Tag: Terrance Brooks

Texas transfer cornerback Terrance Brooks commits to Illinois

Terrance Brooks appears to be heading to the Big Ten.

Terrance Brooks is on his way to the Big Ten conference. The former five-star cornerback has committed to the Illinois Fighting Illini in a significant addition for Illinois.

We’re still trying to understand exactly what went down between Brooks and Texas, but the talented cornerback was expected by some to start for the team again this season. In 2023 he put up three interceptions and six passes defended along with 20 tackles, but still wasn’t immune to allowing the big play.

The Illinois decision isn’t too difficult to understand when looking at their recent draft success. A season ago, the team saw three defensive backs drafted in the first three rounds. The first Illinois secondary player drafted was Devon Witherspoon with the No. 5 overall pick followed by Jartavius Martin at No. 47 and Sydney Brown at No. 66.

Brooks’ decision seems to revolve around NFL draft development and playing time rather than competing for a playoff spot.

Since 2012, the Illini have had just one winning season and went 5-7 in 2023. They face a relatively easy schedule, but one that might be more difficult than past seasons in the lesser division of the Big Ten.

Illinois plays host to Kansas, Michigan, Purdue, Minnesota and Michigan State with road games against Oregon, Penn State, Nebraska, Rutgers and Northwestern in the upcoming season. Presumably, Oregon, Michigan and Penn State eliminate the Illini from any playoff contention. Rutgers, Nebraska and Kansas could be difficult tests.

Texas will look to replace Brooks with its current roster ahead of its first season in the SEC.

Michigan football misses out on high-profile transfer target to Big Ten school

Shocking.

Michigan football hasn’t been particularly active in the transfer portal this offseason, but where it has, it’s been quite specific.

The Wolverines have only brought in a handful of transfers, ranging from Northwestern guard Josh Priebe, Maryland linebacker Jaishawn Barham, prodigal son Amorion Walker (who had left Ann Arbor for Ole Miss before coming back again), wide receiver C.J. Charleston, and kicker Dominic Zvada. But the maize and blue had hoped to bring in players like Kent State defensive tackle C.J. West, only to see him pledge to Indiana.

One of the big targets this spring has been former Texas Longhorns cornerback Terrance Brooks, who was slated to visit Ann Arbor next week. However, he didn’t make it that far, having committed to Illinois on the heels of his visit to Champaign.

Cornerback is a position of need after DJ Waller’s departure. While there are options to play there this year (Jyaire Hill and Ja’Den McBurrows are options), building out a deeper rotation has been in Michigan’s best interests.

With Brooks off the board, it’s unclear if the Wolverines will keep searching for another corner. But for the moment, the roster appears set.

Michigan football to host elite Texas transfer

Would be a big get if #Michigan sells him! #GoBlue

Michigan football hasn’t been as active in the transfer portal this cycle as last, instead acting as a sniper instead of taking in a larger quantity of eligible vagabonds.

Last year, the Wolverines got a ton of big names via the portal: LaDarius Henderson, Josaiah Stewart, Drake Nugent, Myles Hinton, AJ Barner, Jack Tuttle, Ernest Hausmann, and Josh Wallace. This year, the maize and blue brought in Josh Priebe, Jaishawn Barham, Dominic Zvada, and C.J. Charleston, but are looking to add some depth at some key positions.

One piece was Amorion Walker, the Michigan cornerback who had converted from wide receiver. He transferred to Ole Miss but transferred back after spring ball. Walker could play either side of the ball, but given that the Wolverines need wide receiver help, it would stand to reason that Michigan would seek out more cornerback depth.

Enter Terrance Brooks, the former Texas cornerback who was originally committed to Ohio State before flipping to the Longhorns. Last season for UT, Brooks had 20 tackles and three interceptions and showed incredible growth going from his first to second year.

According to 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Brooks will visit Ann Arbor next week to see what Sherrone Moore and company have to offer.

As a target in the transfer portal, Brooks is rated No. 106 overall and the 11th-best cornerback. Michigan has need for more cornerback depth with projected starter DJ Waller unexpectedly transferring to Kentucky. While Jyaire Hill figures into the mix to start opposite Will Johnson, Michigan hasn’t been shy about looking for more established options to shore up any potential lapses at any position group — hence bringing in Josh Wallace a year ago.

Of course, it would also add to the storylines in Week 2 when Michigan hosts Texas for the first-ever regular season matchup between the two storied programs.

MSU has reportedly contacted Texas transfer CB Terrance Brooks

MSU football is reportedly one of many schools to express interest in Texas transfer portal cornerback Terrance Brooks

Michigan State football is reportedly one of many schools to express interest in Texas transfer portal cornerback Terrance Brooks.

Hayes Fawcett of On3 is reporting that Brooks has received interest from more than 25 schools since entering the portal. Michigan State is one of those teams, with other notable programs reaching out to Brooks including Oregon, Michigan, USC, Florida State, Nebraska, Miami (FL), Colorado, Illinois, Arizona, Iowa, Indiana and Arizona State.

Brooks was a five-star prospect in the 2022 class. He recorded 20 total tackles, three interceptions and six passes defended this past season for Texas.

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Four Longhorns that can emerge as stars in 2023

These four players could explode in 2023.

The Texas Longhorns are being mentioned as the favorite to win the Big 12 this college football season and maybe even make a playoff appearance.

If they were to win the Big 12 it would be the first time they’ve done so since No. 12 (Colt McCoy) was leading the offense. When looking at this roster on paper combined with what we saw during the spring game, it is hard to think of a team from the past decade that looks as good as this one. However, even with all of the hype there are still players that have much to prove in 2023.

That is why I decided to pinpoint four emerging stars for Texas. These are names you absolutely need to look out for this upcoming season. Whether they were starters last season or not, these four Longhorns will have much higher expectations as Texas looks to return to glory.

