Tag: Chris Ash

Texas Football Recruiting: Offers 2022 four-star linebacker, USC commit

The Texas Longhorns made their first offer since recruiting opened on Sept. 1 to USC commit, Niuafe Tuihalamaka. No. 1 LB in the class.

The Longhorns have set their sights on the 2022 recruiting class. As of Sept. 1, Texas and other universities are allowed to open communication with recruits. The action started with an offer to Southern California recruit Niuafe Tuihalamaka. According to Rivals, he is the No. 1 linebacker in the country.

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 4 79 9 5
Rivals 4 64 9 1
ESPN 4 77 7 2
247 Composite 4 63 8 3

Vitals

Hometown Mission Hills, CA
Projected Position Inside Linebacker
Height 6-1.5
Weight 238

Recruitment

  • Offered on Sept. 1, 2020
  • no visit scheduled at this time

Offers

  • USC (Committed)
  • Florida
  • LSU
  • Nebraska
  • Oregon
  • Penn State
  • Tennessee
  • Texas

Film

Niuafe Tuihalamaka’s HUDL

Twitter

USA TODAY Sports projects the Longhorns to finish second

Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports laid out his predictions for the Big 12. Just where does he see the Texas Longhorns finishing?

USA TODAY Sports college football writer Paul Myerberg laid out his predictions for the Big 12 this season.

As one would expect, Myerberg has the Oklahoma Sooners leading the way in the conference. No shock as no one has been able to knock off Oklahoma for five consecutive seasons. In that time, the Sooners have lost one game or less in the conference every year.

What Paul Myerberg says about the Longhorns

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Talk to coaches and those in the know around the Big 12 about the Longhorns’ chances under Tom Herman and you’ll get arguments on both ends of the spectrum, with some arguing that Texas is ready to compete for a College Football Playoff berth and others certain the Herman era will eventually sputter toward a disappointing conclusion. In 2020, it’s easier to make a case for the former than the latter. The Longhorns have a senior quarterback in Sam Ehlinger and are on paper more experienced than at any point during Herman’s tenure.- Paul Myerberg in his Big 12 projections

Projected final win-loss record

Conference record in parentheses 

  1. Oklahoma Sooners 8-2 (7-2)
  2. Texas Longhorns 7-3 (6-3)
  3. Oklahoma State Cowboys 7-3 (6-3)
  4. Texas Christian Horned Frogs 6-4 (5-4)
  5. Iowa State Cyclones 6-4 (5-4)
  6. Kansas State Wildcats 6-4 (5-4)
  7. West Virginia Mountaineers 5-5 (4-5)
  8. Texas Tech Red Raiders 4-6 (3-6)
  9. Baylor Bears 4-6 (3-6)
  10. Kansas Jayhawks 2-8 (1-8)

Next Longhorns Wire weighs in

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Texas Football: ESPN Analyst calls Longhorns his ‘sleeper team’ of 2020

ESPN College Football Analyst Trevor Matich calls the Texas Longhorns his sleeper team in 2020. Are they worth the hype?

With the season approaching for the major conferences in college football, media outlets will be putting out their picks to win the conference, qualify for the playoffs and of course the upset picks. ESPN Analyst Trevor Matich recently gave his sleeper pick for the 2020 college football season, the Texas Longhorns.

247Sports wrote about the Longhorns as a sleeper in which they talked about Matich’s comments.

ESPN college football analyst Trevor Matich, who appeared during a game-break at halftime of Saturday night’s Austin Peay-Central Arkansas season opener, revealed Texas as his sleeper team in 2020 for one primary reason — Longhorns’ starting quarterback Sam Ehlinger.

There’s no player in college football I have more confidence in as a leader or as a guy who can carry a team on his back than Sam Ehlinger,” Matich said during ESPN’s halftime break on Saturday night. “He’s back for his senior season and I expect big things.”

Related: ESPN predicts Longhorns schedule game-by-game

Brad Crawford went on to say the Longhorns have their most talented team under Tom Herman in Austin. Given that his confidence derives from the quarterback, shows you the impact that Ehlinger has had on this team. The senior quarterback is without a doubt the leader in the locker room.

