2014 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE
COVERING UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SPORTS
MARCH/APRIL 2014 WWW.HORNSILLUSTRATED.COM
STRONG KEEPS KEY PROSPECTS MEN’S SWIM & DIVE WINS 35TH STRAIGHT CONFERENCE TITLE TEXAS CITY’S FOREMAN BROS.
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(V. 21, NO. 3) DISPLAY THRU MAY. 2014
BASEBALL & SOFTBALL SEASON PREVIEWS
THE DUAL-THREAT QUARTERBACK FROM DENTON
SIX SIGN FROM OUT-OF-STATE
MARCH/APRIL 2014
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CONTENTS
Charlie Strong’s first recruting class brings forth the talent the Longhorns will need in 2014.
FEATURES
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FOOTBALL
Strong Hold One month after taking the head coaching position and only weeks after finalizing his staff, Charlie Strong signed his first ever recruiting class at the University of Texas. Ranked No. 16 in the nation, the success and quality of this class exceeds its national ranking. Strong and his staff retained all but six players from Mack Brown’s group. The de-committments allowed Strong to bring in other athletes to fill in the gaps in the Longhorns’ current lineup and strengthen other areas. The 23-member class sets the tone for what’s to come in the Strong era. This year’s recruiting issue brings you up close and personal with the class’s one and only quarterback, Jerrod Heard, as well as with Derick Roberson, Garrett Gray and the Foreman brothers — Armanti and D’Onta. We also provide Strong’s thoughts on each player and their key accomplishments.
42 SOFTBALL Stepping Up to the Plate At the conclusion of last season, the Longhorn softball team graduated the most successful senior class in its history, leaving behind big shoes to fill. But this year’s team isn’t focused on meeting the expectations set by former teammates — instead, these players are ready to create their own legacy.
44 BASEBALL Attitude, Sacrifice and Dedication Head coach Augie Garrido has always preached the mantra, “Attitude, sacrifice and dedication” to his teams. This season, the players are putting the words in motion and focusing on the team’s success more than their own. The Longhorns are coming together in time for a season during which they look to finally return to the NCAA tournament.
DEPARTMENTS M A RK YO U R C A LE N D A R
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RO U N D U P
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S P I RI T O F T HE M O N T H
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M E D I A VO I C E S
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T HE HA B E O N T HE HO RN S — Steve Habel
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HE A LT H & W E LLN E S S
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FI N A L S C O RE
COVER PHOTO: Main photo: Jerrod Heard. Inset clockwise from left: Alex Anderson, Chris Nelson, Jermaine Roberts, Andrew Beck, Poona Ford, Blake Whiteley. PHOTO COURTESY DAVID MINTON/DENTON RECORD CHRONICLE 4
HORNS ILLUSTRATED
MARCH/APRIL 2014
BETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS
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MARCH/APRIL 2014
CALENDAR MARK YOUR
MARCH/APRIL 2014 MARCH
2/28–3/1
M/ W Tr ack & Field
Big 12 Indoor Championships Ames, Iowa
2/28–3/2 SoFTball
Texas Invitational 2/28 UT vs. Louisiana at Monroe, 4 p.m. 2/28 UT vs. Southern Mississippi, 6:30 p.m. 3/1 UT vs. Texas Southern, 1 p.m., UT vs. Louisiana at Monroe, 6:30 p.m. 3/2 UT vs. Texas Southern, 2 p.m.
3
11
UT vs. Oklahoma State, 7 p.m.
UT at Texas State San Marcos, 6:30 p.m.
W baSkeTball
4
baSeball
5
12–15
UT vs. TCU 7 p.m.
6–8
M SWiMMing & diving
American Short Course Championships All Day
SoFTball
Judi Garman Classic Fullerton, Calif 6 UT vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m. 7 UT vs. Arizona State, Noon 8 UT vs. Washington, 10 a.m., UT vs. Michigan, Noon 9 UT vs. Long Beach State, 4 p.m.
7
M TenniS
UT vs. Florida State, 6 p.m.
7–9
baSeball
UT vs. Hawaii 7 6 p.m. 8 (DH) 1 p.m., 4:45 p.m. 9 1 p.m. M golF
Southern Highlands Collegiate Masters Las Vegas, Nev.
1
M baSkeTball
UT at Oklahoma Norman, Okla., 3 p.m. W baSkeTball
UT at Texas Tech M TenniS
UT at TCU Fort Worth, 1 p.m. W roWing
Heart of Texas Lady Bird Lake All Day W Soccer
UT vs. Monterrey Tech, 7 p.m.
2
W TenniS
UT vs. USC, Noon
8
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SoFTball
UT vs. North Texas (DH) 4 p.m. & 6 p.m.
6–9
Emma Ivory-Ganja looks to make a splash in her first season with the Longhorns.
baSeball
UT vs. Valparaiso, 6 p.m.
M baSkeTball
7–10
W baSkeTball
Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship Oklahoma City, Okla.
8
M baSkeTball
UT at Texas Tech, 3 p.m.
M baSkeTball
Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship Kansas City, Mo., TBA
13
M TenniS
UT at Wake Forest Greensboro, N.C.
14
W TenniS
UT at TCU Fort Worth, 2 p.m.
14/15
M/ W Tr ack & Field
NCAA Indoor Championships Albuquerque, N.M.
14–16
baSeball
UT vs. Kansas 14 6 p.m. 15 1 p.m. 16 1 p.m. M golF
UT vs. Michigan, Noon
9
W TenniS
UT vs. Yale, Noon
10
M TenniS
UT at North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C.
10–12
M/ W diving
NCAA Zone “D” Diving Meet Minneapolis, Minn. All Day MARCH/APRIL 2014
David Anamosa and Robert Uhr are on the fast track this season.
Schenkel Invitational Statesboro, Ga.
21–23
15–17
UT vs. Columbia 21 6 p.m. 22 2 p.m. 23 Noon
SoFTball
UT vs. Iowa 15 4 p.m. 16 4 p.m. 17 7 p.m.
baSeball
22
M/ W Tr ack & Field
23–25 W golF
The Farms Collegiate Invite Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
25
baSeball
UT vs. Texas State, 6 p.m.
26
SoFTball
UT vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 7 p.m.
16
UTSA Invitational San Antonio, All day
26–29
UT at Texas Tech Lubbock, Noon
22/23
87th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays All Day
18
Longhorn Invitational Lady Bird Lake, All Day
UT vs. Dallas Baptist, 6 p.m.
SoFTball
W TenniS
baSeball W TenniS
WHAT’S GOING ON IN LONGHORN SPORTS
19
M TenniS
W roWing
UT at Baylor Waco, 1 p.m., 6 p.m.
UT vs. Wichita State, 6 p.m.
23
20–22
UT vs. Tulsa, 1 p.m.
W SWiMMing & diving
NCAA Championships Minneapolis, Minn.
21
M TenniS
W Soccer
Small-Sided Tournament W TenniS
UT vs. West Virginia, 11 a.m.
W TenniS
UT vs. Iowa State, 6 p.m.
Breaunna Addison and the women’s tennis team are back in the swing of things.
M/ W Tr ack & Field
27–29
M&W SW iMMing & diving
NCAA Championships Austin, TX All Day
28
4–6
12
UT vs. Oklahoma 6 p.m.
UT vs. Baylor 4 7 p.m. 5 7 p.m. 6 2:30 p.m.
Texas Invitational 10:30 a.m.
M Tennis
28–30
BaseBall
UT at Texas Tech Lubbock 28 6:30 p.m. 29 2 p.m. 30 2 p.m.
29
W soccer
UT at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TBA
30
M Tennis
UT vs. Oklahoma State 1 p.m.
APRIL
BaseBall
W Golf
PING/ASU Invitational Tempe, Ariz. sofTBall
UT vs. Texas Tech 4 4:30 p.m. 5 4 p.m. 6 Noon
5
M Tennis
UT vs. TCU 11:30 a.m.
W roWinG
T HIS SPR EAD CLOCKWISE FR OM TOP LEFT: BETHANY W ALTER /UNIV. OF TEXAS , COURTES Y UT ATHLETICS PHOTOGRPAHY, COURTESY UT ATHLETICS PHOT OGRAPHY, JESS E DROHEN, JESS E DR OHEN, BETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS, BETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS
San Diego Crew Classic San Diego, Calif., All Day
6
W Tennis
UT at Kansas Lawrence, Kan., Noon
8
BaseBall
UT vs. Rice, 6 p.m.
11
W Tennis
UT vs. Oklahoma, 6 p.m.
2
sofTBall
UT vs. Texas State 7 p.m.
13
W Tennis
UT vs. Oklahoma State, 1 p.m.
15
BaseBall
UT vs. UT-Arlington 6 p.m.
W Tennis
Augusta State Invitational Augusta, Ga. All Day
UT at Rice Houston 6:30 p.m.
Western Intercollegiate Santa Cruz, Calif. All Day
UT at Baylor Waco 6 p.m.
M Golf
BaseBall
M Golf
16
UT at University of North Texas, Dallas, TBA
5/6
1
12–13
W soccer
UT at Kansas State Manhattan, Kan., 11 a.m.
Toni Hakula and the men’s golf team have their sights set on the Big 12 title.
M/ W Tr ack & field
11–13
BaseBall
UT at Oklahoma Norman, Okla. 11 6 p.m. 12 4 p.m. 13 2:30 p.m. sofTBall
UT at Iowa State Ames, Iowa 11 4 p.m. 12 Noon 13 Noon
M Tennis
17–19
BaseBall
UT vs. TCU 17 6 p.m. 18 6 p.m. 19 4 p.m.
sofTBall
UT at Oklahoma Norman, Okla. 17 8 p.m. 18 6:30 p.m. 19 6:30 p.m.
18
W Tennis
UT vs. Baylor, 5 p.m.
19
fooTBall
Texas looks to overpower the competition in the Big 12 Championship.
W Golf
Big 12 Championship Austin, All Day M Tennis
23
sofTBall
UT at Texas State San Marcos, 6 p.m.
24–26
M/ W Tr ack & field
Penn Relays Philadelphia, Pa., All Day
Big 12 Men’s Tennis Championship Fort Worth TBA sofTBall
UT vs. Oklahoma State 25 4:30 p.m. 26 4 p.m. 27 11:30 a.m.
Orange-White Spring Game 1 p.m. M Tennis
UT at Texas Tech 6 p.m. M/ W Tr ack & field
Michael Johnson Classic Waco All Day
19/20
W roWinG
Clemson Invitational Clemson, S.C., All Day
22
BaseBall
UT vs. UT-Pan American 6 p.m.
24–27 W Tennis
Big 12 Championships Fort Worth, TBA
25–27
BaseBall
UT vs. Oklahoma State 25 7 p.m. 26 1 p.m. 27 2 p.m. M Golf
Big 12 Championship Trinity, TX All Day
The men’s baseball team dives into conference play on March 14.
29
BaseBall
UT vs. Prairie View A&M 6 p.m. DH = Doubleheader INFORMATION SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CHECK WWW.TEXASSPORTS. COM FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
The rowing team will maintain its stride into its upcoming invitationals. MARCH/APRIL 2014
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ROUNDUP MARCH/ APRIL 2014
SWIMMING & DIVING WINS TITLE
RIDLEY SHAPES UP
MA TT HE M PE L/UN IV .O F T E XAS
TWO FOR THE RECORD BOOKS:
Sophomore Ryan Crouser shattered the school record in the shot put, while junior Kaitlin Petrillose smashed her own pole vault mark and entered the collegiate record book during the New Mexico Collegiate Classic. The non-scored meet featured athletes from 24 other schools, as well as post-collegians. Crouser, the 2013 NCAA outdoor shot put champion, cemented his status as the favorite for the 2014 national indoor title with one of the top performances in the world this year. The sophomore beat the 19-man shot put field by nearly four feet and the school record by more than two feet with his winning toss of 69 feet, 8 inches (21.23m). The mark ranks him No. 3 on the 2014 world performers list. Not to be outdone, Petrillose easily defeated the 26-woman pole vault field with a clearance of 14 feet, 7 1/4 inches (4.45m). Petrillose also moved to the top of the 2014 NCAA leaderboard with a mark that ties her for eighth on the all-time collegiate indoor performers list. “It was definitely a great meet for us,” head coach Mario Satenga said. “We’re getting familiar with being on this track, which is important since the NCAA meet will be here.” Crouser and Petrillose probably won’t mind returning to Albuquerque for the national meet. – ANDY GONZALEZ
MARCH/APRIL 2014
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ROUNDUP
FOOTBALL
A CHANGE OF SCENERY
PACKED MONEY HOUSE BALL
WE’RE GOING WHERE?: The Longhorns may be headed south of the border in the near future.
C
LET’S TALK college football attendance
become the next major college program to play a game outside the United States? In a conversation with the Austin AmericanStatesman, athletic director Steve Patterson said he wanted to explore playing Texas football games in neutral venues. And one of the cities on his list is Mexico City. Though rare, college football games played outside the US aren’t unheard of and have become more frequent, with Notre Dame opening the 2012 season against Navy in Dublin. The NFL is no stranger to Mexico City either, with the former American Bowl preseason games and a 2005 regular season meeting between Arizona and San Francisco taking place at the legendary Azteca Stadium. Even the Dallas Cowboys have played in Mexico City in the preseason. Patterson’s interest isn’t necessarily as far outside the box as might be expected. But Texas must still find an opponent — one that’s willing to make the trip to Mexico City and play in conditions that include high altitude and smog.
