Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Each morning, LonghornsWire will provide the top headlines in the Big 12. Today, BR, Twitter, and TexasTech.com provide the headlines.
Each morning Longhorns Wire will share the top stories from around the Big 12 Conference. For this edition of the Big 12 morning rush, Bleacher Report, Twitter, and TexasTech.com provide the headlines.
Continue reading “Thursday Big 12 Morning Rush: Headlines from around the conference”
Former Texas wide receiver Devin Duvernay is turning heads at Ravens camp.
Former Texas wide receiver Devin Duvernay was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 92 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Continue reading “WATCH: Former Texas WR Devin Duvernay impresses at Ravens camp”
The NCAA Division I Council has agreed to freeze eligibility for the fall. This ruling will need to be approved by the Board of Governors.
One of the big questions surrounding the upcoming season revolves around the eligibility of student-athletes. The idea that athletes shouldn’t lose a year of eligibility has been kicked around. Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger was supportive of the idea when he spoke to media on Tuesday.
My personal opinion is I do think that eligibility should be frozen, regardless. I think that it’s unfortunate that everybody has had to go through this, and I know it’s not the college’s fault by any stretch of the imagination. But the college experience is such a short-term thing in people’s lives and I think everybody should be able to get the most out of it.
According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, the NCAA Division I Council agrees with the Texas quarterback.
Sources: The NCAA Division I Council decided today that fall sport student-athletes can compete in any amount of competitions this year and it will not count as a season of eligibility. This still needs to be approved by NCAA Board of Governors on Friday.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 19, 2020
Provided the NCAA Board of Governors approves the ruling on Friday, then we will have a unique situation on campus. Especially for those players who are playing the schools that went forward with a fall season. It could mean that Sam Ehlinger could ideally come back for a fifth season if he chooses.
For the incoming freshman this could be a full season redshirt opportunity for the freshman class. The original ruling being that players couldn’t appear in more than four games to maintain their redshirt status. With this amendment for the 2020 season, there would be no cap on games with player eligibility being frozen.
Head coach Tom Herman would be able to get a better look at some of their underclassmen in the fall season. Now we await the Board of Governors decision on Friday.
According to a report from Sports Illustrated, Oklahoma wants to discontinue their fall season. The Texas Longhorns want to move forward.
There has been much said about the two remaining Power Five conferences cancelling their season in hopes of spring football. Some might say it was too early to pull the plug, while others think it was the right call bases on scientific evidence. Now you can add Oklahoma to the schools wanting to punt on the season.
According to a report from Mark Blaudschun of Sports Illustrated, the Sooners want out.
While that was going on on Tuesday, the Big 12 was dealing with a different issue involving Oklahoma, which reportedly is leaning against the sentiment of its brethren who want to continue with the season.
Normally this would result in a stalemate.
Not so much this time because Texas is leading a charge to continue, with or WITHOUT Oklahoma as part of the conference for football this season.
Every sign out of Austin is that the Texas Longhorns want to move forward with the season. Even if Oklahoma pulls the plug such as is suggested, one should expect the Longhorns to push forward with a season. Much like what we have seen with Big Ten and teams discussing a fall schedule, Oklahoma seems discontent with the decision made by the Big 12 Conference.
With just over three weeks remaining before the start of the 2020 season, it seems like a bad time to be having this discussion. It likely should have been brought up during the Big 12 Conference’s Board of Directors meeting. Should Oklahoma opt out of the season while the Big 12 continues, they would lose out on approximately $42 million in TV revenue.
The conference has stated that they were moving forward with preparing for the upcoming season. There hasn’t been an announcement yet that the season would go on as planned as of yet. It will be interesting to see how Texas handles the situation moving forward.
Redshirt junior offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi was named to the USA TODAY Sports preseason All-American team. He was the only Texas Longhorn.
The preseason All-American team is something that many look forward to each and every year. It gives you an idea about the players to watch are. Plus it is often a key indicator to who are the top NFL Draft prospects. No surprise here as USA TODAY Sports named offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi to their second-team.
The redshirt junior is heading into his fourth year at Texas. It is a real possibility that Cosmi could return for another season but all signs indicate that he will likely be NFL bound following the 2020 campaign. Cosmi comes in as the only Texas Longhorn to make the preseason list for USA TODAY Sports.
Joining Cosmi on the second team offense is Oklahoma State’s wide receiver Tylan Wallace. The Big 12 also added three players on the first team offense. Oklahoma State’s running back Chuba Hubbard, Iowa State’s tight end Charlie Kolar and Oklahoma’s center Creed Humphrey.
This season Cosmi is expecting to protect quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s blindside for the final time in 2020. Both could be heading for bigger things in the NFL as they prepare for the draft. Cosmi has been consistently mocked in the first round by many draft analysts.
You can read the full list by Paul Myerburg on the USA TODAY Sports’ preseason All-American team here.
According to PFF, these were the top five players on offense for Texas last season.
Texas has their third opt out of the 2020 season, this time in offensive linemen Willie Tyler. He was going into his second year in Austin.
