without

outside linebacker at playing blocks against screens on the edge, running

Mr. Wonderful.– Justin Wells

plays down from behind, and exploding off the edge in the pass rush. His film does not reveal what kind of player he’ll be when teams are trapping him with big H-backs or impeding his path to the QB with a left tackle. However, the lateral agility and his natural feel for playing the edge in space combined with a frame that will likely end up at 250+ portends a great edge prospect that might be a special weapon at Fox in a few years.

– Ian Boyd

Coach says: I was lukewarm on Williams when I first saw film on him awhile back, but I am starting to come around on him. While I am weary of his competition, he looks to be pretty strong at the POA and he doesn’t get moved off the LOS very much. He also flashes a nice get off and if he can become more consistent with it he will be a bit of a problem on the interior. He also flashes a little ‘arm over’ move that seems to be his go-to move, and I would look to refine and add to that if I was a prospective D-line coach. The big fella has made me a believer and the fact that Stanford wants him makes me an even bigger fan.

How he fits at Texas: Williams has the ideal attributes of a Charlie Strong 3-3 Under nose tackle. Why? Because he’s athletic, sudden off the ball, and effective enough in his technique to get from a heads up alignment across from the center into an A-gap. His size and use of his hands make him a promising prospect for battling double teams and he’s very likely to be able to force opposing OL to commit a guard to doubling him as Big 12 centers aren’t really up for handling a guy like this across their face. - Ian Boyd

MIKE WILLIAMS, DT Ft. Worth All Saints HS, TX (2016)

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