12
OULD TEXAS
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BURNT ORANGE NATION: Thanks to the fans, Texas was No. 1 in the Big 12 in average football game attendance in 2013.
MARCH/APRIL 2014
numbers. Even with the early struggles and daily Mack Brown rumors, the Longhorns led the Big 12 in average attendance last season. The Texas faithful had an average of 98,976 fans at each home game, puting Texas among the top five schools nationally for average attendance for the fifth straight season. Here’s how the area teams ranked by average attendance:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
TEXAS – 98,976 TEXAS A&M – 87,125
THE UNIVERSITY Board of Regents
finally approved contracts for coach Charlie Strong’s assistants. Texas is giving each of the 10 assistants a three-year contract. That’s a change at a school that typically keeps assistant coaches on year-toyear arrangements. Defensive coordinator Vance Bedford will get the largest salary at a base of $760,000. Quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach Shawn Watson will make $610,000. Both came with Strong from Louisville. Offensive coordinator Joe Wickline, whom Strong hired from Oklahoma State, will earn $535,000.
OKLAHOMA – 84,722 TEXAS TECH – 57,933 BAYLOR – 45,948 TCU – 43,598 UNT – 21,030 SMU – 18,725
ON THE RECORD:
“The university speaks for itself. We don’t need gadgets. We’re not going to be a gadget program.” – head football coach CHARLIE STRONG on Texas A&M’s use of its Swagcopter on the recruiting trail.
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FOOTBALL/ SWIMMING & DIVING
MARCH/ APRIL 2014
ROUNDUP
OFF TO THE TALENT SHOW
F THIS SPR EAD CLOCKWIWS E FR OM LEFT: JIM S IGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS, CO UR TESY UT ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY, DON BENDER, JESS E DR OHEN, BETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS
PREPPED AND READY: After a productive college career, Mike Davis is ready to take his talents to the NFL.
DID YOU KNOW? The women’s basketball team is on pace to set a program record in field goal percentage defense (.332). The current program record was set during the 1975-76 season (.355). The women also lead the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage (.370). Last season, Texas finished last in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage (.278).
35 NUMBER
THE MEN’S swimming & diving team won six events and captured its 35th consecutive conference team title March 1. Texas led the field with 1,071 points. The Longhorns captured several awards, including Men’s Diving Coach of the Meet (Matt Scoggin), Men’s Newcomer of the Meet (Jack Conger) and Men’s Diver of the Meet (Will Chandler and Michael Hixon). Several first-place finishes fueled the team’s victory. Freshman diver Mark Anderson captured his first career Big 12 title. He claimed the platform event with 400.75 points and topped his
OUR LONGHORNS ATTENDED the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine Feb.
22-25. Wide receiver Mike Davis, place-kicker/punter Anthony Fera, defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat and defensive tackle Chris Whaley took part in the NFL evaluation event in Indianapolis. JEFFCOAT Executives, coaches and player personnel staffs from all 32 NFL teams were on hand to evaluate more than 300 players eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft. Davis was one of the most productive wide receivers in school history. The 2013 All-Big 12 player ended his career fourth on the Texas all-time receptions list (200), fourth in receiving yards (2,753) and fifth in receiving touchdowns (18). He’s one of only three players in school history with at least 200 receptions and more than 2,700 receiving yards. Fera was one of the top special teams players in the nation in 2013. Fera connected on 20 of 22 field goal attempts (90.9 percent) in 2013. His accuracy ranks second on the Texas all-time single-season list and was seventh nationally. Jeffcoat was another Texas consensus All-American and captured the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end. In 2013, he led the team in tackles (86), tackles for loss (22), sacks (13.0) and quarterback pressures (19) and tied for first in fumbles recovered (3). A former running back, Whaley was a key cog in the middle of the defensive line the last two seasons. He’s the only defensive lineman in school history to have two defensive touchdowns in the same season.
nearest competitor by well over 100 points. Conger took down Aaron Peirsol’s Big 12 Championship record in the 200 backstroke and won his second Big 12 crown of the meet. Sophomore Sam Lewis won his first Big 12 individual title in dominant fashion and was victorious in the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 14:55.44. Freshman Will Licon notched his second victory and captured the 200 breaststroke in 1:55.40.
Junior Tripp Cooper picked up a second NCAA automatic-qualifying cut and won the 200 butterfly in a meet record of 1:42.64, good for a personal best. The swim broke Ricky Berens’ meet record of 1:43.17 from the 2010 Big 12 Championships. Texas capped the meet by winning the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 2:51.99, an NCAA automatic-qualifying cut.
DIVE MASTER: Will Chandler earned the Men’s Diver of Meet award at the Big 12 Championship.
MARCH/APRIL 2014
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BASKETBALL
PITTMAN 2.0
I
the Texas men’s basketball team’s found so far this season feels like a blast from the past, that feeling may come from more than just the winning. One large — and imposing — reason Texas has surged to a 15-4 mark before the midway mark of Big 12 Conference play comes from the exponential improvement of sophomore center Cameron Ridley. And the big man’s improvement is similar to that of Dexter Pittman during his time on the 40 Acres. Both players struggled to overcome fitness challenges and required attention from strength coach Todd Wright. Pittman arrived at Texas as a larger-than-life freshman for the 2006-07 season, standing 6’10” but topping the scales at 366 pounds. Working with Wright, Pittman shed 70 pounds before the season tipped off but still found it hard to play extended minutes. REACHING NEW HEIGHTS: Wright’s grueling workout program Cameron Ridley overcame challenges last continued to get Pittman in shape, and as his physical conditioning fitness season to become an improved, so did his confidence. He discovered that if he could integral part of the men’s basketball team. establish position inside and keep the ball up — instructions that head coach Rick Barnes preaches to Ridley now — few teams could stop him. Flash-forward two years and it’s easy to see a lot of Pittman in Ridley. Ridley stands roughly the same height and enrolled at Texas weighing about 310 pounds. Like Pittman did, Ridley has worked hard at dropping the weight and improving his stamina, footwork and speed. The hard work has paid off thus far. Ridley has improved his game markedly. He shoots 58 percent from the floor and 61 percent from the line. He averages 11.3 points and 7.5 rebounds in 25 minutes per game. He leads the team with 46 blocks, one fewer than he managed all of last season. All of Ridley’s hard work has helped Texas reach the verge of surpassing its win total from last year. — JAY PLOTKIN
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F THE SUCCESS
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FOO T B A LL
SETTING THE STAGE WHILE THERE may be soar-
ing expectations for head coach Charlie Strong, his predecessors can attest to the challenges of being a first-year head coach in Austin. Since 1950, six coaches have made their Longhorn football coaching debuts, featuring a 67.6 winning percentage in their first years. In comparison, former head coach Mack Brown went 9-3 in his first season but stepped down after the program produced a 62 percent winning percentage the past three seasons. Only three of Texas’ 28 previous head coaches won a conference championship in their first season: Eugene Van Gent in 1916, Berry M. Whitaker in 1920 and Fred Akers in 1977. Despite the mixed history of early success, championships, as Strong stated, will still be the expectation.
THIS SPREAD CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: JESSE DROHEN, COURTESY UT ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPHY, SUSAN SIGMON/UNIV. OF TEXAS, BETHANY WALTER/UNIV. OF TEXAS
MARCH/ APRIL 2014
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ROUNDUP
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VOLLEYBALL/BASEBALL
ROUNDUP
MARCH/ APRIL 2014
THE SHOT MASTER KEEPS IT CLASSY
THE TEXAS WOMEN’S basketball team
HAPPY DAYS: Martha Richards led the women’s golf team to five NCCA appearances as well as a 2011 conference title.
RICHARDS’ RESIGNATION
W
OMEN’S GOLF HEAD coach Martha Richards
announced her plans to resign from her position at the conclusion of the 2013-14 season. A national search for Richards’ replacement will commence at the appropriate time, according to Texas women’s athletics director Chris Plonsky. Richards, who’s in her seventh season with the Longhorns, has led Texas to five NCAA Championship appearances in the last six seasons. In 2011, Richards guided the Longhorns to the Big 12 Conference Championship for the third time in school history. “I’m grateful to the university and Chris for trusting me with the incredible honor of coaching here,” Richards said. “Over the last 20 years, I’ve been blessed to coach amazing young women and I’ll forever be thankful for those relationships and the memories we’ve made together.” “As a two-time cancer survivor, however, I’ve a made a health-related decision with my team of physicians to leave the coaching profession at the end of the spring season,” she added. “Although I’m 100 percent capable and willing to continue coaching, we have determined it is in the best interest of my health in the long term to step away from coaching.”
has held its own on the court this season, especially in shooting. Through 24 games, the Longhorns have made 44 percent of their field goals and 37 percent of their 3-point shots. Compare these statistics to last season, when the team shot 40 percent from the field and made 28 percent of its 3-point shots, and fans can easily agree that the Longhorns are on the upswing. Associate head coach Travis Mays is responsible for the team’s transformation. He has worked with the players on both their shooting and confidence. From the sideline, Mays does his part to keep the players focused on
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS: Mays’ focus on detail not only applies to his sideline attire — the women’s shooting has much improved since he joined the staff.
the game and he’s hard to miss. Fans can easily spot him in his typical attire of a suit and bowtie. Mays stated that he doesn’t have a story behind the outfit other than, “I’m from the south and I like to look classy.” Mays hasn’t shared with the media how many bowties he actually owns, but it’s fair to say the fans will rarely see the same pattern or color twice.
THE COACH AND HIS TOP GUN NOT UNTIL HIS senior year in high school, at Highland Park in Dallas, did Clayton Kershaw have a pitching coach. Eight years later, Kershaw is arguably the best pitcher on the planet. Less than a week after becoming the highest paid pitcher in Major League Baseball, Kershaw returned for another lesson with his old pitching coach. With the ink still drying on his seven-year, $215 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kershaw threw a bullpen session at Disch-Falk Field. Several members of the Texas pitching staff witnessed the reigning Cy Young Award winner take instruction from Skip Johnson, who has served as the Texas pitching coach since 2006. “It was cool to see the best pitcher in the world work at his craft,” junior right-hander Parker French said. “You feel grateful that you get to go to practice every day with Skip and learn from the best pitching coach. We’ve always trusted Skip that he’s going to develop us. That didn’t change. But he’s getting well-deserved recognition.” French leads a Texas staff that posted a 2.61 team ERA last year, the seventh lowest in the country. Texas returns all three of its weekend starters in French, senior Nathan Thornhill and junior Dillon Peters, LEARNING FROM THE BEST: Parker who combined to go 13-14 despite a collective 2.28 French trusts Texas’ ERA. pitching coach — and for good reason. Having a pitching coach like Johnson, whose top pupil recently became the first baseball player to earn an annual salary of more than $30 million, definitely helps. “Look at who our pitching coach is working with,” Thornhill said. “If you don’t trust Skip yet — which, I don’t know why you wouldn’t — but you better trust him now because that’s who he’s working with.” – CHRISTIAN CORONA MARCH/APRIL 2014
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UTSA
FOOTBALL
BLOCK VISION: David Anzaldua joins the Roadrunners at offensive tackle.
UT SAN ANTONIO football looks to build
on its 2013 success in 2014. In 2013, the Roadrunners went 7-5 overall with a 6-2 conference record in their first season in Conference USA. The Roadrunners’ 2014 conference schedule was released at the beginning of February, and the team will face opponents such as Rice, North Texas, UT El Paso, Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss. UT San Antonio will play road games against Louisiana Tech, Rice, Florida Atlantic and Western Kentucky. They’ll host Florida International, UTEP, Southern Miss and North Texas at home. The team opens the 2014 season Aug. 30 when they travel to the University of Houston.
BASKETBALL MARCH BRINGS MADNESS around the
SWEET SIXTEEN
T
BY STEPHEN WHITAKER
HE UT SAN ANTONIO football program held its fifth-
ever National Signing Day and had 16 student-athletes sign letters of intent for the 2014 season. The class was equally divided on both sides of the ball and included four members of Texas’ all-state team. Another eight players hail from the Lone Star State, with the remaining four coming in from other states — two players are from Florida and two are from Oklahoma. “It’s a pleasure recruiting for UTSA. [The program] is getting bigger and better,” head coach Larry Coker said. “I think that’s what [athletic director] Lynn [Hickey] envisioned when she started this program — and it’s happening.”
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country as fans fill out brackets for the NCAA tournament. But before then, teams will play in their conference tournaments. Both the Roadrunner men’s and women’s teams travel to El Paso on March 11 to play in the Conference USA tournament. If past years are any indication, one or both teams will surprise. A year ago, the men won only three conference games going into the tournament. The team won two games before losing to UT Arlington in the semifinals. Both Roadrunner teams have a history of winning conference tournaments, though those date back to the days in the Southland Conference. Regardless of the end result, it’s a fair bet that UT San Antonio will have one of its teams make a run in the conference tournament. As of Feb. 5, the men had a 7-13 overall record and a 3-4 conference record. The women had an 11-9 overall record and a 2-5 record in Conference USA.
On offense, the Roadrunners signed David Anzaldua, a 6’6”, 330pound offensive tackle. He’ll block for quarterback Blake Bogenschutz, a Dave Campbell’s Top 300 selection from Carthage who threw for more than 4,000 yards and 57 touchdowns while leading his team to the 3A Division I State Championship. The defensive haul was headlined by safety Carl Austin out of St. Stephen’s Episcopal in Austin. He’s a versatile talent who’ll help in the Roadrunners’ defensive scheme that sometimes sees safeties used as linebackers. This year marked the first time that a UT San Antonio class consisted entirely of high school athletes with no signees coming from junior college.