Predicting the starting secondary for Texas football in 2023

The secondary looks to be a strength of the Longhorns’ defense in 2023.

The secondary looks to be a strength of the Longhorns’ defense in 2023. Texas has a great mix of returning production and an influx of talent in its defensive backfield.

Ryan Watts, Jerrin Thompson and Jahdae Barron have tons of snaps under their belts as Longhorns. They are joined by the transfer duo of Jalen Catalon and Gavin Holmes, along with some exciting young pieces.

Position battles between the defensive backs are one of the more intriguing storylines to follow in spring practice.

Wake Forest transfer Gavin Holmes and sophomore Terrance Brooks are competing for the cornerback spot across from Ryan Watts. Blue chip freshman Malik Muhammad is already turning heads as well.

Fourth-year safety Kitan Crawford is earning first-team snaps while Catalon deals with an injury. Crawford has been mentioned multiple times as one of the standouts of spring ball.

Texas has the chance to boast one of the best defenive back units in the Big 12 Conference. Here is a look a the predicted starter at each position ahead of the 2023 campaign.

Five freshmen to watch in Texas’ Orange-White spring game

These talented freshmen are ready to make their Texas debut.

Texas’ 2022 Orange-White spring game is filled with plenty of intriguing storylines. Continue reading “Five freshmen to watch in Texas’ Orange-White spring game”

247Sports identified three new Longhorns expected to have a breakout season in 2022

These young players can help turn the program around.

Steve Sarkisian and his staff went all in on adding new talent to the roster for the 2022 season.

The second year coach at Texas made it clear that he wanted over 30 new scholarship players on the roster this season, and they reached that mark with flying colors, while it’s still possible to add more.

The excitement and expectations surrounding the new players in Austin are seemingly growing by the moment, as Texas added what could be their best quarterback since Vince Young and Colt McCoy in Quinn Ewers. They also went out and got help in the secondary and at wide receiver.

Some of the players who line up on the outside are expected to be the ones that impact the team the most, as 247Sports identified three players that are poised for a breakout season. The trio consisted of two cornerbacks and one receiver.

Wyoming transfer Isaiah Neyor, Ohio State transfer Ryan Watts, and four-star prospect Terrance Brooks were the three players that 247Sports firmly believes will have huge impacts next season. Here is what Chip Brown said about the new Longhorns:

I’m hearing enough good things about 6-foot-3 Ohio State transfer cornerback Ryan Watts and early enrollee freshman cornerback Terrance Brooks that I’m ready to say they’ll have an immediate impact in 2022.

Brown went on to explain that he believes Watts has a good chance of replacing Josh Thompson as the starting cornerback alongside D’Shawn Jamison.

He did however go on to express that Brooks, who Texas flipped from Ohio State on national signing day, will be pushing both Jamison and Watts for significant playing time.

In regards to Neyor, 247Sports has extremely high expectations for the 6-foot-3 receiver who is expected to help form one of the most dangerous receiver duos in the country.

The new additions will surely help Texas turn around what was a dreadful season in 2021, and end the what seems to be an infinite stretch of mediocrity.

Texas, Steve Sarkisian among big winners on national signing day

Texas ended national signing day on a high note

The 2022 recruiting class is officially in the rearview mirror and for the Texas Longhorns, they couldn’t have done much better. They locked up the No. 5 overall class with their high school signees and incoming transfers.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian knew they needed to address the offense in a big way. They have one of, if not the best running back in the country. However, as we all know one man can do it alone. The team needed to give Bijan Robinson some help in the way of the offensive line and at quarterback. While Casey Thompson wasn’t bad, he wasn’t a world-beater. A lot can be attributed to his injured hand but Texas improved there with a former five-star quarterback and No. 1 recruit in Quinn Ewers.

The Horns beefed up the trenches as well as they landed two five-star offensive linemen in Kelvin Banks and Devon Campbell. The latter signed on Wednesday. According to the initial reaction from ESPN (subscription required), Sark and Texas were big winners on the day.

What ESPN Says…

John Gutierrez-USA TODAY Sports

The Longhorns had already put together an excellent offensive line class heading into Wednesday, with tackle Kelvin Banks (the No. 32 recruit overall), Neto Umeozulu (No. 53) and Cameron Williams (No. 283).

The staff added to that haul with five-star offensive lineman Devon Campbell. He chose Texas over Oklahoma and gives the coaches four ESPN 300 offensive line commits.

Campbell is the No. 9 prospect overall and could make an impact early on for the Longhorns.

It wasn’t just ESPN that praised the Longhorns after NSD, but USA TODAY Sports analyst Erick Smith was also signing their praises.

What Erick Smith Says…

Image courtesy of John Paull II High School (Nick Schiele)

You’re not supposed to pull off a top five class after going 5-7 in your first season. But that’s exactly what Steve Sarkisian did. More important than the ranking was the Longhorns addressing their biggest concern with seven offensive line additions, led by heralded prospects Kelvin Banks and Devon Campbell. DB Terrance Brooks leads a strong group of defenders. How quickly newcomers can make an impact could determine the team’s success in 2022 and 2023 as Sarkisian tries to rebuild the program with an SEC move on the horizon.

It’s one thing to win on the recruiting trail but now they need to put that plan to action in the spring and fall camps. We will find out just how good this team can be early on when they host Sark’s former team, the Alabama Crimson Tide in September.

Three Texas signees, two targets earn all-area selections by the Dallas Morning News

Several members of Texas’ 2022 recruiting class earned all-area selections by the Dallas Morning News this week.

Several members of Texas’ 2022 recruiting class earned all-area selections by the Dallas Morning News this week. Continue reading “Three Texas signees, two targets earn all-area selections by the Dallas Morning News”