Tag: Big 12 Football

Four landing spots in the 2020 NFL Draft for Devin Duvernay

Because of Duvernay’s stellar season, he has shot up on many NFL Draft boards. Here are four potential landing spots for Devin Duvernay:

After having an explosive senior year for Texas, Devin Duvernay was one of the best wide receivers in the entire country this season. Finishing with 106 catches for 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns, Duvernay was the guy quarterback Sam Ehlinger looked to in critical situations. Because of his stellar season, he has shot up on many NFL Draft boards, projecting him anywhere on the second or third day of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Many teams are in need of wide receivers this season and luckily, it is a loaded class. Some of the most historic teams like the Cowboys, Packers, and Patriots could all be drafting the position towards the end of the draft. Another organization that needs weapons for their franchise quarterback are the Eagles.

Wherever Duvernay ends up, he has a good chance of being a solid receiver. His size and speed, mixed with his excellent hands give him the ability to play multiple positions. Wherever NFL teams need him to play, Duvernay is going to be able to do it.

Here are four potential landing spots for Devin Duvernay:

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Texas RB coach Stan Drayton schedules visit with Dallas Cowboys

Texas associate head coach and run game coordinator Stan Drayton may not be a lock to return to the Longhorns in 2020.

As we reported in detail yesterday, there have been rumblings that Texas associate head coach and run game coordinator Stan Drayton, one whom head coach Tom Herman expected to retain in 2020, is drawing interest from the National Football League.

According to ESPN insider Todd Archer, Drayton is the primary target for the Dallas Cowboys new head coach Mike McCarthy.

Stayton has familiarity within the Cowboys organization, primarily with star running back Ezekiel Elliott. Under Drayton’s guidance at Ohio State, Elliott finished third in the nation with 1,878 rushing yards as a sophomore. Drayton played a large role in the Buckeyes 2014 National Championship.

With five-star running back Bijan Robinson committed to Texas’ 2020 class, it’s crucial for Herman to put his best foot forward in an attempt to retain Drayton.

Ongoing list of 2020 Texas Football commits

Head coach Tom Herman and Co. are still awaiting official word on a few top targets for the 2020 class.

Although the early signing period in December has become the most anticipated announcement day for high school football athletes, several highly ranked recruits will not reveal their decision until National Signing Day on the first Wednesday of February.

While the Texas Longhorns football program already has one of the top 2020 recruiting classes in the nation, head coach Tom Herman and Co. are still awaiting official word on a few top targets.

As the final athletes announce their decisions over the next month, we’ve created an ongoing list of the Longhorns commitments from this impressive class thus far.

Bijan Robinson

  • Five-star running back
  • Salpointe Catholic High School (Tucson, AZ)
  • 6-0, 200 pounds

Hudson Card

  • Four-star dual-threat quarterback
  • Lake Travis High School (Austin, TX)
  • 6-2, 179 pounds

Ja’Quinden Jackson

  • Four-star athlete
  • Duncanville High School (Duncanville, TX)
  • 6-2, 219 pounds

Vernon Broughton

  • Four-star defensive tackle
  • Cy Ridge High School (Houston, TX)
  • 6-5, 286 pounds

Prince Dorbah

  • Four-star outside linebacker
  • Highland Park High School (Dallas, TX)
  • 6-2, 208 pounds

Xavion Alford

  • Four-star safety
  • Shadow Creek High School (Pearland, TX)
  • 6-0, 182 pounds

Kitan Crawford

  • Four-star cornerback
  • John Tyler High School (Tyler, TX)
  • 5-11, 200 pounds

Jerrin Thompson

  • Four-star safety
  • Lufkin High School (Lufkin, TX)
  • 6-0, 183 pounds

Jake Majors

  • Four-star offensive lineman
  • Prosper High School (Prosper, TX)
  • 6-3, 283 pounds

Jaylen Garth

  • Four-star offensive tackle
  • Port Neches-Groves High School (Port Neches, TX)
  • 6-5, 285 pounds

Troy Omeire

  • Four-star wide receiver
  • Fort Bend Austin High School (Sugar Land, TX)
  • 6-3, 206 pounds

Logan Parr

  • Four-star offensive lineman
  • O’Connor High School (Helotes, TX)
  • 6-3, 280 pounds

Andrej Karic

  • Four-star offensive lineman
  • Southlake Carroll High School (Southlake, TX)
  • 6-4, 272 pounds

Jaden Hullaby

  • Three-star athlete
  • Mansfield Timberview High School (Arlington, TX)
  • 6-2, 205 pounds

Dajon Harrison

  • Three-star wide receiver
  • Hutto High School (Hutto, TX)
  • 5-10, 170 pounds

Sawyer Goram-Welch

  • Three-star defensive tackle
  • Longview High School (Longview, TX)
  • 6-4, 278 pounds

Jaylan Ford

  • Three-star outside linebacker
  • Lone Star High School (Frisco, TX)
  • 6-2, 205 pounds

This list will continuously be updated as commitments are made.