CALENDAR MARCH/APRIL 2014 BASEBALL
14-16: vs. Columbia, 6 p.m./1 p.m./4:30 p.m./1 p.m. 25: vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6 p.m. 28-30: vs. Louisiana Tech, 6 p.m./2 p.m./1 p.m. SOFTBALL
19: vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6 p.m. 26: vs. Houston Baptist, 4 p.m. M GOLF
24-25: Lone Star Invitational, All Day TRACK & FIELD
14-15: NCAA Championships, Albuquerque, N.M., All Day 15: Cactus Cup, Kingsville, TBA 21-22: UTSA Texas Challenge Invitational, TBA 26-29: Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Austin, TBA 28: Trinity Tigers Relay, TBA M TENNIS
15: vs. Incarnate Word, 10 a.m. 21: vs. Wichita State, 3 p.m. 22: vs. Texas Pan-American, 11 a.m. 22: vs. St. Mary’s, 2 p.m. W TENNIS
12: vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 2 p.m. 29: vs. Texas State, Noon
APRIL BASEBALL
15: vs. Texas State, 6 p.m. 25-27: vs. Charlotte, 6 p.m./ 2 p.m./ 11:30 a.m. 29-30: vs. Lamar, 6 p.m./ 1 p.m. SOFTBALL
18-19: vs. Tulsa, 2 p.m./ 4:15 p.m./ 1 p.m. 23: vs. Baylor, 6 p.m. 30: vs. Incarnate Word, 5 p.m. M GOLF
27-29: C-USA Championship Edmond, Okla., All Day W GOLF
21-23: C-USA Championships Gulf Shore, Ala., All Day TRACK & FIELD
12: Texas Invitational, Austin, TBA 19: UTSA Invitational 26:. Fred Duckett Twilight, Houston M TENNIS 17-20: C-USA Tournament Tulsa, Okla. W Tennis 3: vs. Lamar, Noon 16-20: C-USA Tournament, Norfolk, Va.
COURTESY BIANCA SALI NAS/ENHS C OUGAR’S D EN
MARCH/ APRIL 2014
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UTSA ROUNDUP
HARD FOUGHT: Jamel Outler works to score against North Texas.
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UTA
MARCH/ APRIL 2014
BASEBALL IN UT ARLINGTON’S first season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, the Mavericks are predicted to finish fifth in the league. However, the team’s position in the preseason poll shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as an indicator that the Mavericks can’t compete for a conference crown. In 2012, they were picked to finish eighth in the Southland Conference, and in 2013, they were picked to finish sixth in the Western Athletic Conference. They won the Southland Conference tournament two years ago and won a share of the WAC regular-season crown last season.
M BASKETBALL
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game 92-89 to Louisiana-Lafayette. The loss dropped the Mavericks to 9-13 overall and 4-6 in games against Sun Belt Conference opposition. Against ULL, the Mavericks fell behind by as much as 25 points before closing the margin to within single digits several times. One time included a two-point deficit with .8 seconds left when guard Jamel Outler was credited with a 3-pointer after a goaltending call against the ULL defense. Guard Lonnie McClanahan hit 12 of 24 field goals en route to scoring a career-high 31 points for the Mavericks, while Outler added 19 —15 of which came from behind the 3-point line.
U
COURTESY ELLMAN PHOTOGR APHY/UTA ATHLETICS
BY STEVE LANSDALE
T ARLINGTON senior Clayton Vaughn broke his own school record in
the 60-meter dash when he crossed the finish line in 6.55 seconds at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational in Lincoln, Neb. Vaughn’s time broke his own mark by .06 seconds and gave him the victory by .09 seconds. Vaughn also finished sixth in the 200 meters with a time of 21.28 seconds — the fastest time posted this season by a runner from the Sun Belt Conference. For his effort, Vaughn was named the men’s Most Valuable Performer of the meet. Teammate Ryan Tilotta finished fifth in the mile, crossing the finish line in 4:09.21 — the second-fastest time in UT Arlington history. On the women’s side, Ashly Wright ran the fastest time this season (by three seconds) and captured a new career indoor personal best in the 800 meters, finishing in 2:07.63.
CALENDAR
MARCH/APRIL 2014 BAS EBALL
18: vs. Sam Houston State, 6:30 p.m. 19: vs. Columbia, 6:30 p.m. 21: vs. Arkansas State, 6:30 p.m. 22: vs. Arkansas State, 2 p.m. 23: vs. Arkansas State, 1 p.m. S O F T BALL
16: vs. Harvard, San Diego, Calif., Noon 25: vs. Baylor, 6:30 p.m. 29: vs. Western Kentucky, 1 p.m./ 3 p.m. 30: vs. Western Kentucky, 1 p.m. M EN’S GO LF
THE MEN’S basketball team lost its third straight
OFF AND RUNNING
UTA ROUNDUP
24-25: Lonestar Invitational, San Antonio, All Day M EN’S T ENNIS
22: vs. Columbia, 10 a.m. 23: vs. Sacramento State, 10 a.m. 24: vs. Wichita State, 2 p.m. WO M EN ’S T EN N IS
26: vs. SMU, 2 p.m. 28: at Tulsa, Tulsa, Okla., 10 a.m. T RAC K & F IELD
19-20: Rice Multis, Houston, All Day 20-21: TCU Invitational, Fort Worth, All Day 26-29: 87th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Austin, All Day 27-29: Bobcat Invitational, San Marco, All Day
SOFTBALL
APRIL
softball team blanked Utah Valley 6-0 in the final of the Red Desert Classic in St. George, Utah. The victory gave the Mavericks a winning (3-2) record going into their home opener. Through the first five games of the season, Meagan Michele and Jolene Schaefer led the offense, hitting .333 and .308, respectively. Michele, Jasmine Tanksley and Nina Villanueva hit the Mavs’ first three home runs of the season, while Villanueva and Kacey Everett led the team with five and four RBIs, respectively. Head coach Kristie Fox was understandably pleased with the Mavericks’ pitching against Utah Valley but said that despite the six runs scored, the offense has room for improvement. “Our pitchers did a great job; offensively we still have some work to do,” Fox said. “It was a good weekend to shake off the cobwebs. We’re excited to get back home and show our hometown fans what we can do.”
18: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, 6:30 p.m. 19: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, 2 p.m. 20: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, 1 p.m.
THE UT ARLINGTON
BAS EBALL
S O F T BALL
18: vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 5 p.m./ 7 p.m. 19: vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 1 p.m. 23: vs. Abilene Christian, 6 p.m. 26: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, 1 p.m./ 3 p.m. 27: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, 1 p.m. M EN’S GO LF
21-23: Sun Belt Championship, Biloxi, Miss., All Day M EN’S T ENNIS
17: Sun Belt Conference Tournament, New Orleans, La., TBA WO M EN ’S T EN N IS
17: Sun Belt Conference Tournament, New Orleans, La., TBA T RAC K & F IELD
17-19: Mt. SAC Relays, Walnut, Calif., All Day 19: Michael Johnson Classic, Waco, All Day 24-26: Drake Relays, Des Moines, Iowa All Day 25-26: Bobcat Classic, San Marcos, All Day
MARCH/APRIL 2014
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SPIRIT OF THE MONTH / ALUMNI
SPI R I T OF T H E MON T H
DAVID ARMSTRONG BY SARA BETH PURDY
D
AVID ARMSTRONG HASN’T always been com-
fortable speaking in front of crowds. The public announcer for the Texas men’s basketball team used to avoid speaking in public before his wife encouraged him to commentate at a dance competition in the early 90s. “I teach leadership and tell people to step out of their comfort zones and try new things,” Armstrong said. “My wife asked me to step out of my comfort zone years back and once I broke down and started doing it, I realized it was pretty fun.” Armstrong played quarterback at the collegiate level for McNeese State. He currently teaches leadership and coaches golf at Leander High School in Leander, Texas. His wife is the dance instructor at the high school. Together, they have three daughters who are all active dancers. In addition to announcing basketball games for the Longhorns, Armstrong announces for events covering a variety of different sports at all levels of competition. Armstrong regularly announces for high school football, basketball, baseball, men’s and women’s track & field, NCAA track and basketball championships. He even serves as the announcer for marching band competitions. He’s also the voice behind the Texas Relays each spring. “It’s not something that I ever thought that I’d be doing,” Armstrong said, “but it feels natural. I love being in that environment.” While announcing for the Texas state basketball tournament in the Erwin Center, Armstrong was approached with an opportunity to announce for the Longhorns. He’s currently in his fifth year announcing
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for Texas. Although he’s a former college quarterback and enjoys commentating at football games, he admits that he loves the rush that comes with announcing at basketball games. “It’s a good environment to be a part of because you get to belt out the players’ names when they make a basket,” Armstrong said. “The excitement in the air, especially when a team is doing well.” Creating that electrifying environment is one of Armstrong’s biggest tasks. He takes this responsibility seriously and finds it to be the most rewarding. “You get to create the environment at games,” he explained. “It’s important to get the crowd involved in the game and to help them follow the game’s progress. Basketball is a good environment to announce in, especially when you get to play teams like Kansas.” During his time with the microphone, Armstrong has been able to find the balance between supporting the Longhorns and maintaining a professional approach to his job. “I want to be professional — I want to be excited for our guys but give everyone credit,” Armstrong said. “The biggest deal for me is that I want to get people’s names right. It’s important to these guys to hear their names and be recognized for their hard work.” Even though he doesn’t play sports competitively anymore, being an announcer has allowed him to remain connected to that world. “I’ve played the game but I don’t get to play anymore. Through announcing, you’re a part of the game,” Armstrong said. “I love being able to be a part of it.”
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ELLEN BAYER BASKETBALL (1986-90) ORIGINALLY from Scottsdale, Ariz., Ellen Bayer played center for Jody Conradt and the women’s basketball team from 1986-90. In her four years at Texas, she helped the team to the Southwest Conference Championship ever year, a Final Four appearance (1986-87) and three Elite 8 appearances (1988-90). One of Bayer’s favorite memories of her time at Texas is the game before the 1987 Final Four. During that game, Bayer and several of her fellow freshmen came off the bench against Rutgers to help the Longhorns win. “Nobody expected us to contribute but we did, and we brought the Final Four back to Austin that year,” Bayer said. Bayer also played on the USA Select team in 1990. Standing at 6’10”, Bayer held the Texas career record for blocks (289) until Ashley Gayle broke the record in 2011. Bayer led the team in blocks in each of her four seasons. Bayer recently returned to Austin for the women’s basketball Alumni Weekend. An estimated 35 alumni participated and an alumni game was held on Feb. 8. “It’s just the best time to come here and hang out with my teammates,” Bayer said. “We just pick up where we left off. I’ve been out of college 24 years and we’re still as good of friends now than when we were in college.” From her time at Texas, Bayer learned not only the skills needed to succeed on the court, but also many life skills including leadership, organization and the ability to work with other people. She also credits her current profession to what she learned as a Longhorn. “We learned etiquette from coach [Conradt] as we had to travel to many different schools. That’s how I got into the profession I’m in today,” she said. “When I was a freshman, we traveled to the School for the Deaf. I thought it would be neat to learn another language, like sign language. I’m now a teacher of the deaf and hearing impaired.” Residing in Phoenix, Ariz., Bayer works as a traveling teacher for 10 schools. She lives with her five adopted dogs. — JAMES SCHLEICHER
FROM LEFT: JES SE DR OHEN, CO UR TES Y UT ATHLETIC S PHOTOGRAPHY, J AM ES S CHLEIC HER
MARCH 2014
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ROUNDUP
MEDIA VOICES
JOHNNY WALKER
REVIEW
W
HAT DO YOU THINK OF of coach Charlie Strong’s first recruiting class?
Considering the circumstances, Strong did a phenomenal job with his first recruiting class. Right off the bat we had five key recruits bail out, which was understandable given that Mack Brown was no longer in the picture. Stong’s staff hit the ground running and did a phenomenal job of picking up the pieces in a short amount of time. They kept some of the key recruits we had on the docket. This year, more than any year, Texas needed to make sure that it recruited players that were going to fill voids. The Longhorns definitely lost some key players on the defensive side of the ball, so the staff made sure that the players who signed could fill those holes.
How do you think Strong will shape this group?
In past years Texas did a great job of recruiting “stars” — as far as four- and five-star recruits — but didn’t do a great job of transitioning that talent to the football field. The payoff didn’t match all the stars. The most important thing for Strong is to do everything he can to get the best out of the players. And from what I’ve heard about the workouts the players are going through, he’s going in the right direction. This direction eliminates all of this garbage about stars and puts more of the onus on the coaching staff and the trainers making sure that they get the most out of the talent they have here.
COUR TESY UT AT HLET ICS PHOTO GR APHY
What do you think of Strong’s focus on changing the culture?
As a player, Strong’s focus on work ethic and discipline are the things you respect. You need to have the discipline and the understanding that if you’re not going to get the job done, they’ll find someone else. I like that attitude because it’s up-front. They let you know what their expectations are and if you can’t follow that, then there’s another place for you, but it’s not here at Texas. That type of motivation bodes well for team unity and will force the players to come together.
Tell me about your recruiting process.
