Tag: Big 12 Football

SMU defensive coordinator Kevin Kane in mix for linebackers coach

The coaching search continues on for Texas, as the linebackers coach is still open. SMU’s DC Kevin Kane is a candidate for the position.

The coaching search continues on for the Longhorns, as they most recently hired wide receivers coach Andre Coleman and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai on Monday afternoon. Now, one of the few positions left to fill is the linebackers coach.

According to Taylor Gaspar Estes of 247sports, SMU’s defensive coordinator Kevin Kane is a candidate for the open position. 2019 was his second season with the Mustangs after being the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Northern Illinois.

Kane has experience coaching in the Big 12, as he was the linebackers coach for Kansas in 2015. Before that, he had his first stint at Northern Illinois where he started as the tight ends/fullbacks coach and got promoted all the way to their linebackers coach and specials team coordinator.

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Texas officially announces the hiring of two new assistant coaches

Texas announces two new coaching staff hires with wide receivers coach Andre Coleman and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai.

Texas has officially announced two new hires to their 2020 coaching staff. Wide receivers coach Andre Coleman and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai have joined head coach Tom Herman’s tree of assistant coaches.

Herman has rightfully reshaped his staff this offseason. While this may not be the last shakeup, it’s certainly significant. The Texas football program welcomed the new coaches on Twitter moments ago.

The Longhorns receivers were previously coached by Drew Mehringer and Corby Meekins. Mehringer was fired on Dec. 1, while Meekins was reassigned to an administrative staff position.

Coleman is a former Kansas State offensive coordinator who assisted Texas as an analyst during the 2019 season. Serving as the receivers coach for the Wildcats from 2013-2017, Coleman has an ample amount of experience. As an interm receivers coach during the Alamo Bowl, Coleman showcased his ability to connect with his players and impressed Herman with his offensive mind and attention to detail.

One of the more surprising replacements this offseason was new defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s decision to not retain defensive backs coach Jason Washington. Also serving as a recruiting coordinator, this left a major hole to fill for a young, talented group of cornerbacks.

It appears that Ash has landed his top choice. Former Rutgers coach Jay Valai has joined the Texas staff as a cornerbacks coach. Ash expects to assist with the safeties for the Longhorns in 2020. This two-man group for the back end of Texas’ defense has quite the history together.

Valai played under Ash at Wisconsin in 2010, where he was a captain and starting safety for the Badgers. After experience as a quality control coach for the Georgia Bulldogs and Kansas City Chiefs, Ash hired Valai as the cornerbacks coach at Rutgers for the 2019 season.

In a statement announcing Valai’s hiring, Herman feels confident and optimistic with staff addition.

“As a Texas native, he has a passion for our state, knows it well and will also be a tremendous recruiter for us. Chris Ash coached him as a player, hired him as a coach and thinks the world of him. I really enjoyed my time visiting with Jay and was really impressed by what he’ll bring to our program. We’re thrilled to add him to our staff.”

Texas is surrounded with high expectations and hopeful developments as they enter the 2020 season.

Texas fan’s rooting guide to the 2020 National Championship

After over five months of CFB, Clemson will face off against LSU in the National Championship. Who should Texas fans be rooting for tonight?

After roughly five months of Saturdays that were full of college football, the big game has finally arrived. Clemson will face off against Louisiana State in New Orleans for the 2020 National Championship. Both coming into the matchup with no losses, the excitement and expectations are being compared to the hype around the 2006 Rose Bowl between Texas and USC.

Defeating Oklahoma in the semi-final, LSU did Longhorn fans a favor by knocking the Sooners out of national championship contention early in the first quarter. Winning the game 63-28, the Tigers took care of business quickly and sat back and watched to see who their opponent would be.

In the other semi-final, Ohio State gave Clemson a run for their money early, having the chance to pull away from the Tigers like LSU did to Oklahoma. However, thanks to a couple of penalties before halftime, Clemson was able to storm back a win 29-23. Having the tougher path to this game, Clemson is battle-tested and ready for whatever LSU has to offer.

The Longhorns took on LSU earlier in the year, keeping them within a touchdown in early September. Besides Alabama and Auburn, nobody played them closer than Texas did. Both Sam Ehlinger and Joe Burrow had outstanding days, throwing for 401 and 471 yards respectively.

