Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Texas held its first practice of fall camp on Wednesday.
Texas held its first practice of fall camp on Wednesday. Continue reading “LOOK: Photos of Texas players during first day of fall camp”
Former Alabama assistant and current Texas tight ends coach Jeff Banks had something interesting to say when asked what he had told his team in preparation of the Alabama-Texas game in September.
Former Alabama assistant and Texas tight ends coach Jeff Banks downplayed the Longhorns’ visit to Tuscaloosa in September when he was asked by the media.
Banks was Alabama’s special teams coordinator and tight ends coach from 2018-2020.
He joined former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian’s staff at Texas in 2021. Since then, he has served as Texas’ associate head coach, tight ends coach, and special teams coordinator.
“We’re just going to play another road game. Just as hard in Kansas and Iowa State and it is going to be in Tuscaloosa. It’s just bigger and more people,” Banks said.
Comparing playing Alabama to facing Kansas and Iowa State is an interesting choice. It being bigger with more people in attendance seems like it would make it very different than playing the Jayhawks and Cyclones.
This is a game between two of the biggest brands in college football that could impact the College Football Playoffs. The eyes of the nation will be on Tuscaloosa as the Longhorns seek revenge, while the Crimson Tide looks to reclaim the throne.
Alabama is scheduled to face Texas in Week 2 of the 2023 season. In 2022, the Crimson Tide defeated the Longhorns 20-19 in a tightly-contested battle. The much-anticipated matchup just got that much more interesting with Banks’ statement.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama football program.
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Did Jeff Banks add fuel to Alabama’s fire?
With college football nearly 30 days away many people are circling Texas’ Week 2 matchup against Alabama as one of the biggest games of the year.
Both schools are projected to be top-15 teams in the country, and they both have playoff aspirations. Alabama got the best of Texas in Austin last season, but it’s a game that Longhorns fans look back on as one that the team very well could have won. Texas ended up being without quarterback Quinn Ewers, who went down in the first quarter with an injury, and there were some controversial calls along the way.
Doing their part in the home-and-home series, Texas will head to Tuscaloosa this season. A game that will be played in front of a hostile sellout crowd of over 100,000. An environment that Texas doesn’t face much against other Big 12 schools, but one that many of the staffers in Texas are familiar with being that a handful of them came over from Alabama when Steve Sarkisian was hired.
One of those coaches is special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Jeff Banks, who was attempting to make the game seem like it was any other game on the schedule. He have gotten too bullish. When talking to the media, Banks claimed that playing at Alabama would be just like playing at Iowa State or Kansas.
Texas special coordinator Jeff Banks was asked what he'll tell his team about playing at Alabama, where he previously coached: "We're just going to play another road game. Just as hard in Kansas and Iowa State as it is going to be in Tuscaloosa. It's just bigger and more people."
— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) August 1, 2023
A statement that has since been making its rounds on the app X, formerly known as Twitter, with many fans questioning if it is disrespectful to Alabama.
Neither team will need any more motivation for that matchup, but this is certainly a comment that Alabama fans will be holding on to. If Texas does in fact lose the game, be ready for this statement to be brought up everyday for the rest of time.
Texas assistants, secure in their ability to coach, probably welcome the big name special assistant hires.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is swinging for the fence with his latest coaching hires. Understandably, some wonder the effect it will have on the rest of the staff.
It’s important to understand what role the new additions will play. They will simply supplement what Texas has in place. The current assistants already do their jobs well. The new hires will just add another viewpoint.
Texas assistants Kyle Flood and Jeff Banks are among the best coaches at their positions. Given their track record of excellent recruiting, they probably know their value. However, having two great minds to brainstorm an issue is better than having one.
It can be much easier to solve someone else’s problems than one’s own. That’s what these hires will help primary assistants to accomplish. New offensive assistant Paul Chryst might have the ability to zoom out to troubleshoot from afar while offensive line coach Kyle Flood makes adjustments up close.
Secure coaches aren’t intimidated by additions to the coaching staff. Great coaches will take all the help they can receive. If recent hires mesh well with the current staff, Texas could reach another level this season.