Under new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, Ehlinger is expecting to carry the load for this team. Brennan Eagles, Jake Smith and Jordan Whittington are all expected to play larger roles in the offense. Losing Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay puts more pressure on Sam to succeed this coming season. However, he has plenty of help in the backfield with a trio of runners that will get their opportunity.

On the other side of the ball, the defense is expected to be much improved. Chris Ash is an “elite coach” according to former head coach Urban Meyer and he will have ample opportunities to prove it. Deploying a new pass rush that includes Joseph Ossai should generate more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

On the backside D’Shawn Jamison and Caden Sterns are the guys expected to take the ball away in 2020. Chris Adimora is your likley starter at nickel and big things are expected of him. As a whole, the secondary has plenty of depth including B.J. Foster who could play multiple spots in the defense. All in all the Longhorns look to be a much better team than some think in 2020.

Texas Football Recruiting: Longhorns offer 2022 four-star athlete

The Texas Longhorns have offered 2022 four-star athlete Jarred Kerr out of Lexington, Texas. Kerr is projected to play defensive back.

The Texas Longhorns most recent offer is for 2022 four-star athlete out of Lexington, Texas. Jarred Kerr is picking up the steam in his recruiting with offers coming in from both Texas and Oklahoma. Early on in the process the Baylor Bears seemed to have the upper hand. Things should change with both sides of the Red River Rivalry getting involved. Kerr is an athlete but his profile shows offense. He is being recruited by defensive coordinator Chris Ash which may lead you to believe that defensive back is in his future.

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 3 – 66 33
Rivals 3 – 50 29
ESPN 4 292 40 21
247 Composite 3 351 46 24

Vitals

Hometown Lexington, TX
Projected Position Defensive Back
Height 6-0
Weight 175

Recruitment

  • Offered on August 29, 2020
  • no visit scheduled due to NCAA dead period

Offers

  • Baylor
  • Arkansas
  • Missouri
  • Kansas
  • Texas
  • Oklahoma

Crystal Ball

Kerr’s crystal ball currently sits at 100 percent Baylor with one prediction with low confidence.

Twitter

Texas Football: SI ranks Longhorns inside their top 15

Sports Illustrated released their still standing 16, the top 16 in college football. Where do the Texas Longhorns rank and who is ahead?

Get your preseason rankings here. Amway Coaches Poll and the AP Poll both listed the Texas Longhorns inside the top 15. By removing the teams not actually playing this fall, the Longhorns wind up inside the top 10 for both.

Related: USA TODAY Sports ranks the Longhorns in the top ten

Seems like it has been a lot of the Longhorns receiving preseason love only to falter throughout the season. Last year saw the Longhorns dip to 7-5 and dropped out of the rankings prior to the Valero Alamo Bowl. So does that make the 2018 season an aberration or a sign of things to come?

The Longhorns jumped all the way up 15th in the last College Football Playoff poll after defeating a top five team in the Georgia Bulldogs. Then of course there was last season. The Longhorns fell early on to the eventual National Champions Louisiana State and then lost three out of five starting with Oklahoma. That pretty. much derailed any hopes of a return to the Big 12 title game.

It could be a different story this year and we shall soon find out just what the Longhorns have in store for the fanbase. Two weeks from Saturday the team is kicking off against UTEP at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. In yet another preseason poll, Sports Illustrated released their “still standing 16.” The top 16 teams in college football.

SI put the Texas Longhorns at No. 11 behind both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Not a terrible spot but many feel that they are better than Oklahoma State and well they did defeat the Cowboys at DKR in 2019. This year there are questions about the team, especially at wide receiver.

Related: Texas adds graduate transfer wide out from Arizona

Related: Watch new WR Brenden Schooler

Ross Dellenger and Pat Forde highlight the fact that the offense struggled with injuries to the running back position that cause Roschon Johnson to move from quarterback. However, this season they have a few guys that could step up if needed. Keaontay Ingram returns as the incumbent starter, Johnson and standout freshman runner Bijan Robinson. Not to mention they just added another back in Gabriel Watson.

