Tag: longhorns news

Texas Basketball: Five-star guard AJ Johnson commits to the Longhorns

Chris Beard has Texas’ basketball program rolling.

Chris Beard has Texas’ basketball program rolling at the moment. Less than a week following the Longhorns’ statement victory over Gonzaga, Texas just hit a home run on the recruiting trail.

Five-star guard AJ Johnson announced his commitment to Texas on Monday afternoon. He chose the Horns over the likes of Lousiville, LSU and professional opportunities.

“I chose Texas because I have seen what they do every day and the people around them. I just feel like it’s where I’ll be the most comfortable. Also, I chose Texas because of how they let their guards go and their fan base. The city of Austin is lit.”

Johnson ranks as the No. 2 combo guard in Calif. and the No. 15 overall player in the 247Sports composite. He joins fellow five-star Ron Holland as the second top-15 recruit for the Longhorns in the 2023 class.

Johnson is a true three-level scorer with a knack for hitting clutch shots. Chris Beard and the staff are ecstatic for Johnson to join the program.

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LOOK: Arch Manning and Colton Vasek enjoying their Texas visit

Arch Manning and Texas are still working to flip the Oklahoma commit.

Texas hosted a few star-studded visitors over the weekend for its matchup against Iowa State. Five-star quarterback Arch Manning and four-star EDGE Colton Vasek spent some time together during the Longhorns’ 24-21 win over the Cyclones.

Steve Sarkisian and the Texas staff are not giving up its purist of Vasek despite his commitment to rival Oklahoma. Vasek had a front-row seat for Texas’ dismantling of Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl a week ago. Getting him on campus this weekend could signify that Vasek is still considering the Longhorns.

Manning is the unquestioned leader of Texas’ 2023 recruiting class. He has been highly vocal about getting other top talents to join him in the burnt orange.

Texas’ class currently sits at No. 6 in the nation according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. A potential flip of Vasek would provide a massive piece to the puzzle for the Longhorns.

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Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders named John Mackey Award TE of the week

Ja’Tavion Sanders is emerging into a star for the Texas Longhorns. 

Second-year tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders is emerging into a star for the Texas Longhorns.

The former five-star spent much of his freshman season developing from the sidelines. Sanders has quickly become the alpha in the tight end room and is excelling in Steve Sarkisian’s offense.

Sanders is starting to get recognition for his efforts this year. He was named John Mackey Award tight end of the week for his two-touchdown performance against West Virginia. Sanders graded out as the Longhorns’ best player in the win.

Coach Sarkisian had glowing remarks about Sanders’ development in his Monday press conference.

“I love JT. I said it before and I’ll say it again; I’ll give him a lot of credit. In this day and age of the five-star recruit, it’s instant gratification. He’s supposed to walk in the door and become a starter the day that he gets here, because that’s what he hears on social media and that’s what everybody writes about, and all those things. When in reality, there’s this idea of development and developing players. I think JT put in a lot of work last year with Coach Banks.”

Texas has a special talent in Sanders. He is an exceptional pass catcher with improving blocking skills. No. 0 is on track to play football at the NFL level in the future.

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WR Agiye Hall finding a role in the Texas offense

Sarkisian hinted that we could be seeing more of the redshirt freshman wideout as early as this weekend. 

Texas wide receiver Agiye Hall hauled in his first pass as a Longhorn in the 37-34 loss to Texas Tech. Continue reading “WR Agiye Hall finding a role in the Texas offense”

Texas TE Ja’Tavion Sanders is primed for a breakout season

No doubt that Sanders will play a major role in the Longhorns’ offense this season.

Ja’Tavion Sanders did not see the field much during his freshman season in 2021. The former five-star played sparingly behind veteran tight ends Cade Brewer and Jared Wiley.

With both Brewer and Wiley moving on this offseason, an opportunity has presented itself for Sanders. Steve Sarkisian has had nothing but glowing things to say about Sanders’ development over the course of fall camp.

Sarkisian gave the nod for “best hands” to Sanders over the likes of Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington and Bijan Robinson. Looking at this clip from his senior year of high school, it is easy to see why.

With starting wide receiver Isaiah Neyor out for the season with an ACL injury, Sanders is one of the prime candidates to get some of those targets.