Report: Texas Longhorns Safeties Coach Craig Naivar On The Move

Texas Longhorns defensive coach Craig Naivar is on the mood. He could be joining Todd Orlando in Lubbock.

Shortly following the news that new defensive coordinator Chris Ash would be relieving safeties coach and interim defensive coordinator Craig Naivar of his duties at Texas, he has a new job. Shortly following the announcement of Todd Orlando joining Texas Tech, Naivar could follow suit.

According to reports, Texas Tech won’t be retaining their safety and cornerbacks coaches. With Orlando on staff, Naivar joining seems like a lock. At this point, nothing concrete has been reported. This is just another move as the Texas Longhorns continue to shake up their staff.

Naivar joined the Longhorns staff in 2017 along with Herman. He coached under Herman at Houston from 2015-2016. Naivar has been in coaching since 1994 when he started as a special teams coordinator at Hardin-Simmons.

The best bet would be that Naivar eventually ends up coaching for Tech, giving them two former Texas Longhorns defensive coaches on their staff in 2020.

 

Report: Texas RB Coach Stan Drayton could be headed to NFL

Early reports indicate that Texas RB coach Stan Drayton is drawing interest from NFL teams.

Buckle your seat belts, the coaching staff at the University of Texas continues to be shaken up this offseason.

Within the past month, the Longhorns football program has parted ways with their offensive and defensive coordinators, special teams coordinator/tight ends coach, wide receiver coach, and safeties coach.

Associate head coach and running game coordinator Stan Drayton could be one of the most important position coaches for head coach Tom Herman to retain on his staff. According to Austin American-Statesman reporter Brian Davis, this may prove to be harder for Herman than originally expected.

This could just simply be professional teams gauging Stanton’s interest, but the rumblings come just hours after NFL Network Reporter Jane Slater reported that Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy had recently offered a job to an unnamed running backs coach that has yet to accept the position.

What may add fuel to these rumors is the history Stanton has with Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. Under Drayton’s guidance at Ohio State, Elliott finished third in the nation with 1,878 rushing yards as a sophomore in 2014. After playing a large role in the Buckeyes 2014 National Championship, Drayton accepted a job as the Chicago Bears running backs coach.

Since arriving at Texas, Drayton has worked wonders with running back Keontay Ingram. The most impressive impact Drayton has had at Texas may be what he’s been able to accomplish with true freshman Jordan Whittington transitioning from wide receiver to running backs before a sports hernia surgery sidelined him for the majority of the season.

With an injury-ridden running backs group, Drayton then transitioned the Longhorns No. 3 quarterback Roschon Johnson into a natural running back just one week prior to the 2019 season. Johnson finished the year with 758 all-purpose yards.

These reports seem too coincidental to just simply be rumors. With five-star running back Bijan Robinson committed to Texas’ 2020 class, the hope is that Drayton remains with the Longhorns.

Report: Former Longhorns Defensive Coordinator To Join Texas Tech

Former Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Todd Orlando is set to join his old boss Matt Wells in Lubbock according to Pete Thamel.

Following the Texas Longhorns victory over Big 12 rival Texas Tech, head coach Tom Herman relieved defensive coordinator of his duties prior to their bowl game against the Utah Utes. Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports is that Todd Orlando will stay in the state and take a job with the Red Raiders.

Orlando was on staff with Matt Wells at Utah State from 2013-2014 before leaving to take a job with Tom Herman at Houston and then Texas. It is likely that he will be the linebackers coach with Wells once again. Orlando served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach under Wells for the Aggies.

 

Texas DB Donovan Duvernay Enters the Transfer Portal

Texas will be losing two players with the name Duvernay this offseason, as Devin’s twin brother Donovan has entered the transfer portal.

Texas will be losing two players with the last name Duvernay this offseason, as Devin’s twin brother Donovan has entered the transfer portal. According to the Longhorn football website, he played in four games this season, recording two tackles against Rice.

Listed as a redshirt junior, Donovan Duvernay played in six career games. He had two other tackles that came in 2018, one in the loss to West Virginia and the other in the win against Texas Tech.

Nobody knows where Donovan is off to yet, but Devin will hopefully be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. The two are twin brothers who both committed in the 2016 recruiting class.

Devin came in as a four-star wide receiver, while Donovan was listed as a three-star athlete. Four years later, both players will be leaving the program via the draft and transfer portal respectively.

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Inside The Numbers: How Mike Yurcich’s Offense Could Look in 2020

With new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, Longhorns dove into the numbers to see how his offense could look in 2020.

New Texas Longhorns offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is no stranger to the Big 12. He spent 2013-2018 in Stillwater with the same title for Oklahoma State. After one season as the passing coordinator for Ohio State, Yurcich is back in the conference as the playcaller for the Longhorns. With Sam Ehlinger returning for his senior year, there could be big things on the horizon in Austin.

