Tag: Jake Smith

What we learned from Stephen F. Austin vs UTEP

UTEP got their season rolling against SFA on Saturday. Here are three things we learned about the Miners before their matchup with Texas:

Texas’ season begins six days from now on Sept. 12. It will be the first game played in Austin in 288 days. Hosting UTEP for the fifth ever time, it will be the Longhorns’ one and only nonconference game in this strange 2020 season.

The Miners’ season has already begun, getting one game under their belt before playing Texas. FCS opponent Stephen F. Austin traveled out west to El Paso, the first of three non-Conference USA games UTEP will play.

A low scoring affair, the Miners were once down 14-3 in the second quarter. They then scored 21 unanswered points to secure their first win of the season, 24-14. After only having one win in 2019, UTEP matched their season win total in just one game.

Luckily for Texas, they now get a full game’s worth of film on Dana Dimel’s 2020 squad. Yes, this should be considered a game the Longhorns easily win but any type of advantages given will be used by Tom Herman.

Here are three things we learned about UTEP before their matchup with the Longhorns:

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Report: Texas Longhorns freshman receiver opts out of 2020 season

The opt outs continue for the 2020 Texas Longhorns football team. A report from Anwar Richardson states that DaJon Harrison opts out.

The 2020 college football season has been one of the most odd in recent memory. From conference postponing their fall seasons to players suing their conference over that decision. Notable players such Micah Parsons, Ja’Marr Chase and others deciding on opting out of the year to prepare for upcoming NFL Draft.

The Texas Longhorns are no strangers to players opting out of the season. Running back Daniel Young, defensive lineman Marqez Bimage and offensive lineman Willie Tyler have all decided to opt out. The Texas football team can add one more name to the list in freshman wide receiver DaJon Harrison. This is according to a report from Rivals’ reporter Anwar Richardson who tweeted out the news on Thursday afternoon.

Harrison was on the back end of the depth chart behind Jake Smith and Jordan Whittington in the slot role. Harrison was a three-star recruit according to 247Sports composite rankings. He came in as the 87th ranked wide out in the country and 70th ranked recruit in the state of Texas. Harrison enrolled at Texas during the summer out of Hutto, Texas.

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Watch: Arizona WR coach breaks down newest Texas player Brenden Schooler

Check out these two videos from the newest Texas Longhorns wide receiver Brenden Schooler. He should be a weapon on offense.

The Texas Longhorns seem to be stocking up at the wide receiver position. They brought in Tarik Black from Michigan earlier in the offseason to help out a group that lost the production of Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson. Brennan Eagles, Jake Smith, Jordan Whittington and Joshua Moore all return and are expected to have large roles within the offense. However, it wasn’t enough bodies at the position and Texas felt the need to bring in another transfer wideout.

Brenden Schooler is the latest player to join the Texas Longhorns roster this week, making him the second after Gabriel Watson. Recently in the Longhorns latest scrimmage, Tom Herman mentioned that the team ran out 12 personnel all practice long due to the lack of bodies at the position. The team obviously being cautious this close to the start of the college football season.

Arizona wide receivers coach Taylor Mazzone broke down Schooler  back in December.

One on One tape from Oregon’s practices

The first thing that pops out is his precise route running. He is able to avoid being jammed at the line and creates some separation from the defender. This comes in handy creating a throwing window for the quarterback. He has soft hands which did well for him as a safety. Schooler can provide depth and experience at the wide receiver position as well as special teams. He should be able to carve out quite the role for himself in Mike Yurcich’s offense.

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We have a forum and message board now. Get in on the conversation about Texas Longhorns athletics by joining the Longhorns Wire Forum.

Texas Longhorns all set to kick off fall camp on Friday

With the 2020 college football season approaching, the Texas Longhorns are kicking off fall camp on Friday. Three groups to watch.

It has been a long time since we have seen the Longhorns on the football field in a practice setting. Ever since the team’s dismantling of Utah in the Valero Alamo Bowl, the countdown has been on. On Friday Texas makes their long awaited return to the practice fields on the Forty Acres.

With the start of fall camp in Austin, we can finally start to get a better understanding of what this team could potentially look like this season. Since spring football was cancelled many players trained at home during the pandemic in preparation of the upcoming season.

