Tag: horns

Bowl Projections: Texas back to Alamo Bowl vs Arizona State

Lindy’s Sports recently gave bowl predictions in their 2020 preview magazine. UT was in the Alamo Bowl, going up against Arizona State.

The status is college football is currently up in the air thanks to the coronavirus. However, if there is anything that is consistent about the sport, pandemic, or no pandemic, it is preseason bowl projections.

Lindy’s Sports recently dropped their preview magazine for the 2020 season and gave bowl predictions before schedule changes. Texas was once again in the Alamo Bowl, going up against Arizona State this season.

Herm Edward’s squad is an up and coming one, projecting to be Pac 12 contenders for years to come. Sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels is the star, becoming the first true freshman quarterback to begin the season as the starter in program history.

It would only be the second meeting between the Longhorns and Sun Devils, meeting up in the 2007 Holiday Bowl.

For Texas, returning back to the holiday bowl would be seen as a disappointment. With quarterback Sam Ehlinger entering his senior season and the defense returning 10 starters, the Longhorns should be making a push for a New Year’s Six bowl game.

Even with a 9+1 scheduling method, Texas will still be expected to significantly improve from 7-5 in 2019.

Usually, the Big 12 champion gets an automatic bid to the Sugar Bowl, assuming the College Football Playoff is out of the equation. This season, the New Orleans based bowl will host a semi-final, giving the Big 12 champion an at large bid.

In Lindy’s preview, Oklahoma would represent the conference in the New Year’s Six, facing Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. It would be the Sooners’ 17th BCS/NY6 bowl game, currently holding a 6-10 record.

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NFL Draft: One team had preseason second-round grade on Sam Ehlinger

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler recently joined the Locked On Longhorns podcast to discuss Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger.

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger has garnered plenty of preseason hype heading into this upcoming college football season. Continue reading “NFL Draft: One team had preseason second-round grade on Sam Ehlinger”

College football in the fall couldn’t be any more bleak

Two Power Five athletic directors spoke with Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports. It appears it is only a matter of time before football is cancelled.

The thought of college football has become more bleak with every passing moment as of late. No one wants actually consider the possibility of it not happening. Those of us in the state of Texas especially love our football. Often times we consume it every week from Thursday night until Monday night. However, the game we love is in serious jeopardy.

Following the MAC being the first to cancel their season, two athletic directors from Power Five conferences spoke with CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd. The two anonymous ADs gave a less than thrilling answer to the question we all are asking. Will there be college football in the fall of 2020?

“It’s not fair what we’re doing to our coaches and student-athletes,” one long-time Power Five AD said. “The sooner we can come to a finality, the better.”

“I think it’s inevitable [the season will not be played in the fall],” said another veteran Power Five AD. – according to CBS Sports report

According to multiple reports, the Big Ten Conference met to discuss multiple options for their upcoming season. The idea of pushing the season to the spring of 2021 once again became an option.

Big Ten presidents met on Saturday, though a league source told CBS Sports not to expect an immediate announcement to cancel its season — the feeling being that the league wouldn’t alter its practice schedule and announce a cancellation on the same day.

The Big Ten on Saturday announced it was “indefinitely” delaying a move to Phase 3 of practice that would have allowed players to use pads. The Detroit Free Press reported that Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is believed to prefer attempting to play a season in spring 2021.

Longhorns Wire explored the idea of a spring season recently, and it isn’t so farfetched of an idea. The cancellation of the MAC conference seems to have sent plans in motion for other conferences to question pushing for football to kick off in time.

The Longhorns bitter rivals to the north have already put their practice schedule to a halt. It wasn’t necessarily alarming since they were originally ramping up for kickoff on August 29th. The alarming part is that Oklahoma is allowing players to return home for a few days. That part raised an eyebrow.

