Tag: Horns Football

Texas Recruiting: Top ranked 2022 quarterback commits to Texas

The number one ranked quarterback in the country commits to Texas. Quinn Ewers is the number one recruit in the 2022 class.

The quarterback position has been one for years that the Longhorns haven’t had the same level of luck recruiting compared to other spots on the team. Since recruiting Vince Young and Colt McCoy, they haven’t been at that level. Garrett Gilbert was their last five-star quarterback and expected to fill the void left by McCoy, but he didn’t pan out and transferred.

The likes of Case McCoy, David Ash led mediocre teams. Many wondered how a high profile school such as Texas couldn’t find a top tier passer. Shane Buechele provided excitement but he wasn’t able to hold down the spot with Sam Ehlinger in the fold. However, attention now turns to life beyond Sam.

Ehlinger will move on following the season and many wonder who lead the team upon his departure. The Longhorns have Casey Thompson, Hudson Card and Ja’Quinden Jackson in house with Jalen Milroe en route. Could there be another name?

Quinn Ewers is the most sought after quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class. The number one overall prospect in the class could be a game changer for the Texas Longhorns. Ewers was named sophomore of the year by MaxPreps and those won’t be the only accolades that he will earn by the time he leaves Southlake Carroll.

With Ewers now in the fold, the battles starting in 2022 will be must watch TV. Ewers along with Milroe, Jackson and Card should be an intense battle for quarterback supremacy. By the time it happens Card or Jackson could be the starter but with a quarterback the caliber of Ewers, how long can they hold him off?

One Pac-12 coach believes all of FBS will cancel in due time

According to Washington Huskies head coach JImmy Lake, it is all just a matter of time before all of FBS cancels their season.

The Pac-12 canceled their 2020 football season on Monday, following the Big Ten. There has been controversy around the decision, with players and coaches from around the country feeling as if football can be played.

However, there is one head coach who feels like the ACC, Big 12, and SEC are heading in the same direction as the Big Ten and Pac-12.

Washington’s head coach Chris Petersen stepped down after the 2019 season and was replaced by defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake. The first-year head coach thinks the other three Power Five conferences will be heading down the same direction as the Pac-12.

“I believe all three other conferences are going to follow suit (canceling) in due time.”

The Big 12 took a major step towards playing on Wednesday, releasing its 2020 schedule. Commissioner Bob Bowlsby has done an excellent job making sure players and coaches are as safe as possible.

Given so many conversations have occurred between Bowlsby, student-athletes and medical staff it would be hard to fathom that they would change course now. At least not without new information being provided. As Bowlsby stated “reasonable people can disagree.” That seems to be the case here.

Provided that the three major conferences left proceed, then the questions comes about if there will be a College Football Playoff. The short answer being that seem poised to continue down that road. The committee has given no indication that they won’t move forward given the teams still planning on playing.

The commissioner did mention there is a call next week with the committee so they can hash out the plan. The next question that make come is will the future champion being considered legitimate? If you asked Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, he thinks so.

“Whoever wins it wins it, that’s the champion.” – Swinney to GoUpState.com

NFL Mock Draft: Todd McShay pegs Samuel Cosmi in top 15

In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Todd McShay projects Texas offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi to the Denver Broncos.

One of my favorite moments of the year comes in April and May as college athletes get to realize their dream of playing in the NFL. For the Longhorns there are a group of players who are on the cusp of realizing that dream. Sam Ehlinger, Samuel Cosmi, Caden Sterns and Joseph Ossai could be well on their way to the NFL next season. Outside of Ehlinger, the other three will have decisions to make as they are still underclassmen.

In the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Todd McShay, he has one Longhorn being selected in the first round. No shock at at all who that name is as he has been widely speculated as Texas’ first opening round selection since 2015.

*Editors Note: Story requires paid subscription

1.12 Denver Broncos select

Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Samuel Cosmi – OT

What Todd McShay says

Denver invested in its Drew Lock-led offense over the past few months, adding receivers Jeudy and KJ Hamler and center Lloyd Cushenberry III with early draft picks, and signing guard Graham Glasgow and running back Melvin Gordon via free agency. But even before right tackle Ja’Wuan James opted out of the NFL season, tackle was a concern. Garett Bolles hasn’t been great and could be gone after this season. Cosmi brings 6-foot-7, 310-pound size with superb mobility. He still has to develop a bit, but he has the talent to emerge as a high-end left tackle. And if you want a glimpse of his athleticism and quickness, check out his 12-yard touchdown from last October.

The idea of Cosmi to the Broncos would make a ton of sense. Denver has invested a lot of capital into their weapons around quarterback Drew Lock. The team now needs to find a way to protect him. Cosmi is a player that has gotten better each and every year. He will be expected to do the same in 2020 protecting quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Denver feels like a good spot for Cosmi to land, provided he declares after the season.

The Draft Network: Calls Journey Brown to Texas a ‘perfect fit’

Kyle Crabbs of the Draft Network explores possible transfers and calls Journey Brown to Texas a perfect fit, but is it?

