Tag: Alfred Collins

Longhorns Wire Roundtable: Texas preseason predictions

With the 2020 college football season just over three weeks away, the Longhorns Wire staff weighed in our their predictions for Texas.

It’s been a whirlwind offseason, but college football is quickly approaching. We’re now just a mere 24 days (at time of publishing) away from kickoff. The Texas Longhorns are in the midst of fall camp and looking to ramp up the intensity as they prepare for the UTEP Miners on Sept. 12th.

The buzz surrounding three of the Power Five conferences is reaching a fever pitch. The Longhorns are eager to get the sour taste of an 8-5 season out of their mouths. Although it’s a shortened season with minimal offseason work, expectations are sky high.

Head coach Tom Herman has spoke at length regarding what a successful season would be for the Longhorns. Obviously,  this particular season could be derailed in a matter of moments due to COVID-19 or injuries to a key player.

For Texas, the expectation level is to compete for the Big 12 title. That’s the primary stepping stone in order to advance to the College Football Playoff.

With a substantial amount of hope and optimism in the air as the schedule approaches, Longhorns Wire staff put together their predictions for the upcoming season.

Related: ESPN predicts each game by win probability

Related: 2020 Longhorns Wire game-by-game predictions

Next up the staff’s predictions

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Texas Football roundtable: Which Longhorn will climb the depth chart?

Longhorns Wire staff each select a player that they feel has the most potential to rise up Texas’ depth chart this offseason.

Amid all the uncertainty and misinformation surrounding the upcoming college football season, Texas has been holding their fall camp practices over the past several days.

At this point, the mindset of each football program has to be centered around preparing the players for any scenario. We’ve decided to take a step back from the negativity and focus on the positives that are coming out of fall camp thus far.

A few particular players have stood out to head coach Tom Herman early on whether it be for size, leadership, talent or the progression overall from the previous year.

While absorbing Herman’s recent comments, Longhorns Wire staff each chose a player that has a realistic shot of rising up the depth chart this offseason.

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Texas Football: Myron Warren has put his name in the transfer portal

According to a report from 247Sports and Chris Hummer, redshirt freshman Myron Warren has placed his name in the transfer portal.

The Texas Longhorns started fall camp on Friday and there is a sizable buzz around the defense. The defensive line with Joseph Ossai and company are expected to make a much larger impact in the 2020 season than they did a year ago. One of those players among the defensive line isn’t going to be there to help.

According to 247Sports’ Chris Hummer, redshirt freshman defensive end Myron Warren has placed his name in the transfer portal.

Warren came to Austin as part of the Longhorns’ 2019 class and did not play last season. He ranked as the No. 289 overall player in the 247Sports Composite that cycle. The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Louisiana native was expected to be a part of the Longhorns’ two-deep this season as a redshirt freshman, potentially backing up Ta’Quon Graham.

Coming out of Many, Louisiana Warren was the 17th ranked strong side defensive end in the country and 15th overall in the state of Louisiana. He would need a push to get into the rotation behind Ta’Quon Graham. Likely battling senior Marquez Bimage and the highly touted Alfred Collins for snaps. The four-star defensive end will begin talking with other schools about a potential landing spot ahead of the 2020 college football season.

In the past Tom Herman has been able to talk players out of the transfer portal. Most recently Anthony Cook and Juwan Mitchell both put their name in the portal before withdrawing. It isn’t a foregone conclusion that Warren will leave the program but it just might be a way to find out if there is a better situational fit for him in the NCAA.

Texas Longhorns all set to kick off fall camp on Friday

With the 2020 college football season approaching, the Texas Longhorns are kicking off fall camp on Friday. Three groups to watch.

It has been a long time since we have seen the Longhorns on the football field in a practice setting. Ever since the team’s dismantling of Utah in the Valero Alamo Bowl, the countdown has been on. On Friday Texas makes their long awaited return to the practice fields on the Forty Acres.

With the start of fall camp in Austin, we can finally start to get a better understanding of what this team could potentially look like this season. Since spring football was cancelled many players trained at home during the pandemic in preparation of the upcoming season.