But who should Longhorn fans be cheering for in Monday’s game? Well, with LSU on the schedule for next season, having the opportunity to get a road victory against the defending national champions would be significant for Texas. The matchup against the Tigers will be important no matter what, but having a program like Texas versus the defending national champions is must-watch television.

If you mix that in with the fact that they took care of Oklahoma in the semi-final, Longhorn fans should be rooting for LSU in tonight’s national championship. Either way, it will be a fantastic game between two of the best teams in the history of college football.

You can catch the 2020 National Championship at 7:00 p.m. CST on ESPN.

Three former Longhorns still in quest for Lombardi Trophy

After the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, only three Longhorns remain in the quest to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

As the NFL playoffs have progressed, we’ve been keeping a close eye on former Texas players in their quest for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

The Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens currently employ the highest number of former Longhorns, but both teams unfortunately lost in the divisional round of playoffs.

There are now only three former Longhorns, each of which were drafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, that remain in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy. Two of these players have been placed on injured reserve throughout the 2019 season, but the impact they’ve made to their respective programs shouldn’t go unnoticed.

Kenny Vaccaro, S, Tennessee Titans

Vaccaro has played in every game of the 2019 regular season, finishing with 84 combined tackles and one interception. The safety for the Titans has also excelled in the playoffs thus far, including an exciting interception in the divisional round to help clinch the upset over the No. 1 seed Ravens.

Although the former first-round pick has qualified for the postseason twice in 2013 and 2017 with the New Orleans Saints, Vaccaro landed on injured reserve late in the regular season both times. Vaccaro was selected No. 15 overall by the Saints in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Alex Okafor, OLB, Kansas City Chiefs

Okafor played in ten games throughout the 2019 season before a torn pectoral muscle landed him on injured reserve in Week 15. The former Longhorn spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints before signing with the Chiefs in March. Okafor looked impressive in the minimal games played, finishing with 22 combined tackles and five sacks.

The former Longhorns most impressive appearance with Kansas City came in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, where he sacked Joe Flacco twice in the 30-6 win. Okafor was a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Marquise Goodwin, WR, San Francisco 49’ers

Goodwin appeared in nine games with the 49’ers this season. The speedy receiver finished his seventh season in the league with 12 receptions for 186 yards and one touchdown before being placed on injured reserve in December for chronic knee and foot injuries.

Although this will likely be Goodwin’s last season with San Francisco, he still showed positive flashes for the franchise in previous seasons. Goodwin played in all 16 contests in 2017, catching 56 passes for 962 yards. The Buffalo Bills selected Goodwin in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Vaccaro will be the only former Texas player competing on the field next weekend with the AFC Championship on the line. Which of these three teams have the best shot of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy?

2020 Texas Longhorns: Sam Ehlinger Profile

Sam Ehlinger decided to come back to the Texas Longhorns for his final year, what can we expect from the leader of the team?

The quarterback at Texas has a long lineage from Bobby Layne to Major Applewhite to Vince Young to Colt McCoy and many in between. Now starter Sam Ehlinger has an opportunity to be added to the list of great quarterbacks to have played for the prestigious university. After submitting paperwork to the NFL Advisory Board, Ehlinger decided to come back for his senior year.

Once taking over the full-time job from Shane Buechele during the 2017 season, Sam Ehlinger has been able to win both with his arm and his legs. Coming out of Austin Westlake, Ehlinger was a four star recruit and the fourth-ranked dual threat quarterback in the nation according to  247 rankings.

Coming out of high school, the hometown production was viewed as a very accurate quarterback especially in the short to intermediate range. Something that he continued to do very well for the Longhorns through his first three seasons on the Forty Acres. During his game against the Utes, Ehlinger was as efficient as he has been all year and throughout his time in Austin.

Ehlinger threw for 11.2 yards per attempt on 18 attempts with three touchdowns. When factoring in his running attempts, Ehlinger accounted for four touchdowns and 284 yards of offense. He has shown the ability to take over games with his ability to move around the pocket to extend plays and put pressure on defenses with his legs.

