Tag: Hudson Card

Depth at QB position allows Roschon Johnson to stay at RB

Promising depth at the quarterback position allows Roschon Johnson to remain at running back.

Head coach Tom Herman announced several position changes at his press availability on Tuesday.

One of the biggest questions surrounding the new coaching staff would be whether Roschon Johnson or Jordan Whittington would remain at running back. Johnson was originally the No. 3 quarterback behind Sam Ehlinger and Casey Thompson, where a redshirt season loomed. Whittington was expected to make an immediate impact as a wide receiver.

Due to an unexpected series of injuries in the backfield, Whittington switched positions during the offseason and quickly climbed the depth chart as the No. 2 running back. When he also was sidelined due to injury, Johnson took the rare opportunity and ran with it. Literally.

Texas had several high-profile athletes make their debut in 2019, but Johnson was without a doubt the most surprising player. Johnson became the emergency fix at running back just one week before the season opener.

Although Johnson appeared in all 12 regular season games, his breakout showing came just five weeks into the season. He recorded his first 100-yard game on the ground with 121 rushing yards against West Virginia.

The true freshman finished the 2019 season with 758 all-purpose yards and was awarded Big 12 Newcomer of the week twice for his performances against West Virginia and Texas Tech. When fellow backs Daniel Young and Kirk Johnson each returned from their respective injuries, Johnson’s production was too impressive to take off the field.

The quarterback-turned-running back has a natural ability to power through contact. In several contests, Johnson provided the missing spark and appeared as the most reliable back on the roster.

Fortunately for the Longhorns, he’s now able to remain at his new position. Herman officially announced on Tuesday that Whittington would be moving back to slot receiver, while Johnson would remain at running back. However, the primary reason the staff is able to leave Johnson in the backfield is due to the promising depth at the quarterback position.

Ehlinger will be returning for his senior season, while long-time backup Casey Thompson will provide depth as the No. 2 quarterback. Incoming four-star quarterback Hudson Card is the No. 57 overall prospect in the nation according to 247Sports Composite.

While Texas’ future is expected to be in the hands of Card, Johnson has a much better chance of receiving more playing time as a running back rather than quarterback. With how productive his 2019 season was, Herman must find a way to get him on the field as much as possible.

Johnson will now be competing alongside Keontay Ingram and incoming No. 1 overall running back in the nation Bijan Robinson. With a full year of experience under his belt, Johnson has a legitimate chance to continue receiving a fair amount of carries.

2020 Texas Longhorns Spring Battles: The Quarterbacks

Who will be Sam Ehlinger’s primary backup in 2020? Hudson Card, Casey Thompson and Roschon Johnson all in the mix.

With spring football practice not to far away we look at the upcoming position battles that will take place over the offseason for the Texas Longhorns. The quarterback is one of those positions that has the starter firmly locked into place. The Longhorns will go into the season with Sam Ehlinger under center but what about who will be his primary backup?

Casey Thompson

Thompson returns for his sophomore season as the primary backup for Ehlinger but will it stay this way? The four-star obviously will have a leg up on the competition due to being in the system for a full year. Even with new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich on staff, Thompson should still be the favorite as the number two.

Thompson appeared in just four games as a freshmen in mop up duty for the Longhorns throwing for 84 yards last season. Not much can be expected from Thompson if Ehlinger stays healthy in 2020. Thompson is definitely a talented dual-threat quarterback that racked up 12,840 yards in high school.

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Roschon Johnson

Coming out of high school Johnson was quite the quarterback prospect having appeared in the Under Armour All-American game and an Elite 11 Finalist. Johnson showed just how versatile his skill set was when he made the change to running back due to the injury to Jordan Whittington that ended his season.

With Whittington coming back and the addition to Bijan Robinson, Johnson could find himself back in the quarterback battle with Thompson. Should Whittington move to another position like wide receiver then Roschon could find himself at running back once again due to need.

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Hudson Card

Early enrollee and incoming freshman quarterback will find himself in the mix during spring football. Card comes into Texas as the second-ranked dual-threat quarterback of the 2020 class.

