Tag: Texas football recruiting

Report: Cowboys highly interested in Texas RB Bijan Robinson

The Dallas Cowboys are giving significant consideration to Bijan Robinson.

Texas running back Bijan Robinson might stay in the same state after all. On Monday we learned that the Dallas Cowboys would welcome the big-time prospect should he fall to them or a couple picks before.

Dallas Cowboys writer Patrik Walker reported that the team would consider drafting him should they get the opportunity.

“If Bijan Robinson falls to near the Cowboys, he becomes a major consideration for Dallas, (per Stephen Jones),” Walker wrote. “Question then becomes how far is close enough to get on the phone?”

That’s the question many are asking about the rare talent. Some consider him reminiscent of Detroit Lions and Oklahoma State great Barry Sanders. In recent days we learned that Sanders views the great player in high esteem.

Walker shared his thoughts on when Robinson would be drafted, stating, “19th-overall is when you get on the horn and try to go get him … he’s likely gone no later than 15, but probably top 10.”

Bijan has demonstrated his value. We’ll continue to follow which NFL teams are looking to bring him in heading up to the draft.

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Looking Ahead: 10 players who could take over Red River in 2023

We predict Longhorns and Sooners who could take over the Red River game in 2023.

The Red River Rivalry is one of the greatest spectacles in college sports. It can also be one of the most unpredictable games of the college football season. On rare occasions the heavy underdog wins. Texas enjoyed that distinction in 2013 and 2015, while Oklahoma earned upset wins in 2020 and in the 1990s.

One consistent factor since the Longhorns big upset in 2015 has been that the winning team has one particular player take over the game. Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield took over the 2017 game while Sam Ehlinger proved an unstoppable force in 2018. Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb owned the 2019 game, while Bijan Robinson put up highlights of his own in 2022.

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This year, the Longhorns have more star power than the Sooners, but both teams possess enough talent to make this an epic clash after last year’s game. Here’s a look at the 10 most likely candidates to take over the Red River Shootout this season.

Texas Football: Ranking the top 10 players after spring sessions

We discuss who are the team’s ten best players heading into 2023.

The Longhorns are loaded as they emerge from spring football. We’ve discussed the depth of the quarterback room, but it truly extends across the entire roster.

The greatest strength is without a doubt the receiver room which features matchup nightmares across the board. It’s the arsenal of pass catchers we thought the team had last season before jump ball target Isaiah Neyor suffered injury and elite talents Jahleel Billingsley and Agiye Hall were unable to embrace team culture.

This group of wide receivers in deeper and bought in for the 2023 season. Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington and Ja’Tavion Sanders stand as certain, proven commodities after strong 2022 campaigns. The Longhorns add transfer wide receiver AD Mitchell and freshman receivers Johntay Cook and DeAndre Moore to the fold among other talented players.

The aforementioned Neyor and Arkansas transfer safety Jalen Catalon have the ability to raise the team’s ceiling to the sky. Given the immense amount of talent on the team, let’s rank the surest contributors to the 2023 squad.

10 thoughts on the Texas quarterback room for 2023

This quarterback room is special.

The Texas quarterback room is the best in the Big 12 conference. That much is clear after an impressive spring from Longhorns quarterbacks Maalik Murphy and Quinn Ewers. Both players acquitted themselves well against any doubt in their ability to make plays.

I am usually of the opinion that when your starting quarterback goes down at the college level you probably shouldn’t expect to win games. Presently, Texas is in the position where it can expect to win if Maalik Murphy needs to come into a game to relieve Quinn Ewers.

It’s uncertain if Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian will be afforded that luxury with several opposing teams in search of quarterback help. For now, the Longhorns are injury proof at quarterback in their two-deep.

Here’s a look at 10 judgments on the quarterback room as we exit spring ball.

Georgia DT Bear Alexander to choose between Texas, others on Sunday

Bear Alexander has set his announcement date.

Georgia transfer defensive tackle Bear Alexander is set to make his transfer decision on Sunday. The choice of destination could have have a huge impact on the college football world in 2023.

The heavy favorite and likely pick for Alexander is Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans. The move would abandon defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s philosophy on defensive linemen and give Southern California a huge presence on the inside.