The defensive line unit is just one of the groups on the football team looking for answers. Joseph Ossai will be moving up from his linebacker spot to be more of a pass rusher in the new look Chris Ash defense as the ‘Jack’. Add in newcomer Alfred Collins to go along with Ta’Quon Graham, Keondre Coburn and Marquez Bimage. There should be plenty of excitement from the group.

On the other side of the ball there is the wide receiver group. Brennan Eagles spoke early on about not playing this season but the growing consensus thinks that he will play. Eagles moved in with quarterback Sam Ehlinger and that might be a reason why he decides to play. It seems like a lock that he would take over the ‘X’ receiver spot with Collin Johnson now in the NFL.

There there is Jordan Whittington but he is nursing an injury that likely will keep him out of practice. At least for now. Jake Smith has the opportunity to take a stranglehold on the slot role in this offense. Over the last several years, the slot receiver has been one of the most dangerous aspects of the offense. On the other side opposite of Eagles, we are eager to see how Tarik Black and Joshua Moore look. Who will get the leg up in the competition.

The running back spot is always a hot topic. Keaontay Ingram and Roschon Johnson return from the 2019 team. They will be joined by newcomer Bijan Robinson. While Ingram is nursing a hamstring injury, Johnson and Robinson have an opportunity to showcase their skills. This will be a time to shine for Bijan as he tries and get acclimated to the college game.

Texas’ summer enrollees get their jersey numbers

The Longhorns now have 13 new players going into fall camp. Here are the new jersey numbers for Texas’ summer enrollees.

Texas’ 2020 recruiting class finished ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 and No. 8 nationally. It continued another great year of in-state recruiting from Tom Herman and his staff.

Five-star prospects Bijan Robinson and Alfred Collins lead the way as the most exciting players to be joining Texas in August. Add graduate transfer Tarik Black and the Longhorns now have 13 new players going into fall camp.

Here are the new jersey numbers for Texas’ summer enrollees.

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10 potential candidates to become the next star for Texas football

With Sam Ehlinger graduating in May, Texas needs a new face of the program. Here are 10 potential candidates to become the next star for UT:

Right now, the star and face of Texas football is senior Sam Ehlinger. Ever since his freshman year for the Longhorns, the quarterback has led the team by example, both on and off the field.

With the Austin native graduating in May 2021, Tom Herman’s team is going to need a new star to be the face of the program. While being a leader is helpful, their production on the field needs to become the priority.

Texas has promising players on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. All big named recruits coming out of high school, their level of success will be determined by the coaching staff throughout the next couple of years. If expectations are met, the Longhorns will field a roster full of future NFL talent.

Here are 10 potential candidates to become the next star for Texas football:

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Two key additions boost Texas’ 2020 recruiting class into Top 10

After the recent additions of Alfred Collins and Kelvontay Dixon, Texas now has a Top 10 recruiting class in the nation.

Although National Signing Day didn’t go exactly as Texas would have hoped, it was enough to secure a Top 10 recruiting class in the nation. Considering the coaching staff shakeup this offseason, this has to be viewed as a quality incoming class that includes two five-star prospects.

The majority of Texas’ 2020 class signed their National Letter of Intent throughout the early signing period in December, which left them ranked as the No. 11 class in the nation.

However, the Longhorns were still keeping a close eye on the official announcements from defensive end Alfred Collins, defensive end Princely Umanmielen, cornerback Ennis Rakestraw, and athlete Kelvontay Dixon on Wednesday.

Texas was successfully able to sign two of their four highest-rated remaining targets, which ended the 2020 recruiting cycle as the No. 9 overall rated class in the nation according to 247Sports.

The biggest difference maker was the commitment from five-star defensive end Alfred Collins. After choosing Texas over Oklahoma and Alabama, Collins becomes the first five-star defensive line prospect to sign in the Big 12 since 2012.

Collins is the second-highest graded player for Texas, trailing only the nation’s No. 1 running back in Bijan Robinson.

Kelvontay Dixon, current running back Keontay Ingram’s brother, also chose to continue his playing career at the University of Texas. This shouldn’t be overlooked due to the Collins signing, as Dixon is listed as a speedy four-star athlete and the No. 37 overall prospect out of the state of Texas.