Mine played out with glitter and glamour. I was the No. 1 recruit in Texas and the No. 1 receiver in the nation. So you can imagine all the things they tried to do for me. Fortunately, I took more of a business approach to my recruiting. I looked at their financials, graduation rate, what type of facilities they had from an academic standpoint — I looked at everything. I questioned how many guys went on to be successful after school. What do you think about today’s recruiting process?
As a player, with the junior days and other events, players have more opportunities to go to the school and meet the coaches before making a decision. One of the problems we faced was that you were at a school for two and a half days and then had to make a decision that would dictate the rest of your life. Schools went over the top with those two days. With the way the process works now, the players have a better opportunity to get to know the place. With social media, the players have access to a lot of information. I can only imagine how awesome that would’ve been in my day.
JOHNNY WALKER’S RESUME • Played football and baseball at Texas from 1987-90 • Two-time All-Southwest Conference • Caught the game-winning reception to beat Oklahoma in 1990
What advice would you give to the recent signees?
Make sure you can get something out of the university because they’re going to get everything they can out of you. From an academic standpoint, you have an opportunity to graduate and receive a degree that’s worth its weight. You’re going to align yourself with people that are trying to help you once you finish playing. The most important thing is to make sure you’re getting the most out of that experience. And once they get on campus?
When you get to campus, acclimate yourself. Get to know your academic advisors. Let them know what your expectations are, what type of degree or what field you want to get into and then correlate that with the expectations made for you on the football field. For me, I had to take the right classes during the right time of the year because of football. I was completely floored when I walked into some of my classes and there were 1,500 people. I couldn’t even fathom that. You need to prepare yourself not only as an athlete but also as a student.
“Considering the circumstances, Strong did a phenomenal job with his first recruiting class. Right off the bat we had five key recruits bail out, which was understandable given that Mack Brown was no longer in the picture.”
MARCH/APRIL 2014
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MEDIA VOICES Offensively, who are the key players?
JEFF HOWE GIVES HIS INITIAL OPINION ON THE 2014 CLASS.
A
Horns247.com and the voice of the Recruiting Roundup radio show on AM 1300 The Zone, Jeff Howe keeps close tabs on football recruiting throughout Texas. He bases his opinions on his intimate understanding of football — on and off the field. In addition to recruiting, Howe covers the game at the high school and college level, as well as the scouting aspects of the NFL draft. In the now neverending cycle of big-time football, Howe says there’s rarely a dull moment. Horns Illustrated caught up with Howe to get his thoughts on Texas’ 2014 class. S A WRITER FOR
What do you think of the 2014 class?
It’s a good class. Strong didn’t have time to put a class together, in terms of recruiting the guys he wanted. Top to bottom, this group may not be as good as the classes Texas signed in the past 10 years, but the staff held on to a few guys it needed. Jerrod Heard, Derick Roberson and Armanti Foreman were the three big ones. Duke Catalon was also a key recruit because he adds depth at running back. Even with the guys who de-committed at defensive tackle — and I use the term de-committed loosely because they were looking elsewhere — Texas filled the holes with late commitments. I think the guys the team got may be better. Texas also added some offensive linemen. The class on both lines is better than the previous staff had assembled. At the end of the day, this staff accomplished what it needed to accomplish in a short time period. 20
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On the defensive side?
Other than Heard, Derick Roberson was the most important prospect in the class. You can’t replicate what he has as a natural pass-rusher, defensive end. Those guys are hard to find. If you look at a guy and say, “Four years from now he could be a first-round draft pick as a passrushing defensive end,” then you found one of the few. Roberson is one of those guys. Getting Poona Ford late helped too. Was it a coup getting Ford?
Yes. Texas couldn’t go two years in a row without signing a defensive tackle. Is Ford the best defensive tackle prospect in the country? No. Does he have the potential to come in and contribute early? Yes. The Longhorns need defensive tackles who can come in and contribute early. How did the coaching staff seal up this class in such a short timeframe?
The line of scrimmage is where they excelled. The coaching staff added two offensive linemen and two defensive linemen. Alex Anderson is a guy they’re excited to have on the team. Elijah Rodriguez is a project but you can’t coach 6’6”, 295 pounds. Chris Nelson has athletic ability at defensive tackle that you JERROD HEARD can’t coach — he’s just a raw, untapped athlete. And Ford is a four-star defensive tackle for a reason. Texas would’ve liked to have Otaro Alaka and Emanuel Porter; but what it boils down to is the team couldn’t lose Heard and Roberson. To add a little bit on the line of scrimmage, and keep those guys, you have to say the coaches did well. Did Texas have to do a lot to keep those guys?
With Roberson, they did. He built a strong relationship with Oscar Giles. Chris Rumph’s first recruiting visit on staff was to go see Roberson. Obviously something
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First Impressions
Heard, obviously. With him at quarterback you can win championships. Catalon is a key player because you need a running back and the depth chart is favorable at that position. Armanti Foreman is a guy who reminds me of Curtis Brown coming out. Whether he stays at receiver or moves to cornerback, he has the potential to be an All-Big 12 player. Those players are the top three.
make an early impact regardless of what side of the ball you put him on. Ford will have a chance to be an early impact guy. Roberson for depth purposes will have a chance at defensive end. Catalon needs to be ready to play running back next year because at this point no one knows for sure when Johnathan Gray will be back from his injury.
clicked between the two. I know the kid and his family. They felt comfortable with Rumph but he still had work to do to keep Roberson. Work needed to be done with Heard as well; during a coaching change you need to sell a quarterback on what offense you’re running. So the staff’s offense fits well with Heard’s talent?
What makes this class stand out?
Yes. He’s a dual-threat quarterback in the sense that if you’re a coach, you can have a run game package for him but he’s also a good passer. The numbers and talent speak for themselves. The most exciting thing about Heard is that in two straight state championship games, he took over the game by himself in the fourth quarter. That’s championship DNA — you can’t coach that or develop it. Mechanically, he has some things to work on but he has the intangibles. If you look at his skill set, he’s a hybrid between Ell Roberson (former Kansas State quarterback) and Braxton Miller at Ohio State.
This class includes a lot of athletes. Heard, Armanti Foreman, Anderson, Ford, Nelson, Roberson and Edwin Freeman all have athleticism for their respective positions. What’s the 2015 class looking like early on?
What are your thoughts on Roberson?
Coaches have a tough time finding defensive ends at this age whom they can clearly identify as explosive run athletes. I’ve watched Roberson play basketball. When he dunks you can see his raw ability. He needs to get bigger and learn to play in the trenches with his hand on the ground. He’s still figuring things out — remember that he hasn’t been doing this as long as some of the other guys.
DERICK ROBERSON
Which players will have an immediate impact?
The 2015 class will be tough because the staff is behind in terms of evaluation. This staff will need to weather the storm in terms of recruiting because A&M, LSU, Baylor, Oklahoma and all of these schools that recruit from Texas have already started. The spring evaluation period, which starts in April, will be huge for this staff. They’re in a unique position where they might not get as many commitments in the spring, but the flip side of that is they’re not going to have as many scholarships taken when they get to the evaluation period. This type of situation will put the staff in a different position and they can maximize their numbers in the spring evaluation period.
Blake Whiteley. Some people think that he’ll be an NFL tight end. Armanti Foreman will come in and
MARCH/APRIL 2014
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These guys put up impressive stats in high school and I’m excited to see this new class. I’ll be watching Blake Whiteley especially. Tight End is such an under utilized position. I hope they bulk this guy up and take advantage of his JUCO experience. – Wendy Stockton
Averaged over
We have good players on campus. Charlie Strong will bring hard nose football back. No more cupcake camps. – Darvin Brown Strong only had two weeks to try and hang onto the class. Let the Aggies who want to say they won the battle versus Strong think that, and we’ll let our actions speak on the field by developing our talent – Brian Wood
My puppy obsession has reached an all-time high since watching that puppy Budweiser commercial. I cried watching it. – SARAH PALMER (@spalmer16)
DID YOU KNOW?
The Texas football team welcomed 23 newcomers on National Signing Day. Shortly after the announcement, Longhorn fans made their thoughts known about the 2014 class on the Horns Illsutrated Facebook page.
We’re on our way back. Thank you coach Brown for leaving a good class. Thank you, coach Strong for retaining a good class and for bringing in outside athletes. Hook ‘em! – Lico Guardiola
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The T-Association is an organization made up of former varsity athletics letter winners. An additional designation for the T-Association members is the T-Ring, which is awarded to an athlete who lettered for 2 or more years, who did not compete the last 2 years of eligibility anywhere other than The University of Texas and who graduated from college. David McWilliams, former Longhorn head football coach, currently serves as the executive director for the T-Association. T-Association Mission - The T-Association’s mission is to create and maintain an enhanced atmosphere and structure whereby UT student-athletes become lifetime members of The University of Texas Athletics family and are welcomed, involved and encouraged to participate during and after their college tenure. TAPN Mission - The Letter Winner’s Professional Network exists to unite the members of the T-Association on a professional level by providing networking opportunities and a database of contacts, thereby furthering the opportunities, community, education and success of Longhorn Letter Winners. CONTACT INFORMATION: t-association@athletics.utexas.edu 512.471.6864
THE HABE ON THE HORNS BY STEVE HABEL
Forward March
TEXAS BASKETBALL IS PUSHING ITS WAY BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BIG 12.
L
ITTLE WAS EXPECTED from the Texas men’s and women’s basketball teams this season. Both squads came off uneven performances in 2012-13, failing to make the NCAA Tournament. The final outcome didn’t show any indication that a Texas hoops resurgence was in the
cards. This explains why both teams’ success this year has been such a pleasant surprise. The men’s team — just a year removed from missing the NCAAs for the first time in coach Rick Barnes’ 16-season tenure on the 40 Acres — was racked with unrest. Three players transferred, another entered the NBA draft and a fifth decided to stay at home and play pro ball in Greece rather than return to Austin. Questions abounded about the future of the men’s team and Barnes’ ability to properly prepare his players for the rigors of Big 12 play. Fortunately, Barnes’ squad dispelled many of those fears. The group won seven straight league games and beat ranked teams — including Kansas in a sold-out blowout in Austin — in four straight outings in the middle of the conference season. The men have become a fearless and resilient team. They bounced back from a bad performance in a road loss to Kansas State with a definitive victory the next game against conference favorite Oklahoma State. The turnaround
has been amazing to watch; at press deadline, the Texas men are a lock for a berth in the NCAA tournament and have an outside chance to win the Big 12. Texas’ women’s team came into this season in more of a pickle. The Longhorns posted a 12-18 record in 2012-13 in Karen Aston’s first season at the helm and needed big performances this year to make any kind of improvement. Aston’s bunch has come through with flying colors, finishing the regualr season with 20-and-10 record. Four of the losses came to teams ranked in the top 13 in the country and three of those were on the road. Defense has been the key to the women’s success. Texas is on pace to set a program record in field goal percentage defense (.332). The current program record was set during the 1975-76 season (.355). The Longhorns also lead the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage (.370) and scoring defense (57.3 points per game). They also rank second in rebounding margin (+12.3). The bottom line is that many of us undersold Barnes and Aston’s chances this season to put competitive teams on the floor each night. Given the way both Texas teams are playing, it could be a great March in Austin for college basketball. Just sayin’, ya know? The Habe is Steve Habel, Horns Illustrated’s Associate Editor. He was the magazine’s first staff member, in 1994, and has covered Texas sports ever since.