The defensive line unit is just one of the groups on the football team looking for answers. Joseph Ossai will be moving up from his linebacker spot to be more of a pass rusher in the new look Chris Ash defense as the ‘Jack’. Add in newcomer Alfred Collins to go along with Ta’Quon Graham, Keondre Coburn and Marquez Bimage. There should be plenty of excitement from the group.

On the other side of the ball there is the wide receiver group. Brennan Eagles spoke early on about not playing this season but the growing consensus thinks that he will play. Eagles moved in with quarterback Sam Ehlinger and that might be a reason why he decides to play. It seems like a lock that he would take over the ‘X’ receiver spot with Collin Johnson now in the NFL.

There there is Jordan Whittington but he is nursing an injury that likely will keep him out of practice. At least for now. Jake Smith has the opportunity to take a stranglehold on the slot role in this offense. Over the last several years, the slot receiver has been one of the most dangerous aspects of the offense. On the other side opposite of Eagles, we are eager to see how Tarik Black and Joshua Moore look. Who will get the leg up in the competition.

The running back spot is always a hot topic. Keaontay Ingram and Roschon Johnson return from the 2019 team. They will be joined by newcomer Bijan Robinson. While Ingram is nursing a hamstring injury, Johnson and Robinson have an opportunity to showcase their skills. This will be a time to shine for Bijan as he tries and get acclimated to the college game.

Wolverines Wire weighs in on Tarik Black addition in Texas

Isaiah Hole of Wolverines Wire part of the USA TODAY SMG weighed in on the addition of Tarik Black to the wide out group at Texas.

There has been plenty of talk surrounding the wide receivers on this roster. That is for good reason. Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay are gone after combining for 1,945 yards and 12 touchdowns. Brennan Eagles and Jake Smith are the leading receivers returning from the 2019 squad. They racked up a combined 796 yards and 12 touchdowns. While that is a good start, the team will need multiple players to step up in 2020.

Joshua Moore is expected to play a larger role in the upcoming season as well as Jordan Whittington provided he can stay healthy. The team also added Tarik Black from Michigan this past offseason via the transfer portal. Black has his own injury issues during his time in Ann Arbor. Trading Big Blue for the Forty Acres could just be one the top rated player from Connecticut needs.

Our brothers at Wolverines Wire recently spoke to us about the addition of Tarik Black to the wide receiver room.

Black showed extraordinary prowess as a true freshman, having the look of a bona fide No. 1 wide receiver in his first few games, but was lost for the season when he broke his foot in Week Three. In camp the next year, he was getting rave reviews, once again, but broke his other foot one week before the season opener. He returned midseason, but wasn’t heavily utilized.

He returned to the field healthy in 2019, but as the offense shifted to a more spread-oriented attack under new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, Black saw relatively few opportunities. He’s the type of wideout who would best thrive in either a traditional pro-style offense or more of an AIR RAID look. He’s tall, long, and can make contested catches.

Given his tenure at Michigan, a new opportunity will likely serve him better than it did in Ann Arbor. He has the promise of being a first-round-type receiver, but injuries have limited his emergence, and he was thus passed up on the depth chart in Ann Arbor. Getting a new chance in Texas, Black could thrive, especially if the offense is looking to get the ball downfield to a more prototypical X or Z receiver. – Isaiah Hole, Managing Editor of Wolverines Wire

Jake Smith sports a new jersey number

Texas’ offense is set to have a breakout season. One of the candidates to have the biggest role is WR, Jake Smith, will have a new number.

Texas’ offense is set to have a breakout season with new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. One of the candidates to play the biggest role is wide receiver, Jake Smith.

Dawning No. 16 during his freshman season, the now sophomore will have a new number on his jersey this season. Smith will be switching to No. 7 and sharing the number with junior safety Caden Sterns.

Smith caught 25 passes for 274 yards and six touchdowns last season. With Devin Duvernay off to the NFL, the sophomore is going to become Texas’ main slot receiver. He and Jordan Whittington will fight for playing time, but Smith has a year of experience.

The taking of No. 7 explains why graduate transfer Tarik Black will be wearing No. 0 for Texas. During his three seasons at Michigan, Black wore No. 7. Now, he will be the first player to ever sport the unique number for the Texas Longhorns.

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Locked on Longhorns Podcast: LSU game cancelled, Big 12 plans

Friday’s Locked on Longhorns podcast discusses the LSU-Texas cancellation and what are the Big 12’s plans moving forward?

Friday’s Locked on Longhorns is packed full of schedule news, recruiting and who should be on the Mount Rushmore of Big 12 running backs and more.