Schools are putting in place guidelines and safety measures to ensure the health and well being of their players. Sending them home gives you the idea that maybe college football isn’t in the plans for the fall at this point. Could be pure speculation but doesn’t appear to be a positive sign. We will continue to monitor the situation as we all await answers.

The NCAA Division I Council is set to meet on Wednesday and that might be when we get some sort of closure. Like the anonymous athletic director stated, we need to come to some finality.

Former Longhorn Charles Omenihu ‘plays with a chip on his shoulder’

Former Longhorn pass rusher Charles Omenihu is having a reunion with his former coach Chris Rumph. Said he plays with a chip on his shoulder

The Longhorns defense missed a player like Charles Omenihu in 2019. During his senior year he finished with 9.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. The team didn’t have a way to replace that production. The hope and thought is Joseph Ossai can bring that production back to the pass rush in 2020. As for Omenihu, he is looking to bring that production and competitive edge to the Houston Texans.

Omenihu was reunited with his former coach at Texas. Chris Rumph spent 2014-15 with the Longhorns before he departed to the Florida Gators. This past season he left Tennessee to join Bill O’Brien’s staff with the Texas. It brought on a reunion with Omenihu.

“Besides being a really good football player, he’s a great young man who comes from a really, really good family. I’m excited to get back with him. When I saw him for the first time the other day, I was just amazed at how much he’s grown.” – Texans outside linebacker coach Chris Rumph

“He was just a big, tall, lanky, skinny kid and now he’s grown into a young man,” said Rumph. “He looks really good and I’m excited for him. The sky is the limit for him.”

Omenihu’s coach goes on to talk about how he plays with a chip on his shoulder. If you play in the NFL you have to have a driving force and for the former Longhorn it is that chip that will help propel him to new heights. Omenihu is looking to make a bigger splash in the NFL during his sophomore campaign.

For all updates on Charles Omenihu and the Houston Texans, check out our colleagues at the Texans Wire.

Longhorns’ Jordan Whittington, Prince Dorbah limited as camp opens

There is a lot of optimism about the Texas Longhorns in 2020 however a player they are counting on in Jordan Whittington isn’t at full speed

There is a lot of optimism regarding the Longhorns offense as fall camp opened on Friday. Senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger returns for his final song in hopes of returning Texas to a place they haven’t been since Colt McCoy was the quarterback. Of course we are talking about the top spot in the Big 12 Conference. Ehlinger is not only chasing McCoy’s records but to be the third quarterback of the century to lead Texas to the National Championship.

One of the new weapons this season was expected to be redshirt freshman Jordan Whittington. Last season he appeared in the opener before a groin injury shut him down for the season. The former five-star recruit was in line to compete with Jake Smith for the starting slot receiver role left vacated by Devin Duvernay.

According to a report from our friends at Horns247, Whittington is starting fall camp a bit slower than anticipated.

“Every scholarship player was full go today except for Prince Dorbah and Jordan Whittington,” Herman said in a Zoom call with local media after Friday’s practice. “They both went through individuals but were held out of team drills.”

The Longhorns have plenty of questions at the wide receiver position and the health of Whittington isn’t one they had to worry about. J-Whitt hasn’t been able to stay healthy in his first season plus on the Forty Acres. They do have bodies but having a dynamic weapon such as Jordan would only increase how dangerous this offense could be under Mike Yurcich.

The Prince Dorbah situation is also one of concern given the questions surrounding the linebacker group. Herman has pointed out Dorbah as a player who could see action early on in his freshman season. Much like Whittington, he needs to be healthy to help out a position group that have plenty of questions.

Longhorns Profile Snapshot: No. 65 Jake Majors

LonghornsWire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Texas roster. Today, we will be looking at freshman OC Jake Majors.

Going into the 2020 football season, LonghornsWire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Texas roster.

Over the summer, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Tom Herman this season.

Today, we will be looking at freshman center Jake Majors.