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Strong 2014 FOOTBALL RECRUITING
Hold
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THE NEW HEAD COACH SUCCESSFULLY HELD TOGETHER THE 2014 RECRUITING CLASS. INTRODUCTION BY STEVE HABEL BIOS BY JEFF HOWE (Horns247.com)
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HARLIE STRONG and his staff’s first foray into recruiting for Texas produced a class ranked in the midteens by most of the talent-evaluation services while also addressing many of the team’s needs. This year’s recruiting process was focused on keeping intact the class enticed to the 40 Acres by former coach Mack Brown and his assistants. To that end, the new staff was mostly successful, signing 23 student-athletes Feb. 5, with six of the players coming from
out of state. With Strong in his new head coaching position for only a month, and his entire staff not formally complete until Jan. 15, the recruiting class has to be considered a successful one. Fans should set aside the fact that the class was rated No. 16 in the nation (Alabama was a consensus No. 1) and ranked second in the Big 12 Conference (behind Oklahoma). “Overall, it’s an outstanding class,” Strong said. “We wanted to keep this class together and let our coaches get out there and develop relationships within the state. We know that we can do better and we’ll do better knowing that we have control over the state.” The class has 12 offensive players, 10 defensive players and one player categorized as an athlete (meaning he could play a skilled position on either side of the ball). The group is heavy on wide receivers with five (led by Armanti Foreman of Texas City, who was ranked as the 124th best player in the nation by ESPN), four defensive backs (headed by Arlington Bowie safety Edwin Freeman, ranked 128th) and four defensive linemen, a group that includes the Longhorns’ top-rated signee, Derick Roberson of San Antonio Brennan (who was ranked at No. 78). Texas also signed three offensive linemen, two linebackers, three running backs, one quarterback and a tight end. Two of the signees come from Florida, two are from Louisiana and one is from South Carolina. The Longhorns even secured a junior college player from Canada — tight end Blake Whiteley. Six players formerly committed to Texas went elsewhere after Strong became head coach. “You can’t worry about the ones that got away,” Strong said. “We lost some guys, but we did what we could to keep them in place and build a relationship with them. When you are out and trying to re-recruit, which is what we were doing, you have to sell yourself.” “If they visited in December and then everyone else started recruiting them, they remember the last guy that they spoke with,” he added. “We weren’t able to get them back on campus, so we had to go and re-sell ourselves. We went to their homes and gave them the hour or however long they had to sit down and convince them. You also have to convince their high school coach about who you are and what you’re all about.” Strong said he didn’t feel like his hands were tied in honoring scholarship commitments from the Longhorns’ former staff. “I know coach Brown built a great program here and built it the right way. I knew the players that had committed to him were outstanding players and outside of that, outstanding people, and that’s what you look at. We were able to go out and recruit some ourselves, but it’s best to hold on to what you got rather than go out and look for something else.” The class includes 11 four-star players, 12 three-star athletes and eight players who were ranked in the ESPN 300. Six of the players participated in prominent all-star games, including three in the Under Armour All-America Game, two in the U.S Army All-American Game and one in the Offense-Defense AllAmerican Bowl. “I don’t know if there’s a single word to describe this group, but you always want to start off with good character,” Strong said. “Then you focus on size and speed. One thing that speed does, no matter if you’re a big guy or a little guy, is that it allows you to build off of it. Once you get the players, the question is if you can develop them. The key is if you can develop the player.” Three of the signees — offensive lineman Alex Anderson (of New Orleans Landry-Walker), linebacker Andrew Beck (Tampa- Plant) and Whiteley (West Vancouver by way of Arizona Western CC) — are already enrolled in school and will participate in spring drills. Here’s a look at the players who make up the Longhorns’ 2014 signing class, with comments on each from Strong. MARCH/APRIL 2014
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Ready to be
Heard
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ATCH ONE of Jerrod Heard’s games at Guyer High School in Denton, Texas, and it’s easy to see why he’s been a coveted recruit for years. Nebraska offered him a scholarship after his sophomore year. Shortly thereafter, he started collecting offers from all over the country, including from high-profile programs like LSU, Ohio State and Arizona State. Put together a list of attributes in an ideal dual-threat quarterback and the sum of the listed parts will equal Heard. At 6’2” and 190 pounds, he has good size to go along with a strong, accurate arm and excellent running ability. But Guyer head coach John Walsh said the 26
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THE ONE AND ONLY QUARTERBACK OF THE 2014 RECRUITING CLASS LOOKS TO MAKE A LASTING IMPACT. BY STEVE LANSDALE
physical gifts aren’t the only value the quarterback brings to Texas’ 2014 recruiting class. To Walsh, it’s Heard’s personality, rather than his considerable physical gifts, that make him arguably the prize of the Longhorns’ class. “Physically, everyone can see what [Heard] can do,” Walsh said. “He’s got a major-league arm but he’s special when he ad-libs on a play and throws on the run. He’s a great leader, partly because he’s so calm. He can be running with a bunch of guys chasing him, and stay relaxed. He knows he’s being chased but he’s thinking through the play and has his eyes downfield. He makes something out of nothing all the time.” Walsh won’t take credit for Heard’s calm
demeanor. That, he said, comes from Heard’s parents, who were athletes at the University of North Texas. Heard’s mother, Tina, is a substitute teacher for the Denton Independent School District and played basketball at UNT; his father, Reginald, was on the track team and now works as a probation officer for Tarrant County. Heard also gives much of the credit to his parents but admits his calm demeanor takes a conscious effort on his part, spawned by a sense of obligation to his teammates. “That’s something I’ve developed,” he said. “The last thing I want to do is show my teammates we’re in trouble. I get the ball on every play and the other players have to believe I know what I’m doing — and that I’m confident in what we’re doing as an offense. “There’s a confidence that I’ve built through the years that no matter what the situation, we have the ability to score,” he added. “If I have confidence in my offensive line, in my receivers, that shows and they’ll have confidence in me.” Heard has given his teammates every reason to have that confidence. Over his four years of high school football, his teams lost a grand total of five games. His career statistics look like a high score from a video game. In three years as Guyer’s starting varsity quarterback, Heard piled up more than 11,000 combined yards and 131 total touchdowns. As a senior, he was lethal in the air and on the ground, running and passing for more than 2,000 yards each. He led a team that often enjoyed leads so large he didn’t have to do much late in games. Most important, he guided the Wildcats to the Texas 4A state championship in his junior and senior seasons. “Jerrod is a three-year starter for us,” Walsh said. “The quarterback we had before him was my son [J.W. Walsh], who’s at Oklahoma State now, and they have the same skill set. They’re dual-threat quarterbacks. When he took over here, all anyone said was ‘he’s not J.W.’ … and all he did was lead us to two state titles.” Walsh said he got a clear indication of just how competitive Heard is during his junior season, when Walsh watched his quarterback playing on the Guyer basketball team. The Wildcats were playing Arlington Heights High School,
PREVIOUS SPR EAD: JIM S IGM ON/UNIV. OF TEXAS ALL PHOTO S THIS S PREAD: COUR TESY JEFF HOWE/HORNS247.COM
which featured center A’Shawn Robinson, a 6’4”, 300pound bruiser who is now a freshman defensive lineman at Alabama. “Here’s an example of the kind of competitor Jerrod is, and how strong he is,” Walsh explained. “I went to watch a game a year or two ago against Arlington Heights and they had a center who’s at Alabama now, playing defensive tackle. He was about 300 pounds, and we didn’t have anyone near that size. [Robinson] was dominating everyone inside, so Jerrod went in there and he was the only guy who could handle him. He went toe-to-toe with him, elbow-to-elbow. Jerrod is obviously quicker than [Robinson], but he’s also strong. He cleans 300 pounds. Watching that game, I enjoyed it. He was giving that guy all he wanted.” Guyer basketball coach Grant Long said the fact that Heard took on the challenge of trying to handle Robinson speaks volumes about his competitive nature. “Jerrod’s a competitor. He doesn’t back down from anyone and it was never even a worry if he could handle Robinson,” he said. “Jerrod is strong and athletic but it’s his winning mindset that makes him successful. I knew he’d take the challenge head-on.” Heard’s poise under pressure and his willingness to play David to any opponent’s Goliath is what separates him from prospects with similar physical talent. These intangibles forced schools to notice him early. In the spring after his sophomore season — his first as the Wildcats’ starter — Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini paid him a visit and the recruiting floodgates opened. “Nebraska came down first,” Heard recalled. “I don’t remember much about the conversation other than him telling me that I’d fit their offense well and that I could have a lot of success up there. After Nebraska offered, that opened it up for other schools, and after the spring others started offering. Arizona and Arizona State were the next two.” Among those programs that got in line to make a pitch for Heard’s services was Texas. And the Longhorns had one advantage that the other schools simply couldn’t match. “I grew up a Texas fan — it has always been my dream school,” he said. “We would go to my grandparents’ house up in Wichita Falls and that’s who we would watch. We’re a family of Texas fans.” His parents never pushed him toward any school, including their alma mater in Denton. He ended up committing to Texas before his junior season began. “When Texas started recruiting me I was excited, but tried to remain patient,” Heard said. “I wanted to get to know the coaches and know more about the school than what I learned from watching games. When they were recruiting me, they talked more about the school than the football program, about what it means to have a degree from the University of Texas … especially when they were talking to my mom. We talked about football, about the offense they ran, but we talked a lot about academics. I want to major in sports medicine. If I don’t make it to the NFL, a degree from Texas helps a lot.” Committing early, theoretically, should’ve allowed Heard to forget about the recruiting process. But after the Longhorns dropped a couple of games early in the 2013 season, Texas fans grew restless with the state of the program. Head coach Mack Brown stepped down after the
season and was replaced at the helm by Charlie Strong, who reached out almost immediately to Heard. “When he was hired, one of the first things coach Strong did was set up a conference call with Jerrod and his parents,” Walsh said. “Building a team is about building those relationships — with the players you have and the players you recruit. Coach Strong did a good job of starting that process right away.” Heard said he was impressed right away by his new coach and is optimistic about how the quarterback will be used in Strong’s offense. “I like him,” Heard stated. “He wants discipline in the program, in everything about the program. I respect that. He wants the team to be close, to trust each other.” As soon as Strong was named head coach, comparisons began to pop up in recruiting circles between Heard and Strong’s last quarterback, Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater. “Look at what [assistant head coach for offense and quarterbacks Shawn] Watson did at Louisville with Teddy Bridgewater and you have to be excited when you think about what he could do with Jerrod,” Walsh said. “At Louisville, their philosophy was to pound the football. They had Teddy Bridgewater push the ball down the field. Teams had to respect their running game, which opened it up for him to pass downfield. Jerrod will thrive in that system.” Bridgewater isn’t the only signal caller to whom Heard has been compared. Walsh mentioned Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel. Heard said he commonly hears references to Manziel and Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers. He said he understands that the Manziel comparisons might not sit well with the Texas faithful, but he appreciates the parallels. “If a play isn’t there, if it breaks down, those guys can make plays with their feet,” he said. “Getting compared to guys like that…I take it as a compliment, especially when it’s an NFL guy.” Not surprisingly, Strong and Watson haven’t made any promises to Heard about the possibility of early playing time. They also haven’t mentioned anything about where he fits in the Longhorns’ quarterback pecking order. “[Heard] isn’t scared of competition,” Walsh said. “He’s going compete right away. He can throw next to David [Ash] and Tyrone [Swoopes]. He embraces competition and expectations.” Heard understands why assurances haven’t been made by his new coaches, who are still getting to know their players. He doesn’t have any interest in a starting job or having any amount of playing time handed to him. He didn’t lose many games in high school, he said, because he doesn’t accept losing — in anything. “Anything I do, I want to be the best,” Heard said. “I can play table tennis and want to win. I don’t like losing. I’ve gotten better about letting it go but I’m not good at it yet, and I don’t want to get good at it. When we lose, I’m mad the whole week.” “I want to develop into that guy that’s heard when he speaks in the locker room, but to do that, I have to earn that right,” he added. “I need to become a more polished player. I can run the ball and I can throw the ball, but I’m not the player I want to be, the player I think I can be — not even close.” MARCH/APRIL 2014
QUARTERBACK
6’2”- 190 pounds DENTON, TX. (Guyer) 247sports rank: No. 79 overall, No. 1 dual-threat QB and No. 8 player in Texas
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Two-time first-team allstate and District 5-4A MVP honoree, selected to the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, participated in Nike’s The Opening, chosen to compete in the Elite 11 Camp, led Guyer to back-to-back 4A DI State Championships in 2012 and 2013, No. 1 QB recruit in Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, chosen DCTF Offensive Player of the Year in 2012.
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
“JERROD WON BACK-TOBACK STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. HE’S AN ATHLETE — HE CAN THROW THE FOOTBALL BUT HE CAN ALSO BEAT YOU WITH HIS LEGS.”
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Alex ANDERSON OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
6’5”- 310 pounds
NEW ORLEANS, LA (Landry-Walker)
ANDERSON WAS A LATE but good find by offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Joe Wickline. Wickline recruited Anderson when he was at Oklahoma State and then managed to flip COACH the big man’s commitSTRONG ment from Arizona SAYS: State within days of “WE WERE ABLE taking the job at Texas. Anderson shows the TO RECRUIT HIM LATE AND HE’LL athleticism and has the feet to play tackle. He BE AN EARLY has the girth and ability ENROLLEE FOR to mash people at the US. HE’S GOING point of attack to play TO BE ABLE guard. Texas needed TO GET IN THE offensive line help and WEIGHT ROOM Anderson is a highAND INTO THE ceiling prospect whom OFFSEASON Wickline can develop PROGRAM.” into an All-Big 12 performer. He enrolled in January for spring football and could give the Longhorns versatility down the road in the trenches.
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KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Played both offensive and defensive line, named first-team 4A All-State as an offensive lineman by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association in 2013, tabbed first-team All-District 9-4A, helped Landry-Walker to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the 2013 4A state semifinals.
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Andrew BECK LINEBACKER
Roderick BERNARD
6’3”- 230 pounds
HOUSTON, TX (Sharpstown)
TAMPA, FL (Plant)
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BERNARD COULD help Texas in a few different positions. His ability to make people miss and slash at the line scrimmage makes him a candidate to play running back. He was also used as a jet sweep slot receiver in high school, so he knows how to handle the ball in traffic. He played receiver, which is his natural position, but Bernard also played cornerback in high school. The previous Texas staff discovered Bernard and offered before Alabama, Oklahoma and others sent offers his way.
COACH STRONG SAYS:
“RODERICK IS A RUNNING BACK, WIDE RECEIVER AND JUST ONE OF THOSE ATHLETIC GUYS OUT OF SHARPSTOWN DOWN IN HOUSTON. HE’S AN OUTSTANDING PLAYER.”
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
5’10”- 175 pounds
WIDE RECEIVER
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Three-time all district selection, first team All-District as a wide receiver in 2013, No. 9 WR recruit in Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.
BECK COMES from one
of the top high school programs in Florida and should be able to contribute on either “WHEN I WAS AT LOUISVILLE WE side of the ball. He has HAD A CHANCE a good body type and TO EVALUATE enough athleticism to HIM. BECK’S play middle linebacker GOING TO BE AN in the Big 12. He has a OUTSTANDING PLAYER. HE’S solid grasp of timing AN EARLY the blitz and a nose for ENROLLEE.” making plays around the line of scrimmage. He could also flip to the other side of the ball and be a tight end or H-back. The Longhorns landed Beck’s commitment after a heated recruiting battle with reigning Pac-12 champion Stanford. Beck’s father is in the Army and the talented prospect spent his early teen years living in Killeen, where he often went to Longhorn games.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: First team 8A AllState (AP), registered 110 tackles, seven sacks, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble as a senior; helped Plant to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the 8A state semifinals his senior year.