Following the cancellation of the Big Ten season, many began to wonder about the players from the conference. Would the players look to transfer to another school planning on playing in the fall? Given that the conference announced intentions to play in the spring, players likely wouldn’t be able to transfer and be granted immediate eligibility.

However that didn’t stop the Draft Network from exploring the idea of who could transfer. In the article Kyle Crabbs picked one Big Ten running back to Texas as a perfect fit.

What the Draft Network says

Max Gersh / The Commercial Appeal,

Journey Brown, Penn State

How about a little lightning to go with all that thunder in the Texas backfield? The Longhorns were hard-pressed for backs last season and between the size of quarterback Sam Ehlinger in the QB power game and backs Keaontay Ingram and Roschon Johnson (a former quarterback himself who only converted to running back ahead of the 2019 season), the Longhorns sure could use a little extra juice in the backfield.

The Longhorns didn’t offer Brown in the recruiting process (he ultimately decided to stay put in Pennsylvania), but they were one of just six teams that was pegged as an interested team by 247 Sports. The Lions run a wide open spread attack and, like Texas, offer plenty of QB run dynamics in their offense, so there are some parallels in the style of play that would make for a seemingly easy transition and offer a big upgrade to the Longhorns backfield.

With the devaluation of the running back position, Brown could use every boost he can find to his resume, even if it means a transfer for this fall.

The full article on the five Big Ten transfers can be found here.

Next what Longhorns Wire thinks about the idea

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Locked on Longhorns podcast: ‘NCAA fall championships cancelled, UTEP update’

The Locked on Longhorns podcast discusses the latest announcement from the NCAA with cancelling fall championships. UTEP update as well.

The podcast returns the Friday edition to discuss the fallout of the conference cancellations. John Williams stops by to help breakdown the quarterback situation in Norman. Is Spencer Rattler the starter while competing in a “quarterback battle” with Tanner Mordecai? Plus the NCAA has announced no fall championships in 2020. Is this a power play to put pressure on the remaining six FBS conferences planning on playing?

UTEP recently had a coronavirus outbreak within their team that caused the Miners to halt practice. Adrian Broaddus of ESPN El Paso brings us up to speed on the latest happenings. What are the expectations for UTEP and will they travel to Austin to play on September 12th?

Plus an interview with Locked on Saints’ Ross Jackson. The Saints have three former Longhorns poised to make the team this year. What are the expectations of Malcolm Roach and Lil’Jordan Humphrey. How can the Saints use Humphrey in year two and why did Roach’s production suffer at Texas?

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NCAA President states no fall championships, FBS not affected

NCAA President Mark Emmert released a video in which he stated there will be no fall championships in 2020. CFP is not a part of that.

The NCAA released a video on social media stated that there will be no fall championships. This ruling impacts all of FCS fall sports and Division I soccer and volleyball. This does not have any bearing on the state of the College Football Playoffs. The Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) operates independently from the NCAA in terms of football championships.

“We cannot, at this point, have fall championships”-NCAA President Mark Emmert

In the video he discussed moving the fall season to spring while keeping the athletes engaged with their coaches, focusing on their academic studies and being prepared to play in the spring.

The College Football Playoff committee has yet to state whether or not there will be a playoff but they are finalizing their protocols for the upcoming season. They will release the final standings on Sunday December 20th.

As it sits right now the ACC, Big 12 and SEC are the only Power Five conferences still planning on playing in the fall. American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, and the Sun Belt still remain from the Group of Five conferences.

It is a very real possibility that the three remaining Power Five conferences could be the only ones left standing. If that were to be the case you could see a scenario where the winner of each conference could get a bid into the playoff with the highest ranked team remaining make it as the fourth team.

This all hinges on what the CFP committee decides and that will likely come in the next few weeks as football season approaches. We are still not in the clear but appears as if we will have fall football at this point.

Season Opener: UTEP is ‘right on schedule’ to play the Longhorns

UTEP head coach Dana Dimel spoke with media stated they were “right on schedule” to play the Texas Longhorns in the season opener.

It was made official on Wednesday that the Longhorns would host the Texas-El Paso Miners on September 12th to open the season. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte confirmed in the Forty Acres Insider that was published. Their original matchup was set for September 19th on the original schedule but due to the Big 12 changing to a nine plus one schedule it had to be adjusted.

There were still questions even after the confirmation by Del Conte as to whether or not the game could still be played. Conference USA met on Wednesday evening to discuss their course of action as the fall football season approaches. As other conferences have come out and postponed the season, UTEP’s conference hadn’t yet made a decision. The conference issued the following statement.

Essentially a passive statement to state they were still in discussion about what their final answer will be. On a conference call with media, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby stated that a Big 12 opponent must adhere to their testing standards. If the Miners are afforded the opportunity to play they will be tested three times before they can play in Austin.