Jake Majors, Center

Height: 6-3 / Weight: 298

Class: Freshman

Hometown: Prosper, Texas

High School: Prosper

HS ranking (247Sports): Three-star / No. 15 position / No. 84 in-state

HS ranking (Rivals): Four-star / No. 155 overall / No. 5 position / No. 20 in-state

Analysis: Jake Majors was another huge in-state recruit Tom Herman pulled in the 2020 class. Playing tackle in high school, Majors has the capability to play anywhere across the offensive line. Center or guard is a likely option for the freshman.

The offensive line was not a huge focus in 2020 but Herb Hand still found a way to pull a top-five player at his position to Austin. Majors was the highest of four offensive linemen in the class.

Majors will not be inline to start this season, with Texas’ offensive line mostly returning from the 2019 season. Thanks to his size, the former four-star recruit is going to be able to play multiple positions in the future.

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Former Longhorn Connor Williams has stiff competition in Dallas

Former Longhorn and All-American Connor Williams finds himself in a battle for playing time. However he may be the best man for the job.

When former Texas Longhorns and All-American Connor Williams was selected by the Dallas Cowboys, he was expected to compete for the starting left guard spot. Since joining his hometown team, Williams has played in 24 games starting 21. Last season the injury bug bit him again and he missed five games. After coming off the torn ACL, he is expected to be right in the mix once again.

From the Athletic’s Dane Brugler on Williams coming out of Texas:

A three-year starter at Texas, Williams earned the starting left tackle job as a true freshman and had an All-American season as a sophomore, putting himself on the NFL radar. However, he appeared to take a step back in 2017 followed by a knee injury that sidelined him for most of his junior season. Williams learned under three different offensive coordinators in three seasons in Austin, which helped diversify his skill-set. He is technique-focused and moves with above average athleticism, flashing the competitive finish and instincts required for the next level. While the intent is there, he isn’t an overpowering player and contact balance can be an issue at times. Overall, Williams will be a guard/center on some draft boards due to his lack of length, but his sophomore tape showed a capable NFL starter at tackle and NFL teams will need to trust the 2016 tape to draft him in round one.

Ben Grimaldi of the Cowboys Wire recently talked about his outlook for the left guard battle in Dallas. Another Connor, McGovern who missed all of last season is also in the mix to start. Just don’t count out Williams who has the experience at the position in the NFL.

If he’s healthy and recovered from his injury, Williams is in the best position to be the starter at LG, but he’ll have to earn a starting role. If he can’t beat out the competition, he’ll be one of the best back-up offensive linemen in the league.

The 23-year old kid from Coppell, Texas has already had a roller coaster ride to begin his career. Williams may always be linked to Goedert and Cowboys fans are hoping he’ll take the next step to having the impact the TE in Philadelphia’s had.

The jury’s still out on Williams.

For the most up to date information on the Dallas Cowboys, make sure you check out The Cowboys Wire as part of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group.

Texas lands commitment from 2021 four-star wide receiver Jaden Alexis

UT has landed another commitment in their 2021 class, this time from 2021 four-star Jaden Alexis. He is a 5-11, 175-pound WR from Florida.

Texas has landed another commitment in their 2021 class, this time from 2021 four-star Jaden Alexis. A 5-11, 175-pound wide receiver from Florida, Alexis possesses elite speed, running a 4.41 40-yard dash.

The Longhorns beat out programs such as Miami and Penn State from the inside receiver. During his 2019 junior season, Alexis had 894 yards and eight touchdowns on 49 receptions.

Alexis joins three-star prospect, Casey Cain, as the other wide receiver in the 2021 recruiting class. Five-star Ja’Tavion Sanders and four-star Billy Bowman can also play wide receiver but are projected to play on the defensive side once in Austin.

Whoever takes over for Sam Ehlinger beginning in 2021, Alexis will provide speed from the slot for the next four years.