JOHN
Bonney 6’1”- 183 pounds
DEFENSIVE BACK HOUSTON, TX (Lamar)
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
“WE HAD TO RECRUIT BONNEY’S DAD MORE THAN HIM. THAT MAN LOVED TO TALK. HE HAD A WHOLE LOT OF CONVERSATION FOR US.” AS ONE OF THOSE recruits who generated the most buzz toward the end of the recruiting process, Bonney took last-minute visits to Auburn and Baylor before deciding to stick with the Longhorns. Bonney grew up a Texas fan and comes to the 40 Acres as a prospect who can play safety, nickelback or
cornerback. His times, measurements or physical attributes will not blow you away. However, he does possess tremendous football acumen, understands taking angles and leveraging the football and has always seemed to put himself in a position to make a play on the ball. Bonney’s intelligence and range could
make him an ideal center field safety in the Big 12. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Four-year starter and threetime all-district honoree, participated in Nike’s The Opening, helped Lamar to four district championships and an overall 45-7 record.
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B Donald CATALON RUNNING BACK
6’0”- 200 pounds
HOUSTON, TX (Eisenhower) IN A CYCLE where
the Longhorns needed to get a difference-maker at running back, they got one in Catalon. He’s a track sprinter, so combining his wheels with his size makes him a guy who can do damage if he gets beyond the second level of the defense. He’s one of the better natural runners the Longhorns have signed in recent years. He also comes with the versatility to play as a big single back, a fullback or an H-back. He really showed his athleticism, agility and good feet when he played cornerback as a senior.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Three-time alldistrict honoree and four-year letterman, first-team All-District 18-5A as a running back and second-team as a defensive back in 2013.
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
“CATALON IS A RUNNING BACK OUT OF HOUSTON EISENHOWER. THE AMAZING THING ABOUT GOING INTO THAT SCHOOL WAS THAT THE COACH SAID, ‘HEY, THERE’S SOMEONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MEET YOU.’ AND I ASKED WHO AND HE SAID, ‘HE TOLD ME NOT TO GIVE YOU HIS NAME.’ SO I WALKED DOWN THE HALL AND I SEE THIS PLAYER WHO WAS A LINEBACKER FOR ME AT NOTRE DAME NAMED NIX. WE STARTED LAUGHING AND TELLING STORIES. I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HE WAS A COACH BECAUSE WE RECRUITED HIM OUT OF KILGORE AND NOW HE’S COACHING THERE AT EISENHOWER.”
TERRELL
Cuney OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
6’3”- 260 pounds
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JASPER, TX (Jasper)
lineman, Cuney comes to Texas as a true center prospect. He’s not the biggest guy on the field, but he’ll battle and give a team everything he’s got every time he’s
A TOUGH, AGGRESSIVE
on the field. He plays with good technique, can create a push up front and can be an effective center if playing between the caliber of guards the Longhorns figure to have on the roster in the near future. He needs a redshirt year to see how much his body can develop but he’ll give the Longhorns some depth at center. Cuney had recruiting interest from multiple Big 12, Big Ten and SEC schools. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Selected to the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, named secondteam 3A All-State by the Associated Press in 2013, tabbed first-team All-District 20-3A in 2013, ranked No. 2 offensive lineman recruit in Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
“WE NEEDED TO GET LINEMEN IN THIS CLASS AND NOW WITH TERRELL, WE GET A SECOND ONE.”
Poona FORD DEFENSIVE TACKLE
6’1”- 288 pounds
HILTON HEAD, S.C. (Hilton Head)
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
became a position of great need by the end of the recruit“FORD WENT TO ing cycle. Thankfully CHARLOTTE TO Texas landed Ford, GET ON ESPN TO who was once comMAKE THAT BIG mitted to Charlie COMMITMENT. AS A DEFENSIVE Strong at Louisville, TACKLE, HE’S A on signing day. He BIG GUY WITH SOME SIZE. YOU’RE played running back in high school and ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SIZE.” his coach said the only comparison he could use to sum up Ford’s athleticism was the great Bo Jackson. While that might be a stretch, Ford has the strength and explosive athletic ability to contribute early in his career. What he lacks in height he makes up for with a long wingspan. Longhorn fans should count on seeing this unique prospect early in his career.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Participated in the 2014 Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, selected for the 2013 Shrine Bowl (S.C. vs. N.C. all-stars), tabbed first-team All-State in 2013, named Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Area by the Beaufort Gazette. MARCH/APRIL 2014
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Foreman ARMANTI & D’ONTA
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VEN THOUGH twin brothers Armanti and
D’Onta Foreman may look alike, the duo will bring individual talents to the 40 Acres this fall. The two decided to attend college — and
BY STEVE HABEL
Armanti: WIDE RECEIVER
option from the slot as he has an innate ability to gain yardage after the catch. “Texas said they’ve been looking for a player like me and how they like what I bring to the table,” he said. Facts support the notion that Texas didn’t offer D’Onta a scholarship solely to get Armanti. Texas City second-year coach Leland Surovik said D’Onta has adjusted to a more traditional offense that requires the running back to get his yards between the tackles — an adjustment that swayed the Longhorns’ decision to bring him onboard. “Texas offered my brother early but not me,” D’Onta explained. “They wanted to see what I really had.” The two brothers compete at everything and continue to push each other to excel. But outside of their competitive nature, COACH they’re as close as two corn kernels STRONG SAYS: in a cob — only fitting for a set of twins. “ARMANTI “Anything that goes on, AND D’ONTA D’Onta knows about it,” Armanti ARE TWO said. “We talk to each other, keep ATHLETIC AND each other on the right path to do VERY SKILLED PLAYERS.” great things.” When D’Onta received his offer from Texas, everything clicked. The two would head to Austin together, work to dominate together and always be there for one another. “No one can ever understand how much we put into each other, how much we love each other and want each other to succeed,” D’Onta said. “The bond that we have is crazy.”
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6’0”- 180 pounds TEXAS CITY, TX. (Texas City) 247sports rank: No. 142 overall, No. 20 WR nationally and No. 15 player in Texas
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Four-time district honoree, participated in the 2014 Semper Fidelis AllAmerican Bowl, named second-team 4A All-State as a defensive back by the Associated Press in 2013, shared District MVP honors in District 24-4A with his brother in 2013, also named first-team AllDistrict 24-4A as both a wide receiver and defensive back.
D’Onta: RUNNING BACK
6’2”- 215 pounds TEXAS CITY, TX. (Texas City) 247sports rank: No. 67 RB nationally and No. 143 player in Texas
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play football — as a package deal last summer. Armanti, a 6’0”, 190-pound wide receiver, was considered the higher-ranked player, drawing four-star ratings from recruiting services to his brother’s three stars. But D’Onta, a 6’2”, 215-pound running back, might fill a hole that his twin can’t — the role of a big back in a Texas offense that has openings at fullback, especially once Joe Bergeron finishes his eligibility. D’Onta was a force his senior season at Texas City, racking up 1,893 yards and 28 touchdowns rushing. Armanti — who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds at the TCU football camp in 2013 — was a two-way starter, snagging 42 passes for 750 yards and nine touchdowns as a wide receiver. He also snatched six interceptions. Texas offered Armanti a scholarship several months before offering one to D’Onta. D’Onta’s offer was assured after he ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash (same time as his brother) in front of the coaches in Austin. Not long after, both Foreman twins, who always wanted to go to college together, committed to Texas. Armanti originally verbally committed to Oklahoma but eventually narrowed his choices to Texas and Texas A&M. D’Onta picked the Longhorns even though he received offers from Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Missouri and Washington State. “I’m happy they offered both of us,” D’Onta said. “We can really contribute in the Texas offense.” Armanti will provide Texas with another dynamic
THE BROTHERS BRING MUCH MORE TO THE 40 ACRES THAN MATCHING 40-YARD DASH TIMES.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Four-time district honoree, participated in the 2014 Semper Fidelis AllAmerican Bowl, named second-team 4A All-State as a running back by the Associated Press in 2013, shared District 24-4A MVP honors with his brother in 2013, also named first-team AllDistrict 24-4A as both a running back and defensive end, helped Texas City to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the 4A DII regional playoffs in 2013. MARCH/APRIL 2014
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Edwin FREEMAN SAFETY
6’1”- 215 pounds
THE TEXAS defensive scheme will determine where Freeman plays. As a senior, he spent time playing in the box and as a force in the run game. He showed he can leverage the ball properly, strike the ball carrier and has the ability to run. Yet he still has safety skills with the ability to not only cover big slot receivers, but also drop into coverage and play some free safety. He’s fluid and smooth in his backpedal and in COACH his transitions for STRONG his size. The botSAYS: tom line is he could wind up sticking “BRUCE at safety, spinning CHAMBERS DID AN down to linebacker, OUTSTANDING JOB. or playing a hybrid HE DEVELOPED AN OUTSTANDING role. Freeman was RELATIONSIP WITH the first defensive FREEMAN. A BIG commitment of the SAFETY IS A BIG Charlie Strong era at SAFETY FOR US.” Texas. Besides Texas, he held offers from Texas A&M, Baylor, LSU, TCU, Nebraska, Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, West Virginia and more.
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KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Selected to the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game, participated in Nike’s The Opening, named second-team All-District 3-5A as a linebacker, selected unanimous first-team All-District 3-5A at linebacker in 2012. 34
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ARLINGTON, TX. (Bowie)
Gray
GARRETT
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Garrett Gray was on the fence about returning to football for his junior season. The Marble Falls wide receiver walked away from the game as a freshman and took a year off from the gridiron. But then former Texas quarterback Todd Dodge — who led Southlake Carroll to four state championships before moving up to coach North Texas — was hired as the Marble Falls football coach. The rest, as they say, is history. Dodge persuaded Gray to return to football. And under the renowned coach’s tutelage, the 6’4” and 211-pound Gray hauled in 160 receptions for 2,588 yards (16.2 yards per catch) and 37 touchdowns in two years. Gray was named first-team 4A All-State by the Associated Press in 2013 and heads to Austin as a bigbodied but instinctively quick receiver. Head coach Charlie Strong is already comparing Gray to Riley Cooper, a Philadelphia Eagles wideout whom Strong coached at Florida. “Garrett is extremely explosive and consistent,” Dodge said. “He’s only played in 20 games, so he’s a guy who has so much potential and upside. I’m proud of him for working his craft.” Gray is only the second recruit coached by Dodge to sign with Texas in Dodge’s 27-year coaching career. He’s WO SPRINGS AGO,
THROUGH A FORMER TEXAS QUARTERBACK, GRAY FOUND HIS WAY TO THE 40 ACRES. BY STEVE HABEL the first Marble Falls player to ever sign a scholarship with the Longhorns. A consensus three-star prospect, Gray’s offer list is more impressive than his rankings. Cal, Iowa, Oklahoma State, Oregon State and UCLA all focused on signing the big wideout. He has excellent speed for his size, reportedly running a 4.45 in the 40 at the Texas camp. With a big body that will get stronger as he matures and hits the weight room, Gray could play either wide receiver or tight end for the Longhorns. Wherever he lines up, Gray is sure to make plays. The biggest game of his prep career came in 2012 against Boerne Champion, when Gray recorded 13 receptions for 293 yards and five touchdowns in a 62-55 win. Gray committed to the Longhorns after his junior season and said he had a few anxious moments after Mack Brown stepped down as coach. After Brown’s departure, Gray received renewed interest from several other Division I schools, with California being the most persistent. “Coach Brown told me I would be a great fit in the offense,” Gray said. “With the tweaks they’re making, he said he could use me in a few different places. I definitely love the tradition at Texas and the atmosphere there is great. I’m going there to help the Horns win some championships.”
WIDE RECEIVER
6’4”- 211 pounds MARBLE FALLS, TX. (Marble Falls) 247sports rank: No. 123 WR
nationally and No. 112 player in Texas
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Two-time All-State selection, named first-team 4A All-State by the Associated Press in 2013, selected first-team All-District 25-4A, only played two years of high school football, prior to that played only basketball.
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
“GARRETT CAN BODY UP, PLAY INSIDE OR OUTSIDE AND HAS GOOD SPEED. HE REMINDS ME OF A PLAYER THAT I HAD OUT OF FLORIDA. I TOLD GARRETT THAT I CAN REMEMBER GOING TO RILEY COOPER’S HOUSE AND HE WAS THE SAME SIZE AS GARRETT.”
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JASON
Hall DEFENSIVE BACK
6’2”- 190 pounds
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX. (South Grand Prarie)
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
HALL IS A SAFETY recruit but played corner in high school. The question here is, does Texas try to repli“JASON HAS cate that formula? Maybe OUTSTANDING so, maybe not — football SIZE AND IS A GOOD ATHLETE.” is the ultimate copycat game — but it’s worth a shot to give Hall a look at a position that needs an infusion of young talent. He’s a long cornerback with ball skills and played outstanding in man coverage at Texas’ June 9 summer camp last year — a performance that earned him an offer.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Two-time all-district honoree, named honorable mention All-State 5A by the Associated Press in 2013.