  • SEC officially announces a conference only schedule, LSU-Texas now cancelled.
  • Big 12 virtual media day cancelled.
  • What will the Big 12 do in terms of the schedule and when will it be announced?
  • Jake Smith and Tarik Black will have new jersey numbers in 2020
  • The NCAA will allow social justice patches
  • New helmets
  • Which Longhorns are featured on the Mount Rushmore of Big 12 running backs?
  • Tom Herman’s ambiguous tweet
  • Texas earns blue chip commitment for 2022

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Bellator 242 post-event facts: Aaron Pico’s presence felt in the record books

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 242, which took place Friday in Uncasville, Conn.

Bellator made its return from a 153-day hiatus brought on by the coronavirus pandemic on Friday with Bellator 242, which took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., with a main card that aired on Paramount and streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

A title eliminator in the bantamweight division served as the main event of the card as former longtime UFC contender [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) remained undefeated in his Bellator career when he outworked [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) to a unanimous decision.

Pettis’ performance closed out a seven-fight card that included a few notable feats. For more on the numbers, check below for 17 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 242.

* * * *

General

Betting favorites went 3-1 on the main card.

Betting favorites improved to 4-0 in Bellator main events this year.

Total fight time for the four-bout main card was 47:10.

Main card

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Pettis’ two-fight Bellator winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Pettis has earned 13 of his 20 career victories by decision. That includes 10 of his past 11 wins.

Bandejas has suffered two of his three Bellator losses by decision.

[autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) has earned two of his three Bellator victories by decision.

[autotag]Jordan Mein[/autotag] (31-13 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) was unsuccessful in his Bellator debut following a nine-fight UFC stint.

Mein fell to 2-3 since he returned from retirement in December 2016.

[autotag]Tywan Claxton[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

[autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] (6-3 MMA, 6-3 BMMA) improved to 6-2 since he dropped to the featherweight division in September 2017.

Pico earned the first submission victory of his career.

Pico’s six stoppage victories in Bellator featherweight competition are third most in divisional history behind A.J. McKee (11) and Patricio Freire (10).

Preliminary card

[autotag]Jake Smith[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Cass Bell[/autotag] (5-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) had his five-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

[autotag]Rudy Schaffroth[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 6-0.

Schaffroth suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Texas football roster breakdown: Y-Receiver

Jake Smith and Jordan Whittington are two names to watch for UT this season. Here is a breakdown of the Y-receiver position for UT in 2020:

Texas’ best receiver position last year was easily the Y-receiver with Devin Duvernay leading the way. The senior led the Longhorns in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns and was eventually drafted in the third round of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.

Losing the best player in the receiving core is going to hurt but the Y-receiver is loaded with youngsters ready to break out. Two highly recruited players out of high school, Jake Smith and Jordan Whittington are two names to watch for Texas this season.

With offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich switching to an offense which will see Sam Ehlinger throwing the ball more often, the slot receivers will become more involved. Not so much as a down the field vertical threat, but as playmakers across the entire field.

Here is a breakdown of the Y-receiver position for Texas in 2020:

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Texas football: What can we expect from a Mike Yurcich offense?

With the new offensive coordinator in Mike Yurcich now in control, what could the Texas Longhorns offense look like?

Prior to the Alamo Bowl game the Texas Longhorns and Tom Herman decided to go a different route on offense. Tim Beck was the offensive coordinator but he was reassigned and ultimately left to join the North Carolina State football team as their new offensive coordinator. The offense proceeded to score three points above their average for that game.

Arrival of Mike Yurcich

During the offseason the team decided to go with former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. He was coming off a one-year run at Ohio State as the passing game coordinator and quarterback coach for the Buckeyes. That explosive offense averaged close to 47 points per game. Yurcich is on record stating that their goal is 45 points per game. The Longhorns finished with 35.2 in 2019.

That is bold goal for Yurcich and the offense. During his time with Oklahoma State, he only hit that number once. In 2017, the Cowboys averaged 45 points per game. They finished third in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma and Texas Christian.

At Ohio State, Yurcich coached Justin Fields who accounted for 51 touchdowns and 3,757 yards of total offense. Now it is important to point out that no one is expecting Sam Ehlinger to be Justin Fields. However, in an apples to apples comparison Ehlinger accounted for 39 total touchdowns and 4,326 yards of total offense.

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