Already in his career, Ehlinger had a season where he surpassed VinceYoung for the second-most yards of offense in a single season. His 4,326 yards in 2019 passed Young’s 4,086 for second and just 94 yards away from Colt McCoy’s record that was set in 2008. Ehlinger’s mark was also done in one less game than McCoy or Young.

Records that Ehlinger is chasing in 2020:

  • Single-season Total Offense (4,420)
  • Career Total Offense Yards (14,824), Ehlingher has 10,400
  • Single-season Touchdowns (34)
  • Career Touchdowns (112), Ehlinger has 68
  • Single-season Passing Yards (3,859)
  • Career Passing Yards (13,253), Ehlinger has 8,870

Some of these marks might seem highly unlikely such as the career passing yards unless Ehlinger throws for more than 4,000 yards in 2020. Not only would it give Sam the record but it would also mark the first time a Texas quarterback passes for 4,000 in school history.

Sam Ehlinger is looking to put himself up in the stratosphere of Young and McCoy but to do it he will need to lead the Longhorns to somewhere they haven’t been in a decade, the National Championship.

Texas get first conference win, beat Kansas State

Starting Big 12 play 0-2, tonight was a must-win game for the Longhorns. Running into Kansas State, they picked up a much-needed win,

Starting Big 12 play 0-2 with losses to Baylor and Oklahoma, tonight was a must-win game for head coach Shaka Smart and the Longhorns. Running into another struggling team in Kansas State, Texas picked up a much-needed win against the Wildcats, 64-50.

Matt Coleman led Texas in scoring, having 14 points. He added two rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Longhorns shot 49% from the field and 43.5% for behind the three-point line.

The three-point shooting was the difference in the game, as Texas made double the amount the Wildcats have. Making 10 threes, three of them came from Courtney Ramey, while Coleman, Jase Febres, and Kamaka Hepa added two each.

Texas’ defense was outstanding tonight as well, holding Kansas State to 50 points. That is the fewest amount they have scored all year, as they came into tonight averaging 65 points per game. Cartier Diarra was the only Wildcat player in double figures, scoring 14 points on 6-16 shooting.

If the Longhorns did not pick up a victory tonight, it would have been a rough rest of the month attempting to pick up their next conference game. Three of the next four Big 12 games will be on the road for Texas, traveling to Oklahoma State, West Virginia, and TCU. They will play host to Kansas and LSU in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

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Longhorns in Saturday’s NFL Divisional Round Games

After last weekend’s fantastic games, the NFL playoffs move towards the Divisional round on Saturday. Here are the Longhorns in those games.

After a Wild Card weekend full of upsets and fantastic games, the NFL playoffs move towards the Divisional on Saturday and Sunday. With two games on the card on Saturday, the top seed San Francisco 49ers will be hosting the Minnesota Vikings in the opening game.

The Longhorns have people on both teams, firstly with San Francisco.  Firstly, even though he is on injured reserve, Marquise Goodwin is on the 49ers roster for the game on Saturday. He last played in Week 13 against the Ravens. Goodwin hauled in 12 catches for 186 yards and a touchdown in 2019. Also, the head coach of the 49ers is Texas graduate Kyle Shanahan.

On the flip side, two former defensive players are going to be playing for the Vikings. Holton Hill and Kris Boyd are former DBU players for the Longhorns and have already helped Minnesota get a playoff victory against the Saints last week. Hill has recorded 12 tackles this season while also recovering a fumble, while Boyd has 11 tackles and a fumble recovery of his own.

For the nightcap, the Tennessee Titans will be traveling to Baltimore to face off against the Ravens. Kenny Vaccaro is the only former Texas player on the Tennessee roster, as he helped the Titans secure an upset victory in Foxborough against the New England Patriots. Vacarro has 79 total tackles this season, while also recording an interception and a sack.

Baltimore is the home for two Longhorn legends, as legendary kicker Justin Tucker and outstanding defensive back Earl Thomas come in as the top seed in the AFC. Coming off a bye, the Ravens will need both players to step up to get into the AFC Championship game. Tucker has only missed three kicks this year, going 57/59 on PATs and 28/29 on field goals. In his first season with Baltimore, Thomas has 49 total tackles with two sacks and two interceptions.