Cameron HAMPTON LINEBACKER
6’0”- 201 pounds
DALLAS, TX. (Carter) A DOWNHILL
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Two-time all-district
selection, named honorable mention 4A All-State by the Associated Press in 2013, No. 3 LB recruit in Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, tabbed Defensive Most Valuable Player of District 11-4A in 2012, chosen first-team DCTF Super Team. 36
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Lorenzo JOE WIDE RECEIVER
6’2”- 192 pounds
ABILENE, TX. (Cooper)
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
“JOE HAS GOOD SIZE. ALL OF OUR WIDE RECEIVERS HAVE A GOOD SIZE TO THEM AND WHEN YOU GET THEM IN THE WEIGHT ROOM, THEY’LL JUST GET BIGGER.”
THE FIRST VERBAL commitment in the class, Joe might be one of the most underrated signees. As a receiver he doesn’t have any noticeable holes in his game. He’s an outside receiver who’s surprisingly quick getting in and out of his breaks and working in space. He’s not a burner but he’s fast enough to make things happen if put in the right positions. His size, hands and body control all make him a threat. A savvy player on the field, Joe showed off his athleticism at Cooper, playing quarterback during his final two varsity seasons.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:Three-time alldistrict honoree, participated in Nike’s The Opening, named District 2-5A Offensive Most Valuable Player in 2013, No. 1 ATH recruit in Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, tabbed first-team All-District 2-5A as a quarterback in 2012, chosen first-team DCTF Super Team.
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linebacker who is a savvy blitzer and a hard hitter, Hampton was one of the first offers extended “HAMPTON HAS by the Longhorns in SPEED AND IS ONE OF THOSE the recruiting cycle. BACKERS THAT Oklahoma, Oklahoma WE’LL NEED TO State and Texas A&M COVER UP AND are among the schools LET RUN.” that chased Hampton. He’s best playing in space where he can use his speed to run down ball carriers. He played some defensive end during his high school career, and with his ability to rush the passer he could play as a situational rusher off the edge from the linebacker position.
COACH STRONG SAYS:
Dorian LEONARD
WIDE RECEIVER
6’4”- 200 pounds
LONGVIEW, TX. (Longview)
FOR A BIG RECEIVER, Leonard is a fluid mover who has some bounce to his game. He could play at outside receiver or play the flex position as a big slot receiver because his quickness against linebackers and bigger safeties could be a good matchup. He’s a better athlete than he’s given credit for (he was also a basketball player in high school) and has been compared to former Longview standout, Oklahoma AllAmerican and NFL receiver Malcolm Kelly. Like Lorenzo Joe, Leonard’s ability to work the short and intermediate game at his size could make him an ideal receiver to have on the field on third downs. Leonard chose Texas over Oklahoma.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:Two-time all-district selection, selected unanimous first-team All-District 12-5A in 2013, No. 3 WR recruit in Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, helped Longview to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the 5A Division II regional playoffs in 2013.
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
“I HAD A CHANCE TO WATCH DORIAN IN THE GYM. HE’S VERY ATHLETIC. HE’S TALL AND HAS A GOOD REACH.”
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
MCMILLON IS a player who can play end or tackle during his time on the 40 Acres. He was “JAKE HAS A a rare four-year starter GREAT FAMILY at the high school level. AND AN The most impressive OUTSTANDING part of his game was COACH. WHEN I MADE THE TRIP his motor. He’ll play to OUT THERE, IT the echo of the whistle WAS COLD AND and the coaches won’t IT FELT LIKE have to worry about him THE WIND WAS GOING TO BLOW slacking off. He played YOU AWAY. I TOLD strong-side defensive JAKE, ‘I HAVE end at Abilene and TO HURRY UP can mix it up in the AND GET INSIDE trenches. He’s another BECAUSE IT’S A REALLY COLD candidate among a few DAY!”’ in the class who could be a tight end long-term. McMillon had a Big 12 offer from TCU but stuck with the Longhorns once he committed last spring.
CHRIS
LAKELAND, FLA. (Victory Christian)
Jermaine ROBERTS
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6’3”- 280 pounds EVEN AT HIS size, Nelson
played running back and middle linebacker during his high school “CHRIS IS A career. He needs to DEFENSIVE develop, but the raw TACKLE OUT talent is there for him OF LAKELAND. to become an impact I’VE ALWAYS RECRUITED OUT player by the time his OF LAKELAND. I career on the 40 Acres is CAN REMEMBER done. Like Poona Ford, RECRUITING Nelson was committed THERE WITH FLORIDA AND to Strong at Louisville SIGNING SEVEN before he reached out to PLAYERS IN ONE the new Texas staff. He’s YEAR.” officially the first prospect to receive a Texas offer under Strong’s watch. Also like Ford, committed to Texas on signing day over Fiesta Bowl champion Central Florida.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Three-time allcounty selection; tabbed second-team 2A AllState by the Associated Press in 2013; recorded 100 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 18 pressures, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries as a senior; helped Victory Christian to a 10-4 record and an appearance in the 2A state championship game. 38
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6’3”- 240 pounds
ABILENE, TX. (Abilene)
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DEFENSIVE BACK
5’9”- 170 pounds
NEW ORLEANS, LA. (St. Augustine)
Most Valuable Player and first-team All-District 2-5A in 2012; named first-team DCTF Super Team; helped Abilene to an undefeated regular season, a 12-1 final record and an appearance in the 5A Division II regional playoffs in 2012.
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
LIKE ALEX ANDERSON,
Roberts’ presence in the class shows how Texas tapped into the fertile “ROBERTS IS AN recruiting ground in OUTSTANDING New Orleans. During his PLAYER — NOT evaluation, Roberts drew VERY TALL — comparison to former BUT HE CAN RUN AND IS Mack Brown protégé VERY ATHLETIC.” Dré Bly (North Carolina, long-time NFL defensive back). Roberts has tremendous ball skills and has developed a reputation for being a good man-coverage cornerback. His ability to finish the play resulted in 19 career interceptions at the high school level. He’s coming to Texas as a cornerback where the depth chart is thin, so Roberts’ ability to cover kicks could prove valuable during his true freshman year. Roberts pulled offers from across the country, including Alabama, Florida State and Ohio State. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Two-time All-State
honoree, participated in the 2013 Under Armour All-America Game, tabbed first-team 5A All-State by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association in 2013, tallied 56 tackles and six interceptions as a senior, helped St. Augustine to a 9-2 record and an appearance in the 5A DI state semifinals in 2013.
THI S SPR EAD C LOC KWIS E FR OM LEF T: COUR TESY SCO TT WHEELER / THE LED GER , COURTESY STAN WEST, COURTESY WAYNE HELTON PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY R ON BR OCAT O/CLARION HERALD
Nelson COACH STRONG SAYS:
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Four-year starter who
played in 48 career games; tabbed first-team AllDistrict 2-5A in 2013; ranked No. 5 DE recruit in Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football; recorded 43 tackles (18 solo), four tackles for loss, one sack, three pass breakups and two pressures as a senior; named third-team 5A All-State by the Texas Sports Writers Association in 2012, chosen Defensive
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Jake MCMILLON
IS ROBERSON THE NEXT GREAT DEFENSIVE END AT TEXAS?
Roberson DERICK
BY STEVE HABEL
D
ERICK ROBERSON automatically stand outs in game film, even when his fellow San Antonio Brennan defenders are dominating opponent after opponent. At 6’3” and 235 pounds, Roberson rules the field from his defensive end spot, roaring into the backfield to sack
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
“THE THING ABOUT DERICK IS HIS SIZE; HE’S GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT ON WEIGHT. HE’S ATHLETIC, HAS GOOD SPEED AND IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT PRESSURE ON A QUARTERBACK FOR US.”
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
6’3”- 235 pounds
SAN ANTONIO, TX. (William J. Brennan) 247sports rank: No. 100 overall, No. 7 strong-side DE nationally and No. 11 player in Texas
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Three-time All-
State honoree, selected to the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game, named 4A Defensive Player of the Year and first-team AllState by the Associated Press in 2013, selected All-Texas Defensive Player of the Year, 4A Player of the Year and first-team All-Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, No. 3 DE recruit in Texas by DCTF.
quarterbacks and pummel running backs left in to protect the passer. When there’s a party in the backfield and he’s the only defender invited, he immediately becomes the party crasher. He was the ringmaster of a Brennan defense that allowed only 5.1 points and 109.1 yards per game. The team produced shutouts in nine of 16 games en route to a 15-1 overall mark and an appearance in the Class 4A Division I state championship game last fall. Roberson, a consensus four-star prospect, is the most highly ballyhooed of the four defensive linemen Texas signed, checking in at No. 93 in the 2014 Rivals250. He represents the highest-rated defensive end to commit to the Longhorns since Jackson Jeffcoat arrived in 2010 and is Texas’ seventh ESPN300 recruit since 2006. The defensive end chose Texas over Alabama, Texas A&M and a score of other suitors. He recorded MARCH/APRIL 2014
111 tackles, 20 sacks, 39 tackles for loss, 39 pressures, four passes batted down, three recovered fumbles and one forced fumble as a senior. He accomplished these feats as a marked man and often drew a double team from opposing offenses. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell compared Roberson to former Texas defensive end Sergio Kindle. “Roberson is skinny but he’s quick around the edge and he dips his shoulder extremely well,” Farrell said. “He’s narrowshouldered so he’s not going to fill out to be a huge defensive end, but man, he’s quick.” Farrell also stated Texas would best use Roberson as an all-out pass rusher, to bring him off the edge and into the backfield with blitzes and stunts as needed. The Texas staff thinks Roberson’s upside is extremely high and that he’ll be a player who could be a devastating pass rusher at the college level if he reaches his potential. While his technique is a little raw, it has improved during his high school career. His long arms help him keep distance from opposing linemen and get into passing lanes. His explosive first step and closing speed can be elite. Roberson was a strong commit to the Longhorns even after Mack Brown stepped down as coach. “I met with coach Strong and we’re clicking already,” Roberson said. “He’s a defensive coach and with that emphasis I know I’ll get a chance to contribute. I was coming to Texas no matter what, and I’m ready to show Texas fans what I can bring to the field.”
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Kevin SHORTER
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OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR and offensive line coach
Joe Wickline went on the hunt for offensive linemen not long after taking his post in Austin. In addition to Alex Anderson, he and wide receivers coach Les Koenning flipped Rodriguez from Colorado. A prospect with good feet and some nastiness in his game, Rodriguez is a prospect the Longhorns can store away while he transforms his body and prepares to give the program something down the road. He seems to have the on-field demeanor Wickline prefers in his linemen. His grandfather played for Darrell K Royal, so once the Longhorns offered it was a no-brainer for him to pick Texas.
6’0”- 188 pounds
RUNNING BACK NEWTON, TX. (Newton)
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Three-year starter
on the offensive line, named first-team AllDistrict 17-5A in 2013, anchored an offensive line that helped Cypress Creek average 24.5 points
Elijah B RODRIGUEZ OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
6’6”- 280 pounds
HOUSTON, TX. (Cypress Creek)
COACH STRONG SAYS:
“RODRIGUEZ WAS ANOTHER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN THAT WE RECRUITED LATE. COACH [JOE] WICKLINE FOUND HIM, AND WICKLINE AND COACH [LES] KOENNING DID A GOOD JOB BRINGING HIM IN HERE. WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE TURN AND GET ANOTHER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN IN THE GROUP.”
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
SHORTER’S FOOTBALL career
looks like it’s over after he suffered a spinal cord injury during his senior season. Prior “SHORTER to the injury, Shorter looked IS AN like he would’ve given the OUTSTANDING Longhorns some home run ATHLETE.” ability at running back. There was a feeling among the previous Texas staff that if Shorter hadn’t worked out at running back that he would’ve been an excellent defensive back for the Longhorns. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Three-time all-district
honoree, tabbed District 10-2A Division I Most Valuable Player in 2013, No. 4 RB recruit in Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football.
BLAKE
Whiteley TIGHT END
6’5”- 245 pounds
VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA (Arizona Western CC/West Vancouver)
HE COULD BE the fivetool tight end the program was looking to land for nearly a decade. He’s a true in-line player who can flex out, but the important thing to know about Whiteley is he comes equipped with the ability to catch the ball and block well enough to stay on the field on every down. The previous staff at Texas felt like Whiteley had the potential to be an NFL prospect at the position. His arrival for spring practice gives him a chance to be a major factor on the field this fall.
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KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Two-time Athlete of the Year (2010, 2012) at West Vancouver High School, named first-team Western Conference AllStar and first-team Provincial All-Star at West Vancouver in 2012, also played rugby.
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COACH STRONG SAYS:
“WE WERE ABLE TO PLUCK WHITELEY OUT OF JUNIOR COLLEGE.”
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SUCCESS FACTORS: Taylor Thom set the single-season RBIs record last year. She looks to build on that success in 2014.