Rating
Stars Overall State Position
247 3 – 46 49
Rivals 4 – 55 56
ESPN 4 – 63 63
247 Composite 3 368 60 60
Vitals
Hometown Pompano Beach, FL
Projected Position Wide receiver
Height 5-11
Weight 175
Recruitment
  • Offered on March 5, 2020
  • No visit yet
Crystal Ball

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USA TODAY Sports: NCAA path forward is ‘difficult’

The plan for a NCAA college football season is getting more grim by the day but is all hope lost? Maybe not.

Following announcements from each of the Power Five conferences in regards to the upcoming season’s schedules. The Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 all going the conference only route while the Big 12 and ACC added one nonconference game. However, recently reports have put the entire NCAA college football season in real jeopardy.

Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY Sports broke down the chances of a college football season in any capacity.

NCAA president Mark Emmert and the association’s chief medical officer, Brian Hainline, each made blunt assessments Friday night about schools’ ability to conduct fall sports amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is going to be difficult, to say the least, going forward,” Emmert said.

Said Hainline: “I think we’re in a place that is exceptionally narrow. The boundaries are … there’s not a lot of places to move one way or the other. Almost everything would have to be perfectly aligned to continue moving forward.”

Their comments, during an interview on an NCAA Twitter site, came at the end of a tumultuous week for college sports. Among other developments, leaders of the association’s Division II and Division III schools canceled their groups’ NCAA fall sports championships. In addition, the NCAA Board of Governors, the association’s overall policy-making panel, implemented a series of requirements for schools that want to conduct fall sports.

But Emmert and Hainline did express hope that schools can find a way to comply with those mandates.

“We’re all really hopeful that can be done,” Emmert said. “Obviously, everybody wants to have kids back on campus. Everybody wants fall sports to return. But we can’t do it unless we can find a way to do it with minimized risk for these young people.”

The news isn’t something that is surprising but not what many want to hear across the country. Recently the MAC conference became the first FBS conference to cancel their upcoming football season according to USA TODAY Sports.

As for the University of Texas, Geoff Ketchum of Rivals states that it is a little different for the Longhorns.

That is some big news if it is indeed the case, it could be quite possible that the Big 12 Conference could be the only one operating come fall. It seems to be a bit farfetched but if there is any validity to it, there is hope.

What USA TODAY says about Texas’ No. 14 ranking in Amway Coaches Poll

What did USA TODAY Sports have to say about the Texas Longhorns being ranked in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll?

Fall camp is finally here and with that it feels like Texas Longhorns football is so close we can almost taste it. One of the annual events of the preseason are the rankings. Media and fans alike love to pick apart the rankings with how they feel each college football team should be ranked. Texas came in 14th in the initial Amway Coaches Poll.

The first reaction by many is of course, who is overrated? According to Paul Myerburg, one of those teams would in fact be the Longhorns. Sure one could point to what the Longhorns lost and claim that they are overrated but they return their senior quarterback and key pieces around him. Factor in the new coordinators in Mike Yurcich and Chris Ash and that gives promise. Not to mention they added five-star recruits on both sides of the ball.

What USA TODAY Sports says about the Longhorns outlook

Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

The USA TODAY Sports staff recently released their outlook on every one of the top 25 teams, they make valid points for the Longhorns.

It’s the question asked, mostly facetiously now, every August: Is Texas back? After a step back – the wrong way, in this sense — in 2019 compared to a Sugar Bowl win the season before, Tom Herman shook things up this offseason by firing his offensive and defensive coordinator, meaning Longhorns players are learning new schemes on both sides of the ball. QB Sam Ehlinger has thrown more yards than any other Power Five quarterback in the last two years, and there’s no shortage of receiving talent for him to target. LB Joseph Ossai returns after leading the team with 90 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. A trip to the Big 12 title game will be expected or pressure will mount on Herman.

The Longhorns head coach Tom Herman isn’t in the hot seat yet but if he fumbles the season (provided they play) then it will heat up.

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