Defensively there are questions on defense especially with injuries to the secondary from last year. This year it seems as though that secondary has a lot more talent. As they point out, it will be a different defense with Todd Orlando being replaced by Chris Ash.

Player to watch:

It all comes down to fourth-year starter Ehlinger. With 3,663 yards, a 65.2% completion rate and 32 touchdown passes last year, he showed off a rocket right arm and more toughness than most at his position. Despite playing through a rib injury in 2019, he ran for 663 yards and seven touchdowns. – Dellenger and Forde

Texas Football: Where the safeties sit as season approaches

If there is one word to describe the safety position for Texas this season, it would be loaded. Caden Sterns and Chris Brown lead the way.

If there is one word to describe the safety position for Texas this season, it would be loaded. Based on high school rankings alone, the Longhorns have four blue-chip players in 247Sports’ latest two-deep depth chart.

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Here is how the safeties line up going into the season opener against UTEP on Sept. 12.

Free safety Strong Safety
Caden Sterns Chris Brown
Montrell Estell/Tyler Owens B.J. Foster

Sterns and Brown have run first-team all camp. It seems at this point that they’re a lock. Sterns, when healthy, is an All-American-type player. He showed that as a freshman. Brown, in addition to being one of the most physical players on the team, is also one of the best leaders on defense.

Pretty incredible that we’re talking about Foster as a backup. Talk about quality depth. Estell has had a better camp than Owens, who is still thinking too much, according to sources.

“The game has slowed down for Estell,” one team source. “The game needs to slow down for Owens.”

Safety Jerrin Thompson was the first freshman to have his rookie stripe taken off. I’m told the kid has just done everything right in terms of work ethic and attitude.

There is no doubt that Caden Sterns is going to be the best safety for Chris Ash’s defense. As 247Sports says, when he healthy, Sterns is an All-American type player. His struggles last season came down to injuries and missed important games such as Oklahoma and TCU.

Chris Brown at strong safety is a real surprise, considering B.J. Foster started in eight of the nine games he participated in. Listed at 5-11 and 187 pounds, Brown is going into his fifth year in Austin and is a redshirt senior.

To play strong safety, you have to be a physical presence, especially down in the box. 247Sports is reporting that Brown has been exactly that.

Foster is more than capable of starting for Texas at strong safety. If Brown is emerging as the partner to Sterns, it shows how strong of competition and how good of a roster the Longhorns have complied.

Moving to the backups and it seems as Montrell Estell and Tyler Owens are still fighting it out for the backup free safety spot. Whoever wins, it will take a lot to get Sterns off the field.

Both Estell and Owens played in all 13 games last season.

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Texas Football Recruiting: Where does the 2021 defensive class sit now?

The defensive recruiting has been good but there is still room to work. Here is your latest update on the 2021 defensive recruiting class:

During Tom Herman’s time in Austin, defensive recruiting has been the backbone. From the 2018 class alone, the Longhorns pulled off the No. 1, No. 3, and No. 6 safety, plus the No. 6 and No. 10 cornerback.

Moving forward to 2021 and recruiting in the secondary is still there. However, if there is going to be a star this recruiting cycle, it will come off the defensive line and Ja’Tavion Sanders. For now, he is the only five-star the Longhorns have a commitment from.

With new defensive coordinator Chris Ash taking the reigns, Texas will be switching to a base 4-3 defense. This will change the way they recruit, trying to find blue-chip players who also fit into their new scheme.

The defensive recruiting has been better than the offensive recruiting but there is still room to work. Big players such as Shemar Turner and Andrew Mukumba are still there to battle for.

Here is your latest position by position update on the defensive recruiting class:

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2021 NFL Draft: Four Longhorns selected, Cowboys get a quarterback?

In the latest mock from Draft Wire, four Longhorns are taken in the top 90 picks. Cosmi to Los Angeles and the Cowboys add a quarterback.

With the college football season just over a couple weeks away, there is a lot of excitement surrounding it. Not just from a Texas Longhorns perspective. While head coach Tom Herman and the staff try and figure out who will start, there are more things at play. For instance, the NFL Draft. A handful of Texas Longhorn players could find themselves with a decision comes seasons end.