S OFT B A L L
Stepping Up to the Plate THIS YOUNG SOFTBALL SQUAD LOOKS TO BUILD THEIR OWN LEGACY. BY ERIC WEISS
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M
OMEMTUM IS A BIT
of a mystery. It comes and goes. A team can find its momentum during a game, in an inning or even through the course of a season. The Texas softball team found its momentum last year when it needed it most. As the 2014 season begins, the team looks to build on what it accomplished last year. Last season the Longhorns tallied a 51-10 record, a trip to the Women’s College World Series and finished No. 3 in the nation. A 2-1 loss to Tennessee in the WCWS semi-final capped off a memorable season for head coach Connie Clark’s team. But that was then, this is now. And the now holds new challenges, new opponents and new goals. “It feels like we were at the World Series in June only a few weeks ago,” said Clark, who’s in her 19th year as head coach. “The fun thing about coaching is it’s never boring, there’s always a different team, a different look, a new challenge of getting a new team motivated, and trying to reach the same expectations of last year’s squad.” After graduating the most successful senior class in school history, Texas is looking to the next group of seniors to step up. The team welcomes seven newcomers and a host of other young players — 13 out of the 19 players on the roster are underclassmen. “There will be big shoes to fill, but I don’t know if we’ll necessarily be filling them,” senior catcher Mandy Ogle said. “We’ll be starting our own legacy that we’ll leave behind this year. Out here on the field, we’ve been
waiting to take the leadership of the team, so I think it’s up to us four [seniors] to lead together.” Ogle and fellow seniors Brejae Washington, Karina Scott and Taylor Thom are not short on experience and success. Thom set the Texas single-season record for RBIs with 66 and led Texas in home runs last season with 15. Washington, Texas’ leadoff batter, stole 32 bases, third most in school history. Scott brings know-how and clutch hitting at the plate, while Ogle remains the mainstay behind the plate for the Longhorns. “Our offense is going to be one of our strong points,” Clark said. “I feel really solid about our offense keeping us alive while pitching gets to where it needs to be.” Pitching is the biggest question for the Longhorns coming into the new season. Texas graduated ace Blaire Luna, who leaves quite a legacy on the 40 Acres. Luna ended her senior campaign with a 32-7 record, 422 strikeouts, 13 shutouts and a 1.28 ERA. Luna departs from Texas ranking within the top three in nearly every career pitching category, including wins (second; 112), innings pitched (second; 914.1), complete games (second; 109), shutouts (second; 48), strikeouts (second; 1,428) and lowest opponent batting average (third; .156). The leader of the young staff will be junior pitcher Gabby Smith. Smith’s role will greatly increase from her work last season as Texas looks to find a new ace. “I’ve worked hard this summer, trying to get to where I need to be. I don’t have much experience,” Smith said. “It’s hard to be a great pitcher when you’re just pitching to a catcher in the bull-
THIS SPR EAD FR OM LEFT: JESSE DR OHEN, JIM SIGM ON /UNIV. OF TEXAS
IN SEASON
pen. Facing a batter is the biggest thing that I needed in order to get my confidence back because it had been such a long time.” During this season’s fall games, Smith didn’t allow an earned run and tallied 18 strikeouts through five games. She’ll lead a bullpen that is also largely untested. Sophomore pitcher Holly Kern finished with a 2.74 ERA, 7-3 record in 53.2 innings of work. Freshmen pitchers Lauren Slatten and Tiarra Davis make up the remainder of the young staff. Slatten is a righty from Cinncinati, Ohio, although before her time there she played two years in Bastrop. Davis is the first lefty at Texas since the days of Cat Osterman. “Lauren has the pitcher’s mentality that you want. She wants the ball when she’s on the mound,” Ogle said. “Tiarra is right there with it. It’s good to have a lefty on our staff and her movement is great.” Clark said she expects Texas to get “thumped” early on as the
team finds its groove. A tough preseason schedule with trips to LSU and California will give the coaches a benchmark on where the team stands and how to prepare it for conference play. “We’re starting on the road, which has not happened in years,” Clark said. “It’s an extra incentive for the young ones, to throw them in the fire. We have to keep working them hard.” The remaining freshmen include infielder Devon Tunning, second baseman Kelli Hanzel, infielder Mickenzi Krpec, utilities Taylor McAllister and Stephanie Wong. The team may be underclassmen heavy, but the Longhorns are returning six starting position players. Sophomores Lindsey Stephens, Stephanie Ceo and junior Marlee Gabaldon will compete to earn spots in the field and batting order. Ceo started for Texas at second base and finished the year with a .333 batting average. Gabaldon and Stephens, both utilities, are
COOL, CALM AND COLLECTED:
Even with a young team, Connie Clark is confident that her players can take on a tough opposition.
looking to improve their hitting to break into consistent starting roles with the squad. Stephens played along with Smith in a summer league in North Carolina and Clark expects the extra work to pay off for them this season. Whether Texas will take its “thumps” or not, or finds its momentum, remains to be seen. The team is excited from top to bottom just to get under way but
Clark knows the coming month of games and practices will define how this young team responds to high expectations. “We have to keep working them hard,” Clark said. “We have to get after them in practice as well as keep their confidence up. We have a real challenge but we’re up for that. Bring it on. We’re ready.”
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B A SEB A L L
Attitude, Sacrifice and Dedication TEXAS BASEBALL IS FOCUSED ON TEAM-FIRST PRINCIPLES THIS SEASON. BY STEVE HABEL
BACK FOR MORE:
Nathan Thornhill turned down a shot at the Majors to return to the mound for Texas.
A
FTER
MISSING
THE
NCAA tournament for an unprecedented back-to-back seasons and finishing last in the Big 12 last year, the Texas baseball team is viewing 2014 as the year for redemption.
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As the Longhorns kick off this season, the catchwords for the team include attitude, sacrifice and dedication — three principles that head coach Augie Garrido always preaches but weren’t employed enough by the past two Texas teams.
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ning of this season even though the Longhorns have underperformed the past two years. “I don’t think anything has changed around here,” Garrido said. “The standard for Texas baseball hasn’t been met in the last two years and it isn’t acceptable — we know that. The standards that are acceptable will put us in the College World Series competing for the national championship. And until those standards are met, it’s a substandard performance. We don’t intend to be a part of that.” Pitching will be the Longhorns’ strong point.
The Longhorns stayed in most of their games last season because of their starting pitching, and all three of Texas’ weekend starters — Parker French, Dillon Peters and Nathan Thornhill — return for the 2014 campaign. The pitching staff, which brings back eight contributors overall, was seventh in the country last year with a 2.61 ERA. Having good pitching should give the team a measure of confidence, according to Garrido. “The pitching gives us something to build off of,” Garrido said. “We’re going to play better defense this year, which ultimately helps the pitching and the mental attitude of the team.” Peters, who was a secondteam All-Big 12 selection and went 6-3 with a 1.97 ERA, understands the weight of the expectations placed on the Texas pitchers. “We’re expected to work hard, produce and win,” Peters said. “If you don’t produce, you’re not pitching. We’ve all gone out with our same routines. The younger guys we’ve fostered along, we showed them how it’s done so that they’re able to contribute just as much as we did.” Thornhill, who had a 2.21 ERA and led the team in strikeouts last season, was among a group of Texas players who could’ve signed professional contracts. Instead, he chose to help return the Longhorns to their rightful place atop the college baseball hierarchy. “I don’t want to say we’ll be
JESSE DR OHEN
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“We spent all fall attacking our No. 1 problem from last year — entitlement,” said Garrido, who starts his 18th season on the Texas bench (and 46th overall as a collegiate head coach). “We’ve taken important steps in changing entitled attitudes and recognizing who we are — and changing that too,” he added. “We didn’t take as much time playing catch or taking batting practice as we did focusing on the mental parts of it all.” The Longhorns, who finished 27-24 overall in 2013 and 7-17 in conference play, were ranked No. 20 nationally in a preseason poll released by Collegiate Baseball. Texas was ranked 18th by Baseball America. With 19 letterwinners returning, including seven positional starters and 13 newcomers, the Longhorns stand ready to put the past few years behind them. Among the team’s catchwords, Texas needs to add “scoring runs” to the list. The Longhorns didn’t just fail to hit for average in 2013, they didn’t do the little things that usually characterize Garridocoached teams. “We’re trying to take the emphasis off of batting average and put the emphasis offensively on the true reason you win and lose — run scoring,” Garrido said. “We want quality at-bats; we want players who contribute to the rally, keep the rally going and keep it alive.” “Everybody wants to know if we’re going to hit but it’s about run scoring, folks,” Garrido said. “Hitting is certainly an important part of it, but it’s more than just hitting.” Texas was picked fourth (of nine teams) in a preseason Big 12 coaches’ poll released in early February. The Longhorns received 50 votes in the poll, separated from first-place pick Kansas State (56) by just six votes. Oklahoma State and TCU received 51 votes. The preseason favorite has gone on to win the regular season title on five occasions, with the last being Texas in 2010. Garrido claims that he feels no added pressure at the begin-
playing with a chip on our shoulder, but we know the expectations here and that we haven’t reached those expectations the past few seasons,” Thornhill said. “We know what’s expected of us. We have a great group of guys and we’re ready to go to work.” “There’s a lot of talent on our team, but there is always talent here,” he added. “We always have great players but who wins at the end isn’t always the most talented team — it’s the best team in general. That’s what we’re working more towards.” Texas brings in a talented group of newcomers headlined by junior-college transfer Lukas Schiraldi, son of former Texas great Calvin Schiraldi. He’s an early favorite for the fourth starting job behind French, Peters and Thornhill. French, who was 4-5 with a 2.68 ERA last season, worked on the command of his changeup and slider during the offseason. He said the pitching staff is a very close group that supports and learns from one another. “That bond and brotherhood has been passed on from people from the early 2000s to now,” French said. “We’re an extremely close-knit group of guys — that makes us want to work hard and with each other.” The Longhorns will have to find a consistent closer to replace the departed Corey Knebel, who saved 37 games for Texas over the past three seaasons. Defense and run scoring are improving.
Texas will be strong defensively up the middle, with sophomore shortstop C.J. Hinojosa pairing with junior second baseman Brooks Marlow to form a solid double-play combination. Mark Payton moves from right field to center this season and freshman Tres Barrera and sophomore Jeremy Montalbano will share the bulk of the catching duties. The Longhorns also return their top two hitters from last season in Payton and Hinojosa. Payton ranked 12th nationally in 2013 with a .393 batting average and knows Texas needs to make the most of its scoring chances. “We have to produce runs,” Payton said. “We need to work through coach Garrido’s philosophy of offense and not question what he’s asking us to do. Every player on this roster is pushing for a spot and we’re all excited to be a part of something big this season.” Hinojosa hit .309 in his first collegiate season and has dropped weight to assure he can better handle the grind of college baseball in the pivot. He said the Longhorns’ work in the preseason should lead to palpable results. “It’s different because we’re definitely a team this year,” Hinojosa said. “We’ve worked on trust and have everybody’s back. It’s more of a brotherhood — everyone is on the same page and everyone wants to be here early and leave late. That’s going to improve things.” If there are questions in the Longhorns’ lineup, it’s whom Garrido will pencil in at the corner infield spots and left and right field.
The Longhorns will have to come together quickly.
Garrido likes the early showings by Barrera and third baseman Andy McGuire. He has stated that those two freshmen will continue to improve. “I have high hopes for McGuire based on what we’ve seen, and I have high hopes for Barrera offensively,” Garrido said. “That gives us five guys who are pretty darn consistent, and you may even be able to add [Collin] Shaw into the mix, which would make six. When you have six offensive guys that are consistent in college, you have something to work with.” Another son of a prominent Texas Ex, infielder/pitcher Kacy Clemens (Roger Clemens’ son), should battle for playing time at first base and in relief duty on the mound. The Longhorns will have to come together in the heat of battle since their schedule is again demanding and far-flung. Texas will travel to Berkeley, Calif.; Houston (twice); Lubbock; Morgantown, W. Va.; San Marcos; and Norman, Okla., before ending the regular season in Manhattan, Kan. “After the first couple of weekends we’re going to have a better idea of how we perform in a real challenging environment,” Garrido said. “But when players have the right attitude, when they’re playing for the team like they’re right now, they learn faster and retain more and are able to perform at a higher level more consistently.”
Horns Illustrated (ISSN 1096-2573), Volume 21, Number 3. Copyright © 2014 by Texan Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Published nine times a year (monthly in January, February, March/ April, May, June, July, October, November and December) in the United States by Horns Illustrated, 1505 Ridgecrest Drive, Austin, TX 78746. Subscription inquiries: Send new or renewal notices or change of address (send both old and new addresses) to Horns Illustrated, P.O. Box 50069, Austin, TX 78763. Allow 6-8 weeks for change of address. Subscription problems: Call 855-246-7677. Subscription costs: U.S. and its possessions, one-year basic rate, $49.95. Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, Texas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER – send address changes to Horns Illustrated - P.O. Box 50069, Austin, TX 78763. Tel. (512) 626-8513. Publisher disclaims all responsibility to return unsolicited editorial matter, and all rights in portions published vest in publisher. Letters to Horns Illustrated magazine or its editors are assumed intended for publication in whole or in part without permission from the writer. Any similarity between persons or places mentioned in the fiction or semi-fiction and real places or persons living or dead is coincidental. Single copies: $4.95 in U.S. MARCH/APRIL 2014
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FINAL SCORE
Jonathan Holmes delivered the shot. Cameron Ridley provided the muscle. Holmes made a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer, sending Texas to its fourth straight conference victory and second in a row over a ranked team. The Longhorns defeated then-No. 22 Kansas State 67-64, continuing their upward climb in the Big 12. ‘’I just caught it and shot it,’’ Holmes said, adding that he had no time to think before putting the ball in the air. Ridley scored 18 points in a gamelong tug-of-war under the basket with Kansas State’s Thomas Gipson, who scored 24 points. Javan Felix had 23 points for the Longhorns, including two big baskets late that helped prevent the Wildcats from taking the lead. Holmes finished with 10 points, eight in the second half.
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ALL PHOTOS THIS PAGE: JESSE DROHEN
Right in the Nick of Time