Steve Sarkisian adds former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst to his staff. https://t.co/0OGHkXN3Q9
— Longhorns Wire (@LonghornsWire) May 28, 2023
Can Texas really go wrong with Holmon Wiggins or Ra’Shaad Samples?
Holmon Wiggins are Ra’Shaad Samples each are linked as top targets for the Texas wide receiver coach opening. In my estimation, both would be huge wins for Texas. Continue reading “Why Holmon Wiggins and Ra’Shaad Samples would both be good hires for Texas WR coach”
Jeff Banks’ punt return unit may demand careful attention from Alabama this week.
Jeff Banks is one of the best special teams coordinators in college football. His ingenuity was on full display from the first punt return opportunity.
After forcing a three-and-out on the first defensive series, Texas sent its legion of speed to the ULM punter. D’Shawn Jamison ran through the punter before he could get the kick into the air. Keilan Robinson scooped up the football and scored, giving Texas seven points before the offense saw the field.
The aforementioned legion of speed doesn’t only attack punts. Alabama head coach Nick Saban noted Xavier Worthy’s 15 yards per return as something to watch.
Football isn’t necessarily a game of inches anymore, but winning the overlooked facets of the sport can dramatically improve win probability. You can’t win a game with special teams, but if it’s poor it can be the reason you lose.
Jeff Banks’ punt return unit may demand careful attention from Alabama this week. Should they ignore it, Texas could strike again on Saturday.
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Rare media day for these three, and they had plenty of topics to cover.
Texas football players reported for fall camp on Tuesday. Continue reading “Pete Kwiatkowski, Jeff Banks and Kyle Flood spoke with the media on Tuesday”
Texas offers Mater Dei’s tight end Spencer Shannon.
Steve Sarkisian and tight ends coach/special teams coordinator Jeff Banks extended an offer to 2023 tight end Spencer Shannon this week.
Shannon was on campus over the weekend for the Orange-White spring game. He spoke about his trip and what the Texas offer meant to him with 247Sports Greg Biggins.
That was really exciting for me. I’ve been talking with coach Banks a lot and he told me he wanted to offer me earlier but when he heard I was coming to visit, he thought it would be better to offer in person and it definitely made it special.
The three-star prospect from Mater Dei is quickly rising up the recruiting ranks. Shannon has picked up recent offers from the likes of Texas, UCLA, Notre Dame and Stanford.
Shannon’s 6-foot-7, 240-pound frame and athleticism provide him a high ceiling at the collegiate level. Texas likes to utilize the tight end position in their offense and Sark sees Shannon as an ideal fit for his scheme.
Spencer Shannon 2023 TE
Mater Dei High School
@MDFootball @ocelitefootball @GregBiggins @BrandonHuffman @DemetricDWarren @adamgorney @SaddlebackStre1 – https://t.co/eH2KV94MXO— Spencer Shannon (@Spencer1722) December 16, 2021
One man’s loss is another man’s gain.
Former five-star wide receiver Agiye Hall is now a Texas Longhorn. Continue reading “How does Agiye Hall effect the wide receiver room at Texas?”
A look at each of the eight members from the Alabama Crimson Tide football program to join Texas in the last two years.
The biggest nonconference game in the Big 12 ahead of conference play has to be the Texas Longhorns matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide. On Sept. 10, this will be the hottest ticket in town.
For the Longhorns faithful this is the first matchup since the 2010 BCS National Championship game. One of the biggest ‘what ifs’ in recent memory for Texas.
The game is monumental for a variety of other reasons as well. Texas will be joining the SEC in near future, which means a matchup of this magnitude will become common.
Texas recently added wide receiver transfer [autotag]Agiye Hall[/autotag] to the team for the 2022 season. He became the No. 8 former Alabama Crimson Tide member to join the Longhorns. This gives them yet another reason to tune in as the defending SEC Champs roll into Austin this upcoming season.
We break down each of the eight former Alabama players and staff to call Texas home this season.