The additions of Collins and Dixon also allowed Texas to jump Oklahoma as the No. 1 recruiting class in the Big 12.

 

Texas Longhorns land five-star defensive end, No. 32 overall prospect

Five-star defensive end Alfred Collins has officially committed to the University of Texas.

Texas just significantly strengthened their defensive line.

It came down to the wire, but five-star defensive end Alfred Collins has officially confirmed his decision to sign a National Letter of Intent to continue his playing career as a student-athlete at the University of Texas.

The Longhorns were still in competition with Oklahoma and Alabama on Wednesday, where all three programs awaited official word from the No. 2 strong-side defensive end in the nation.

Undoubtedly Texas’ highest-rated target remaining in the 2020 recruiting class, Collins is the No. 32 overall rated player according to 247Sports. As a senior at Cedar Creek High School in 2019, Collins earned his second consecutive District 13-5A-II Defensive Lineman of the Year award.

The 6-5, 284-pound lineman is now the second-highest graded recruit in the Longhorns 2020 recruiting class, trailing only running back Bijan Robinson.

Collins becomes the first five-star defensive line prospect to sign in the Big 12 since Malcolm Brown in 2012. He’s a difference-making talent at a position where it’s hard to find them.

A Big National Signing Day Could Put Texas Back In Top 10

With a big National Signing Day coming up on February 5th, the Texas Longhorns could jump back into the Top 10 with the 2020 class.

Prior to the updated National Rankings from 247 Sports, the Texas Longhorns were rated as the number one recruiting class in the Big 12 and top 10 in the Nation. Currently the sit 11th nationally and second in the Big 12 conference behind rival Oklahoma.

The team just ahead of them in the rankings, Michigan, is just 0.11 points ahead of them based on the recruiting rankings provided by 247. Signing Alfred Collins, Princely Umanmielen and Ennis Rakestraw Jr would definitely get them into the top 10 and likely overtake the Sooners for best in the Big 12.

Collins would give the Longhorns their second five-star recruit to go along with Bijan Robinson and Princely would be the classes 12th four-star signing. Neither Michigan or Oklahoma have a single five-star recruit in their prospective classes.

Recruiting classes rankings don’t carry much weight into the season without coaches putting them into a position to win but it provides fans and teams bragging rights. Well at least until they take the field in the fall.

This year will likely be the lowest ranked class since Tom Herman stepped onto the Forty Acres but he hasn’t finished outside the top 10. Every class has been third in the nation until the 2020 class.

Two Texas football prospects to watch for on National Signing Day

Texas will be paying close attention to two highly-rated defensive ends on National Signing Day.

Texas could potentially bolster their defensive line on National Signing Day.

New defensive coordinator Chris Ash has been successful in getting two highly-rated defensive ends on campus in Austin recently. Five-star defensive end Alfred Collins and four-star defensive end Princely Umanmielen will be announcing their program of choice on February 5.

The Longhorns currently have the No. 11 recruiting class in the nation for 2020, which would seemingly rise if Texas were to land both of these prospects.

Collins recently earned a five-star rating by 247Sports. The 6-5, 284-pound lineman is undoubtedly Texas’ top remaining target. Currently the No. 32 overall prospect in the nation, the Bastrop Cedar Creek native would be the third-highest graded recruit for the Longhorns in the 2020 class, trailing only running back Bijan Robinson and quarterback Hudson Card.

The three remaining programs in the race to land Collins are Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama.

Umanmielen originally committed to Texas in August, but reopened his recruitment in October. The 6-4, 249-pound prospect is currently ranked as the No. 241 player nationally and the No. 38 overall prospect in Texas. Umanmielen has completed two visits in Austin over the past two weeks.

Auburn, Florida, Baylor, and Texas are the four finalists that remain in the hunt to land Umanmielen.

Four-star wide receiver Kelvontay Dixon and three-star cornerback Ennis Rakestraw are also considering Texas. Despite replacing both coordinators, the Longhorns have a quality list of solid players in this recruiting class.