Hudson was much like the others on the list, he played in the Under Armour All-American game and was an Elite 11 finalist. Card will be part of the spring camp and he will work on getting acclimated to the college game. He will be battling to be Ehlinger’s primary backup in 2020 and eventually the heir apparent for 2021.

Highest-rated signees from Texas football’s 2020 recruiting class

Get to know the five highest-rated signees from Texas football’s impressive 2020 recruiting class.

Texas has had an impressive 2020 recruiting class up to this point, currently rated No. 11 in the nation. National Signing Day on the first Wednesday of February could still increase their overall ranking among other programs.

Let’s get to know the five highest-rated signees who could make an immediate impact for the Longhorns this season, courtesy of 247Sports Composite.

Bijan Robinson, RB

  • No. 1 running back in the nation, No. 15 overall prospect
  • Five-star
  • Salpointe Catholic High School (Tucscon, AZ)
  • 6-0, 200 pounds
  • Pro comparison: Alvin Kamara
  • Signed Letter of Intent

Hudson Card, QB

  • No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the nation, No. 57 overall prospect
  • Four-star
  • Lake Travis High School (Austin, TX)
  • 6-2.5, 179 pounds
  • Pro Comparison: Will Grier
  • Early enrollee

Ja’Quinden Jackson, QB

  • No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the nation, No. 73 overall prospect
  • Four-star
  • Duncanville High School (Duncanville, TX)
  • 6-2, 219 pounds
  • Pro comparison: Dak Prescott
  • Signed Letter of Intent

Vernon Broughton, DT

  • No. 14 defensive tackle in the nation, No. 121 overall prospect
  • Four-star
  • Cy Ridge High School (Houston, TX)
  • 6-5, 286 pounds
  • Pro comparison: Chris Wormley
  • Early enrollee

Prince Dorbah, LB

  • No. 7 outside linebacker in the nation, No. 126 overall prospect
  • Four-star
  • Highland Park High School (Dallas, TX)
  • 6-2.5, 208 pounds
  • Pro comparison: D’Andre Walker
  • Signed Letter of Intent

Don’t forget about defensive end Alfred Collins. Currently graded as the No. 64 overall prospect in the country, Collins would be a significant addition to this class. He will be announcing his decision between Texas, Oklahoma, or Alabama on National Signing Day.

If Collins does in fact choose Texas, he would be the third-highest rated prospect in this class. Fortunately for the Longhorns, it’s at a critical position of need as well.

Ehlinger will be returning for his senior season, but the battle between Card and Jackson on who will be his successor will be an interesting one to watch.

Final 247 Rankings: Texas Have Number Two and Three Dual Threat Quarterbacks

The Texas Longhorns have signed the number two and three dual threat quarterbacks according to the 247 final rankings of 2020.

Recently 247 posted their final rankings for the 2020 recruiting class. Bijan Robinson was once ranked as the number two running back before being bumped up. Two other 2020 Texas Longhorns signees are in the top three at their position.

Hudson Card

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Former Austin Lake Travis quarterback Hudson Card finishes as the number two dual threat quarterback in the state and seventh overall. Card has drawn comparisons to former West Virginia and Florida quarterback Will Grier. Card has shown the ability to win from the pocket but don’t be fooled, Hudson can beat you with his legs and he has shown the ability to do it often.  Card was an Elite 11 finalist and was named to the Under Armour All-American game roster.

Ja’Quinden Jackson

Jackson is the second of the dual threat quarterbacks to sign with Texas as part of their 2020 recruiting class. Jackson played Duncanville in the Dallas-Ft Worth metroplex. He is the third-ranked dual threat quarterback and 10th overall in the state. Jackson was also on the roster for the Under Armour All-American game but a torn ACL ended his season in the state semifinal playoff game. Jackson has drawn comparisons to Vince Young and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

For these two quarterbacks, their battle will begin in the spring of the 2021 Texas football season. Sam Ehlinger in place to start for the 2020 season and Jackson and Card will duke it out to see who will be the heir apparent in Texas. Quite the battle is ahead for the two of the top three dual quarterbacks in the state of Texas.

