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Cy-Fair standout running back LJ Johnson is now trending towards Texas in 247Sports’ Crystal Ball Predictions.
In a disheartening day for the college football community, Texas is receiving optimistic news from a recruiting standpoint. Continue reading “Four-star running back LJ Johnson now trending towards Texas”
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.
Early Morning Grind with The Kid aka Vernon Jr…
BROUGHTONSTRONG..
HOOK'EM.. pic.twitter.com/x9oB6pKxuY— Vernon Broughton Sr (@VernonBroughto3) May 1, 2020
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.
Sam Ehlinger to Brennan Eagles for the 73-yard TD — the longest TD pass of Ehlinger's career! 🔥
(đź“Ť @WellsFargo) pic.twitter.com/4ZDkxdJcir
— ESPN (@espn) September 22, 2019
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.
The Locked on Longhorns podcast features a discussion about the upcoming Big 12 scheduling plus is Bijan Robinson poised to breakout in 2020?
After weeks of speculation the Big 12 Conference finally announced they would be going with a 10-game model. It would feature nine conference games with just one nonconference matchup at the home stadium of the corresponding Big 12 school. Who will Texas play? How will the schedule likely play out? Plus we provide an update on the Texas-Oklahoma game and Big 12 Championship. Athletic director Chris Del Conte provided an update stating the LSU game will be made up in the future.
The Longhorns finished the 2020 recruiting cycle with yet another top 10 class according to 247Sports composite rankings. Their top prospect Bijan Robinson ranked among the top 15 recruits in the nation. He was recently highlighted as a potential breakout candidate for the Longhorns. One person who was monumental in his recruitment was running backs coach Stan Drayton. Can he turn Robinson into a household name? 247Sports also put together their top 20 underrated defenses in the league with Texas making the list.
Arizona transfer linebacker Tony Fields II is set to visit Texas as he narrows down his list. According to Anwar Richardson of Rivals, Fields is looking at Texas, West Virginia and Minnesota. The Longhorns are also making a strong push to secure a commitment from four-star running back L.J. Johnson who is trending towards Texas A&M at this point in the process. Plus we discuss Sam Ehlinger as he has caught the eye of the decision makers for the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
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Texas coaches, players have been pushing the hardest for four-star running back LJ Johnson.
Texas is pulling out all the stops to land four-star running back LJ Johnson. Continue reading “Texas continues to heavily target four-star running back from Cypress”
Recently 247Sports named Texas running back Bijan Robinson a freshman breakout candidate in 2020. We examine that claim.
There is quite a buzz surrounding the newest running back for the University of Texas. Bijan Robinson was the number one rated running back in the country according to 247Sports Composite rankings. Throughout the 2020 recruiting cycle it seemed back and forth with Zachary Evans (TCU) and Robinson as to who would be the number one back.
Our friends at 247Sports put together a list of freshmen who could be top 50 players by seasons end. Several players on the list have Big 12 ties such as Spencer Rattler (redshirt freshman, Oklahoma) and Evans. Robinson is also on the list.
Head coach Tom Herman is hyping Texas’ running back depth. And while the Longhorns do return a pair of highly-effective rushers in Keaontay Ingram (5.9 ypc, 853 yards) and Roschon Johnson (5.3 ypc, 649 yards), it’s worth noting Johnson is entering only his second year playing the position and Ingram has already suffered a hamstring injury ahead of fall camp. Robinson, meanwhile, is a potential bell cow.
A ridiculously effective high school ball carrier, Robinson finished his senior season with 2,235 yards and 35 touchdowns while averaging 17.7 yards per carry. Those are video game statistics. The 2020 five-star and No. 1 overall back in the 247Sports Composite arrives with a college-ready frame and big-play potential. Given that the Longhorns have struggled to produce explosive rushing plays under Herman’s direction, ranking 100th (2017), 120th (2018) and 91st (2019) in runs of 20-plus yards, Robinson figures to have an instant role within the offense. Don’t be shocked if he quickly maneuvers his way into the status of Texas’ top back.
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.
The Longhorns social media department released a video of running back Bijan Robinson during summer workouts.
The most anticipated newcomer to Texas football is without a doubt five-star running back Bijan Robinson. Continue reading “WATCH: Texas running back Bijan Robinson looks big, fast”
With the new offensive coordinator in Mike Yurcich now in control, what could the Texas Longhorns offense look like?
Prior to the Alamo Bowl game the Texas Longhorns and Tom Herman decided to go a different route on offense. Tim Beck was the offensive coordinator but he was reassigned and ultimately left to join the North Carolina State football team as their new offensive coordinator. The offense proceeded to score three points above their average for that game.
During the offseason the team decided to go with former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. He was coming off a one-year run at Ohio State as the passing game coordinator and quarterback coach for the Buckeyes. That explosive offense averaged close to 47 points per game. Yurcich is on record stating that their goal is 45 points per game. The Longhorns finished with 35.2 in 2019.
The @Big12Conference is known for their offenses–and the newest offensive coordinator for @TexasFootball is no stranger to the league.@CoachYurcich told @Sportsiren, @Plankshow & @GabeIkard what it'll take for the Longhorns to win this season #HookEm pic.twitter.com/ArDgkUIPvB
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) May 28, 2020
That is bold goal for Yurcich and the offense. During his time with Oklahoma State, he only hit that number once. In 2017, the Cowboys averaged 45 points per game. They finished third in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma and Texas Christian.
At Ohio State, Yurcich coached Justin Fields who accounted for 51 touchdowns and 3,757 yards of total offense. Now it is important to point out that no one is expecting Sam Ehlinger to be Justin Fields. However, in an apples to apples comparison Ehlinger accounted for 39 total touchdowns and 4,326 yards of total offense.
The running back room for the Texas Longhorns is loaded with talent. What is the outlook for Keaontay Ingram and can he hold off Bijan?
The Texas Longhorns have quite the level of talent among their running back room that looks different than it did a season ago. Even with composite five-star running back Jordan Whittington moving over to wide receiver, the level of talent is still with this group.
The incumbent starter Keaontay Ingram is looking to build off of his sophomore campaign. He was a big part of their 38-10 Alamo Bowl victory over the Utah Utes down in San Antonio. Behind him is the quarterback turned running back.
Roschon Johnson started out at quarterback but after an early season injury to Whittington, Johnson made the move to running back and finished second on the team. He will be looking to fulfill that role once again in 2020 as a compliment to the starter Ingram.
Then you have the newcomer Bijan Robinson, who was rated the number one running back in the nation. He was one of two signees that played running back. Jaden Hullaby of Mansfield being the other, however he is listed as an athlete. Robinson is expected to provide some juice to the offense in 2020 and beyond.
Locked on Longhorns podcast discusses the latest on the recruiting front and which players could be a big star for the Texas Longhorns.
In the most recent Locked on Longhorns podcast the topic of the day is recruiting. Texas recently offered two highly touted tight ends and a four star running back out of Houston. Could the staff land two out of the three? Plus an update on the Brockermeyer twins and are they actually looking to go elsewhere rather than carrying on the family legacy?
Recently Griffin McVeigh posted his top 10 players who could become the next big star on the Forty Acres. Who is the top picks to actually come out ahead of the others listed? Possible a surprise selection?
Which Longhorns newcomer could make the most immediate impact in 2020? Could it be graduate transfer Tarik Black? Could it be five-star running back Bijan Robinson? Plus the duo discuss players returning to campus, LaMarcus Aldridge update and Cat Osterman being named to the ESPN All-Softball team.