Head coach of the Miners Dana Dimel met with the media on Thursday and stated they were “right on schedule” to play against the Longhorns. UTEP had been dealing with a coronavirus outbreak that caused them to halt camp while they determined how to proceed.

Provided that the game doesn’t get cancelled, the Longhorns will host UTEP for their sixth meeting all-time. Texas has won all five matchups with their last game coming in 2016. Texas won 41-6. The Longhorns should be heavy favorites as the Miners are coming off a 1-11 season in 2019.

Conference Opener: Texas Tech to limit stadium capacity to 25 percent

When the Texas Longhorns open the Big 12 Conference schedule they will be traveling to Lubbock. Texas Tech announced 25% capacity for fans.

When the Big 12 Conference announced the new schedules for the upcoming 2020 college football season, the order of opponents changed. Instead of playing Kansas State in the conference opener, the Longhorns will instead head to Lubbock, Texas on September 26th to play the Red Raiders.

The Longhorns finished the 2019 season in a game against Texas Tech. After falling behind 14-0 early on in the contest, Sam Ehlinger and the team rallied to defeat Tech 49-24. Thanks in large part to a 22-point outburst in the second quarter.

Texas has defeated Tech five consecutive times in Lubbock. We won’t mention the last time Texas failed to defeat the Red Raiders. The Longhorns hold a commanding 52-17 edge in the series all-time in 69 games. If fans plan on making the trip to Lubbock for this year’s game, there will only be a handful of fans allowed at the game.

Nicole Auerbach of the Athletic is reporting that only 25 percent of the stadium capacity will be in attendance. Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock holds around 60,000 seats. Essentially only 15,000 fans will be able to attend.

While the Texas Governor Greg Abbott has stated that venues in the state can have upwards of 50 percent capacity, most universities are willing to take the risk of inviting more fans into the stadium.

Recently it was reported that the Texas Longhorns were currently discussing if they would have 50 or 25 percent capacity in their stadium. They were leaning towards the latter Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium will likely only have 25,000 fans for home games this fall.

Texas target and top running back in state trending towards Oklahoma

Texas target Camar Wheaton is now trending to the rivals across the river, Oklahoma. Wheaton is second-ranked back in the nation.

During the last recruiting cycle the Texas Longhorns were able to snag the top running back in the country. According to 247Sports composite rankings, Bijan Robinson was the best of the best. The five-star composite runner is expected to a part of the offense in 2020 but will have to earn snaps behind Keaontay Ingram and Roschon Johnson.

This year’s top target was Lakeview Centenial’s Camar Wheaton. He is also a five-star composite prospect much like Bijan was. Wheaton is the second-ranked running back in the country and top back in the state of Texas. The Longhorns have been in the running for him to come to Austin and provide a two-headed monster for the next few seasons.

The LSU Tigers, SMU Mustangs and Oklahoma Sooners are among the top contenders for his commitment. However recent trends indicate that the Sooners are leading the charge to secure him. The 247Sports staff recently put in their crystal ball predictions with  everyone picking Oklahoma.

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Crystal ball predictions aren’t the end all for Texas. Recently they were projected to land transfer linebacker from Arizona Tony Fields II, but he ended up heading to West Virginia. Even with the news of Wheaton trending to the team across the river, the Longhorns have another running back trending their way with L.J. Johnson.

Robinson has been communicating with Johnson to bring in another weapon for the Longhorns offense. Provided that he has a big season in 2020, Bijan could be the man leading the charge moving forward. As far as Wheaton, there has been no indication of him making an announcement prior to National Signing Day.

Texas Football: Defensive end Marqez Bimage opts out of 2020 season

The Texas Longhorns defensive end Marqez Bimage has opted out of the upcoming season. He was expected to compete for a starting role.

The Texas Longhorns are preparing to get ready for the upcoming football season that is less than a month away. The Big 12 Conference announced the conference portion of the schedule on Wednesday and Texas confirmed their matchup with UTEP. The defense is expected to be much better in year one under Chris Ash. Joseph Ossai and Demarvion Overshown will be playing new roles in a new defensive scheme.

One player expected to compete for a starting role was defensive end Marqez Bimage. The senior defensive end is reportedly opting out of the upcoming season. It was first reported by Anwar Richardson of Rivals. Bimage has splayed in 34 games as Richardson tweeted, he recorded 12 total tackles and one sack while appearing in every game in 2019.

It remains unclear if Bimage will focus on returning in 2021 as he will have another year of eligibility remaining. His absence could open up opportunities for freshmen Vernon Broughton Jr and Alfred Collins.

Bimage becomes the first Texas Longhorn to opt out of the upcoming season while senior running back Daniel Young has opted out on the offensive side of the ball. Players who opt out of the season due to concerns over the coronavirus will keep their scholarship and remaining eligibility.

The Longhorns have no shortage of able bodies to play the position and get to the quarterback. However, this is still a blow to the defense. The team is currently in the midst of fall camp and getting ready for the opener. Best guess is that Moro Ojomo could be in the mix to start on the strong side of the defense.