Texas has their third opt out of the 2020 season, this time in offensive linemen Willie Tyler. A redshirt sophomore from Racine, Wisconsin, Tyler was going into his second year in the program. He was a JUCO transfer from Iowa Western Community College.
Tyler announced his decision on his Twitter account.
After talking it over with my family. Also much thought and prayer. While this decision was VERY hard for me to make, with everything going on in the world and with the uncertainty of having a season. I have decided to opt out of the 2020 football season. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity that I have to be apart of the longhorn family. I’ll be back in 2021.
Defensive end Marquez Bimage and running back Daniel Young are the other two players who have opted out for COVID-19 precautions. All three have stated they will be back to play in the 2021 season.
— Willie Tyler III™️ (@TheWillieTyler) August 19, 2020
Tyler did not take a snap in the 2019 season, taking a redshirt year. He has been transitioning to the offensive line after spending most of his high school career playing on the defensive line.
Listed at 6-7 and 335 pounds, Tyler is still a work in project for offensive line coach Herb Hand. Once his transition is complete, Tyler is going to have great size and potential to play offensive tackle.
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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
Former Texas Longhorns head coach Mack Brown joined the Dan Patrick Show. On the topic of Texas he stated the final play was all Vince Young
On Wednesday’s Dan Patrick Show, former National Championship winning coach Mack Brown joined. On the topic of discussions they spoke about the upcoming season, Notre Dame and the National Championship game in 2005.
Patrick asked about why the ACC, Big 12 and SEC are moving forward with football but not the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences.
It seems to me that it just a difference in medical opinions. The medical experts seem to think it is not as safe for Big Ten and the Pac-12.
Brown goes on to talk about the medical experts have been in on every conversation from how many can be in the stands, how they eat, and how they meet. While the Big Ten and Pac-12 have stated that it isn’t safe enough the remaining three Power Five conferences believe that it is indeed safe enough to move forward.
When asked about what is the coolest item that Mack Brown has in his office in North Carolina, he answered the 2005 National Championship Trophy.
The National Championship Trophy that is right over my shoulder that I’m hoping every recruit sees.
Longhorns fans do have fond memories of Mack Brown despite how the relationship ended following the 2013 college football season. Brown led the team to two BCS Championship appearances and one National Championship in 2005. Brown stated that it was Vince Young’s call to run the final play that gave them the late lead.
It was a designed play. It was menu No. 2 because at that time we were going no huddle because it was the end of the game. You had to get the play in very quickly. And I will never for it, it was a place Vince (Young) told us he wanted to run if we got into that situation. Because we said what is your best go to play if we get down to the end and we have got to make a play. So we called it and I will never forget I said look quickly and if they are open throw it. But if not your legs are pretty darn good for five yards. Don’t be hesitant to pull it down and run it.
Mack Brown also discussed why it didn’t work out for Young in the NFL. You can hear the full interview below.
The Texas Longhorns recently lost their only quarterback commit of the 2021 class. So where will Mike Yurcich turn to now?
There was plenty of fallout expected following the commitment of 2022 top recruit Quinn Ewers. As we’ve seen already, that fallout came a little sooner than expected. The 2021 recruiting class quarterback commit Jalen Milroe is now Alabama bound which poses the question what does Texas do now?
Of the top 50 quarterbacks of the 2021 cycle, there aren’t many quarterbacks left that aren’t already committed. However, as seen with Milroe there is always the opportunity to flip a commit. As of right now there is one quarterback who was part of the Elite 11 quarterback camp that hasn’t made his mind on where he will go.
Grayson James played quarterback for John Paul II High School in Plano, Texas last season but according to the Dallas Morning News, he is set to play at Duncanville in the fall. Duncanville lost last year’s starting quarterback who signed with the Longhorns. Ja’Quinden Jackson’s deparature and the transfer of backup Chris Parson left a vacancy.
James is the 33rd ranked pro style quarterback in the country according to 247Sports composite rankings. James currently holds 10 scholarship offers but none of which come from a Power Five school. Mike Roach of 247Sports says that it could be a different targeted quarterback that Mike Yurcich and Texas have in mind.
In a recent post on Horns247, Roach mentioned another Elite 11 finalist in Maddox Kopp. He is expected to make his commitment announcement on September 1st but there is still time for the Longhorns to get involved. Kopp feels more like what Yurcich wants at the quarterback position.
When he was part of the Oklahoma State Cowboys staff, he brought Mason Rudolph to Stillwater. Rudolph was the 16th ranked Pro Style quarterback of the 2014 recruiting cycle. Kopp is similar to Rudolph in terms of size and style of play. Obviously with all coaches, they have a type of quarterback they want to run their system. Kopp is choosing between Ole Miss and Houston but Texas could change everything according to Roach.
On Milroe’s exit he stated that “I wasn’t your guy” in terms of being what Mike Yurcich wanted at the position. That also might give some indication as to what the Longhorns might do with their quarterback in the post Ehlinger-era. All indications is that Hudson Card could be the favorite.