You can catch the 49ers play the Vikings at 3:30 p.m. CST on NBC, while Baltimore will host Tennessee at 7:00 p.m. CST on CBS. No matter what happens, the Longhorns will have representatives in the AFC and NFC Championship game.

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Three potential landing spots in the 2020 NFL Draft for Brandon Jones

Jones’ speed and athletic ability will give a few teams reason to give him a shot. Here are three landing spots for him in the NFL Draft.

Brandon Jones is the only defensive player expected to be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft for the Longhorns, as wide receivers Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay are expected to be drafted from the offensive side of the ball. Playing as a safety throughout his three years at Texas, Jones can help a few teams out right away.

Even a couple of playoff teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and San Fransico 49ers could use Jones’ services to make their playoff pushes even better. He could also be another piece in a rebuild that is close to contending like the Cleveland Browns.

Projected to go late in the second round or early in the third round, Jones will possibly be the highest-drafted Longhorn this year. His speed and athletic ability will give a few teams reason to give him a shot to become a key contributor to their teams.

Here are three landing spots for Brandon Jones in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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Prince Dorbah Leads List for Dallas Morning News’ All-Area First Team

The Dallas Morning News released their All-Area Team. The Texas Longhorns have a combination of seven signees and recruits on the list.

The Texas Longhorns 2020 recruiting class has yet to be finished but there are a several names on the Dallas Morning News’ All-Area team that should be familiar to the Longhorns faithful.Stats below are courtesy of the Dallas Morning News.

Defensive Line;

Prince Dorbah, Highland Park

Dorbah finished his high school career with 40 sacks, 34 tackles for loss (TFL) and 219 total tackles. He participated in the US Army All-American Game in San Antonio, Texas.

Ja’Tavion Sanders (2021 commit), Denton Ryan

Sanders is a hard commit for the 2021 recruiting class. The junior finished the year with 11 sacks, 19 TFLs and 24 quarterback hits. He is also a receiver and tight end for Denton Ryan.

Linebackers:

Jaylan Ford, Frisco Lone Star

Texas was able to flip Ford from Utah to Texas prior to their Alamo Bowl victory. He finished with 142 total tackles, 11 TFL and one interception. Ford joins the Longhorns in the fall.

Utility Player:

Billy Bowman Jr (2021 Commit), Denton Ryan

Bowman joins teammate Ja’Tavion Sanders as a 2021 commit. Bowman is a three-way star as he can play defensive back, receiver and returner. He finished with 14 touchdown receptions, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and four punt return touchdowns.

Quarterback:

Ja’Quinden Jackson, Duncanville

Jackson didn’t get to finish the season with a torn ACL injury that occured in the state semifinals. The dual-threat quarterback has drawn comparisons to Vince Young. He will eventually battle Hudson Card for the right to be Sam Ehlinger’s heir.

Offensive Line:

Andrej Karic, Southlake Carroll

The 6’5″ offensive tackle was a core member of the Dragons offensive line. The All-American didn’t allow a single sack this season according Dallas Morning News.

Jake Majors, Prosper

Majors is the second All-American offensive lineman on this list to sign with the Longhorns. Majors is expected to play center for the Longhorns who will lose senior Zach Shackelford.

 

Potential New Wide Receivers Coach Search Hits A Snag

The Texas Longhorns can cross Emmett Jones off their wish list as he receives a promotion with the Kansas Jayhawks.

The Texas Longhorns head coach Tom Herman and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich are still in search of the next wide receivers assistant coach. One sought after coach who could have filled the role was Kansas Jayhawks assistant Emmett Jones. Jones who is a Texas native was a name that began circulating earlier this week.

Jones coached in the Dallas area as a high school football coach with Seagoville, Dallas Lincoln, Dallas Skyline and South Oak Cliff high schools from 2001-2014 before getting his first college gig with Texas Tech. He joined the Kansas staff following the firing of Kliff Kingsbury at Tech. There were multiple schools looking at Jones who was thought of as a good recruiter of talent especially in the Dallas area where he coached high school football.

The promotion to Passing Game Coordinator pretty much ends any speculation of Jones joining Herman’s staff as the search for wide receivers coach will continue. Jones was a bit of a wild card as the Longhorns have hired coaches who had worked with current staff members in the past.