Quarterback Sam Ehlinger is a senior but with the NCAA’s latest decision to freeze college eligibility, it is very possible that he could return for a fifth season. Samuel Cosmi, Caden Sterns, Joseph Ossai and even Keaontay Ingram could all realistically declare ahead of their senior seasons to go professional. Unlike in years past, the Longhorns have more than just a few players who could make the jump in competition.

Luke Easterling of Draft Wire provided his latest mock draft where he went three-rounds deep. In the 2020 NFL Draft, Longhorns fans had to wait until pick 70 to see the first Texas player selected. In this mock, the Longhorns have two players drafted by that pick. In fact, four Texas players are projected in the first 90 picks.

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Urban Meyer goes scorched-earth on the Big 12 Conference, compliments Chris Ash

Former National Championship winning coach Urban Meyer didn’t have anything pleasant to say about Big 12 defenses and lack of talent.

We have all heard the comments at one point or another. The Big 12 Conference is all offense and no defense. You can point to those 45-38 football games, or 66-58 all out track meets between explosive offenses. So where are the defenses? Kansas State, Iowa State and TCU have shown to play good defense. Unlike the SEC Conference and a handful of other teams, there are no elite defenses. No units that can go out and shut down the opposing offense and get the ball back for your team.

Recently on the Big Noon Kickoff on Fox Sports, Urban Meyer ripped into the Big 12 for their lack of elite talent. The former National Championship winning coach at Florida and Ohio State proclaimed that isn’t a lack of talent in Texas since they were able to get players like Jeff Okudah out of the DFW area. He goes on to say that they need change.

“You’re telling me between 2008 and 2020, that’s 12 years, you’ve had two first-rounders on defense?” Meyer asked in disbelief. “Most schools are disappointed if you don’t have two first-rounders per year. To me, I knew it was bad. I didn’t know it was that bad. That’s terrible. That needs to change. I think Chris Ash going to Texas, he’s not a good defensive coach. He’s an elite defensive coach with an elite reputation and can develop players. Alex Grinch, I would anticipate the same. You’re going to see some movement, hopefully, in the Big 12. I’m going to tell you right now, there won’t be a national champion out of the Big 12 as long as that continues.” – via 247Sports

Meyer gave new Texas defensive coordinator Chris Ash a great compliment during his rant about the Big 12’s defenses. The lack of first-round talent isn’t something that has gone on unnoticed, for the Longhorns it has been five years since their last opening round draft selection. During the Mack Brown era at Texas they had plenty of talent go in the first round, however with Charlie Strong and then Tom Herman it just hasn’t come to fruition.

That isn’t to blame Herman seeing as how this is his fourth year so the guys he recruited to Austin haven’t been eligible yet. The talent in the recruiting classes have been there but as we often say it has been the development. Todd Orlando and his staff haven’t been able to get the most out of their guys and preparing for the next level of football. Things might change with Ash. Meyer made a point to go get Ash after his defense shut down Meyer’s offense at Ohio State. The Texas defensive coordinator was instrumental in bringing a National Championship caliber defense to the Buckeyes.

Texas football’s highest-graded returners on defense per PFF

New DC Chris Ash will have a ton of returning talent to work with. Here are the highest-graded returners on Texas’ defense per PFF:

Texas’ defense struggled last season, being the reason for a couple of the Longhorns’ losses last season. However, there is hope and optimism for the defense going into 2020.

Most of that is due to how many contributors are returning this season. Texas is expected to have nine starters back, including Caden Sterns, B.J. Foster, and Joseph Ossai. The roster is full of studs.

However, the implementation of defensive coordinator Chris Ash will be the biggest reason for the hoped success. Former defensive coordinator ran a base 3-3-5 defense and Ash will be switching over to a base 4-3 defense.

Ash will have a ton of returning talent to work with, hoping to make the Longhorns’ defense one of the best in the Big 12.

Here are the highest-graded returners on Texas defense per PFF:

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