 

WATCH: 2020 Texas football commits arrive to campus

Several of Texas’ top-rated 2020 football commits have arrived on campus to get a head start on their collegiate careers.

Several high school athletes strive to graduate early in December. This allows the freshman to enroll on campus in the spring semester, where they can take full advantage of college training staff and weight rooms before the season begins.

Although five-star running back Bijan Robinson and four-star outside linebacker Prince Dorbah are in Hawaii participating in the Polynesian Bowl, it appears a large portion of the Longhorns top-rated 2020 commits have already arrived on campus.

Four-star defensive tackle Vernon Broughton, four-star offensive lineman Logan Parr, four-star safety Xavion Alford, and four-star dual threat quarterback Hudson Card have all arrived in Austin to get a head start on their collegiate careers.

Recapping Texas’ national signing day

Going into today, Texas had 16 commitments. None of them flipped, making the Longhorns a perfect 16 for 16 on National Signing Day.

Going into today, Texas had 16 commitments. None of them flipped, making the Longhorns a perfect 16 for 16 on National Signing Day. While there may have been some other distractions, it was still an overall good day for the Longhorns. They finished in the top 10 of the 247Sports rankings, coming in at No. 10. As for ranking in the Big 12, Texas beat Oklahoma by one spot for the best 2020 class in the conference.

Here is a recap of Texas’ national signing day:

Five-star recruits

RB Bijan Robinson

Four-star recruits

QB Hudson Card, ATH Ja’Quinden Jackson, DT Vernon Broughton, OLB Prince Dorbah, S Xavion Alford, CB Kitan Crawford, S Jerrin Thompson, C Jake Majors, OT Jaylen Garth, WR Troy Omeire, G Logan Parr, T Andrej Karic

Three-star recruits

ATH Jaden Hullaby, WR Dajon Harrison, DT Sawyer Goram-Welch

The name to get most excited about is Bijan Robinson. In his high school career, he rushed for over 7,000 yards and scored over 100 touchdowns over four years. He had 35+ touchdowns in his final two seasons, reaching as high as 38 in his senior year. This season, the Longhorns struggled with depth in the running back room and Robinson will instantly make an impact in Austin.

Two other names to keep an eye out for are Hudson Card and Ja’Quinden Jackson. Card is a dual-threat quarterback from Austin, while Jackson is listed as an athlete on 247Sports. Jackson played quarterback in high school for Duncanville High School. Both of these guys will have a great opportunity to take over after Sam Ehlinger’s final season as quarterback.

It was a big day on the offensive line, signing four different four-star prospects. All from the state of Texas, Jaylen Garth and Andrej Karic come in as tackles, while Jake Majors is a center, and Logan Parr is a guard. With two seniors leaving on the offensive line after this season, one of these players may have a chance to start right away for the Longhorns.

Texas now focuses its attention on the bowl game, where they will play Utah in the Alamo Bowl. You can catch the game on New Year’s Eve at 6:30 p.m. CST on ESPN.

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Two quarterbacks sign with Texas

The first of two National Signing Days are taking place today. UT started the day out strong, locking up two of their top recruits.

The early signing period is finally here and the first of two National Signing Days are taking place today. The Longhorns started the day out strong, as they locked two of their top recruits.

Ja’Quinden Jackson from Duncanville, TX and Hudson Card from Austin, TX both signed their national letter of intent this morning, making their verbal commitment official. Both players are quarterbacks, each playing at Texas high school football’s highest division. Each of them are a four star recruits and they are currently the two highest signed players so far today, according to 247Sports.

Jackson is officially listed as an athlete according to 247Sports, but played quarterback at Duncanville High School. In his playoff semi final game, it is being reported that he tore his ACL and will be out for awhile.

Getting another quarterback out of the Austin area, Card went to Lake Travis High School. He has been committed to Texas since May of 2018 and has been wanting to be a Longhorn for most of his life.

Having depth at quarterback is always a good thing and Texas has that with these two signees. Sam Ehlinger is expected to come back for his senior season, but third string Roschon Johnson played running back all season. A quarterback room of Ehlinger, Casey Thompson, Johnson, Jackson, and Card will provide the Longhorns with depth for years.

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