During his time as offensive coordinator for the Cowboys, his average number per season were slightly above where the Longhorns were a season ago. In the passing game, Yurcich finished his Cowboys coaching tenure with four straight seasons of passing for north of 300 yards per game with an average of 2.5 touchdown passes per game.

Team Year PPG Ranking Total Passing TDs
Oklahoma State 2013 39.1 14th 448.8 277.2 2
Oklahoma State 2014 27.6 76th 378.8 242.2 1.5
Oklahoma State 2015 39.5 14th 479.6 353.2 2.7
Oklahoma State 2016 38.6 17th 494.9 323.9 2.2
Oklahoma State 2017 45.0 4th 571.3 389.2 2.8
Oklahoma State 2018 38.4 13th 499.4 308.7 2.5
Texas 2019 35.2 17th 466.5 289.3 2.5

In 2017, Yurcich’s offense was top five in total offense. With current Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Mason Rudoph under center, offensively they were difficult to deal with. Rudoph finished with 37 passing touchdowns and a passer rating of 170.6.

For Ehlinger, a similar rise could be coming. Those numbers came in Rudoph’s final year as he continued to progress as a college quarterback. Ehlinger is also coming into his final year at Texas after improving as a passer in the previous two seasons. Sam Ehlinger could be putting together a Heisman level season, with a similar rise. His 2019 season put him ahead of Texas Longhorns legendary quarterback Vince Young, trajectory leads you to believe a big season is coming.

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Texas WR Devin Duvernay atop national rankings in 2019

Shockingly snubbed from any major postseason awards, Texas wide receiver Devin Duvernay still lands atop national rankings in 2019.

Texas wide receiver Devin Duvernay may have been the most underrated player in the nation in 2019. Shockingly snubbed from any major postseason awards, Duvernay still found himself at the top of college football statistical rankings.

The former Sachse High School All-America, two-time all-state athlete has not missed a single game in his collegiate career. Duvernay made appearances in all 12 games as a true freshman, primarily on special teams. By the time he was a junior, he started all 14 games at wide receiver.

However, Duvernay’s senior year at Texas was one for the record books. The speedy slot receiver finished the regular season leading the nation in total receptions. Earning All-Big 12 honors and Honorable Mention as Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Duvernay caught 103 passes for 1,249 yards and eight touchdowns.

Leading the nation in both receptions and receptions per game, Duvernay also placed fourth in receiving yards. This topped the Big 12 in nearly every major category for receivers, including total catches, catches per game, receiving yards, and receiving yards per game.

The only receiver in Texas history to have more catches or reception yards in a single season was Jordan Shipley in 2009. Earlier this year, Bleacher Report’s Ian Wharton listed Duverany as one of the top ten fastest players in college football.

Duvernay has been invited to the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine this year, where impressive performances could significantly improve his 2020 NFL Draft stock. Currently, the Longhorn is projected to land in the third or fourth round.

How this outstanding 2019 season wasn’t enough to land Duvernay as a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award is mind-boggling. This prestigious honor is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding receiver.

Could Matt Rhule’s departure sway four-star recruit to Texas?

Baylor head coach Matt Rhule is now heading to the National Football League, what does this mean for Texas?

It’s no secret what head coach Matt Rhule has done to the Baylor football program in just a few years.

In 2016, the Bears found themselves in the middle of national news fueled by scandal’s and turmoil. Rhule, who previously coached at Temple University, inherited a roster that finished the season with just one win in 2017.

Baylor steadily improved, recording six wins in 2018. If there’s any indication of the importance of a coach’s impact on players, Rhule is the prime example. With many of the same players on his roster, Rhule excelled the Bears to an impressive 11-3 record in 2019.

However, the beloved coach in Waco is now headed to the National Football League to become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. What could this mean for Texas?

At first glance, it’s obviously a sigh of relief as Rhule had the Baylor program trending in the right direction in large part due to his coaching style. The Longhorns lost to Baylor 24-10 this season.

More importantly, a 2020 four-star recruit has been eyeing whether to commit to either Baylor, Oklahoma, or Texas. According to the 247Sports Composite, defensive end Alfred Collins is currently ranked the No. 10 overall player in Texas.

His 6-foot-5, 275 pound frame would be a great snag for the Longhorns already impressive top ten recruiting class in the nation. Collins is powerful enough to rush from anywhere on the defensive front, with a relentless motor and long arms.

Top collegiate players tend to transfer or de-commit whenever major coaching staff changes take place. In Texas’ sense, whichever players are currently pondering a decision between Baylor and Texas, the Longhorns now have the edge in that department.

Horns247 Texas Crystal Ball predictions currently have Collins continuing his playing career at the University of Texas.