No doubt that Sanders will play a major role in the Longhorns’ offense this season. He is a special athlete ready to be unleashed.

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Former Texas QB Sam Ehlinger shines in Colts preseason opener

Sam Ehlinger put together a great showing in the Colts’ preseason opener against the Bills.

Sam Ehlinger’s second season in the NFL is off to a good start.

The former Texas quarterback put together a great showing in the Colts’ preseason opener against the Bills. Ehlinger completed 10 of 11 passes for 88 yards and two scores. He added 24 yards on the ground, using his feet to convert a few key first downs.

Ehlinger showed his ability to extend plays and find open receivers downfield. He rolled out to his right and threw a strike to Jelani Woods for his first touchdown of the game.

No. 11 struck again in the fourth quarter on a similar play in the red zone. A 12-yard touchdown pass from Ehlinger put the Colts up 23-10.

Ehlinger sits third in the Colts’ quarterback room behind proven veterans Matt Ryan and Nick Foles. Foles has been impressed with Ehlinger’s play during training camp.

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Texas’ D’Shawn Jamison selected to Paul Hornung Award watch list

Preseason honors continue to roll in for members of the Longhorns.

Preseason honors continue to roll in for members of the Longhorns as defensive back and return specialist D’Shawn Jamison has been named to the 2022 Paul Hornung Award watch list.

The honor is rewarded annually by the Louisville Sports Commission to the most versatile player in college football.

Jamison certainly fits the bill of a versatile player for Texas. The fifth-year senior has played in 48 games at multiple spots in the defensive backfield along with serving as the team’s primary kickoff and punt returner.

In his Texas career thus far Jamison has made 115 total tackles, snagged four interceptions and 10 pass breakups. On special teams he has brought back three kicks for scores while averaging 26.6 yards per kick return, both stats good for second in program history.

Here is a full look at the 2022 Paul Hornung Award watch list.

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LOOK: Arch Manning arrives in Austin for a huge recruiting event

Arch Manning is back on the Forty Acres.

The end of July marks a massive recruiting stretch for Steve Sarkisian and his Texas staff. The Longhorns are hosting some of the top prospects in the class of 2023 and 2024 for a BBQ recruiting event this weekend.

One of the most important visitors making the trip is five-star quarterback and Texas commit Arch Manning.

The No. 1 prospect in the country has served as a leader of Texas’ 2023 class since his commitment in June.

Manning’s name and talent holds lots of weight with other prospects. Playing with the top recruit in the nation is a major draw for Texas’ 2023 class. The Horns quickly landed 12 commits after Manning’s announcement.

Texas is working to keep its recruiting momentum rolling heading into the 2022 season. The Longhorns sit at No. 4 in the overall team class ranking and have the chance to compete for the top spot by February.

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Xavier Worthy and Isaiah Neyor named to Biletnikoff Award watch list

Texas’ wide receiver duo of Worthy and Neyor has the chance to be special.

Texas wide receiver duo Xavier Worthy and Isaiah Neyor have been named to the 2022 Biletnikoff Award watch list. An honor given to the best pass catcher in college football.

Worthy is entering the new season with tons of expectations after establishing himself as one the nation’s best wide receivers in 2021. The Calif. product had the best freshman season a Longhorn wideout has ever had. He hauled in 62 passes for 981 yards and 12 touchdowns, writing his name in Texas record books.

A major goal for Texas heading into this offseason was finding another talented pass catcher to pair with Worthy. Former Wyoming standout Isaiah Neyor is ready to fill that role.

Neyor is back in his home state of Texas after a breakout season with the Cowboys a year ago. It felt like every time he touched the ball it was an explosive play. Neyor totaled 878 yards and 12 touchdowns on an impressive 19.95 yards per catch clip.

Worthy and Neyor are already being tabbed as one of the best wide receiver duos in the country. They have the opportunity to take the Texas offense to the next level.

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Bijan Robinson believes last season’s struggles will benefit the Horns in 2022

Texas is using 2021 as a learning experience.

It is no secret Texas did not perform to expectations in 2021. Continue reading “Bijan Robinson believes last season’s struggles will benefit the Horns in 2022”