Texas was also listed as one of the top schools for the former Denton Ryan football player. Albeit as of Friday the Longhorns were not likely to push hard for the interior defensive linemen according to Inside Texas. There’s a real possibility the talented player simply listed the team as one of his top schools to add to suspense.

Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis already added veteran depth at defensive tackle with Trill Carter from Minnesota. Time will tell if the Longhorns are a serious contender in the race.

Alexander is set to choose between USC, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, Miami and Penn State on Sunday night.

On3 Sports: Alabama starting QB vs. Texas might not be on their roster

Alabama might not start Milroe or Simpson against Texas this year.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban and his coaching staff do not appear satisfied with the quarterback room. Saban could be looking for an upgrade according to one college football analyst.

Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports wrote the following about the Crimson Tide quarterback battle.

It seems like Alabama could still have interest in adding another QB if a certain caliber of player hits the transfer portal market in the coming weeks.

That quote should give Texas fans pause after how strongly Maalik Murphy performed at quarterback in the spring game. Aside from that, it speaks to the level of uncertainty and urgency in Tuscaloosa after losing one of the school’s best ever quarterbacks in Bryce Young.

The urgency will certainly be there for the Crimson Tide’s heavyweight bout with the Longhorns in Week 2. The only question is, who will the Tide lean on to score points in new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees’ offense?

Last season, Texas felt uneasy about its quarterback room even into its fall camp position battle before righting the ship for Alabama. Nick Saban will hope to do the same in the upcoming months.

Is Texas QB Maalik Murphy being courted by other teams?

One analyst implies schools are probably already tampering to court Maalik Murphy.

Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy set the field ablaze with a strong spring game performance on Saturday. One college football analyst thinks he could already be seeing attention from other schools despite not being in the transfer portal.

Late Kick podcast host Josh Pate said the following after Murphy’s impressive showing.

(Murphy) opened some people’s eyes yesterday… I don’t just think in Austin, Texas. I think if you probably check his most recent followers on (social media), you’ll find staffers from all different sorts of schools following him. Now, I am not suggesting that anyone would ever preemptively tamper with anybody’s roster out there for a position like quarterback… except that I am.

Texas fans should be well aware of the tampering that goes on in college football. Last offseason saw the team fend off schools who tried to poach wide receiver Xavier Worthy and nickelback Jahdae Barron.

There are a handful of programs who have shown a penchant for doing whatever it takes to field a winning college football program. For that reason, it’s likely Murphy has already seen some interest from other schools. As to whether or not those efforts will go anywhere is still to be seen.

For now, it appears evident that Murphy is locked in with the school and coach that believed in him. Presently, he looks to be next in line to start following Quinn Ewers at Texas.

Report: Four-star RB Christian Clark sets official visit to Texas

One of the top rated running backs in the 2024 recruiting cycle is set to make an official visit to Texas.

One of the top rated running backs in the 2024 recruiting cycle is set to make an official visit to Texas. Inside Texas reports Christian Clark is expected to make the trip to Austin in June.

247Sports’ composite lists Clark as the No. 3 player in the state of Arizona and a top-300 prospect nationally. He holds close to 30 offers, including Alabama, Georgia, USC and Florida State.

Texas running backs coach Tashard Choice sees Clark as a potential star.

“He said that when he watched my film. He was like, ‘this is literally a mini Bijan, another one.’ That means a lot, that he recognizes my talent for Bijan’s because I think he should be a top-five pick this year.”

Clark rushed for 737 yards and 11 touchdowns on seven yards per carry, also showing versatility by snagging 37 passes for 368 yards and five scores in his junior season. He is a hard-nosed runner with excellent breakaway speed and physicality.

Texas sits in good shape with the talented ball carrier. The Longhorns received a recent recruiting prediction for Clark in their favor.

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Looking at Texas WR depth following the loss of Brenen Thompson

These six players weren’t going to be supplanted by Brenen Thompson on the depth chart.

Former Texas wide receiver Brenen Thompson is set to leave Austin, Texas. It appears he plans to transfer to The University of Oklahoma.

Thompson is an excellent athlete and has the ability to make a significant impact at his next stop. Nevertheless, there wasn’t a path onto the two-deep for the player this season due to transfer additions and one of the program’s best ever wide receiver recruiting classes.

We predicted in February that Thompson could fall in the depth chart after running track instead of participating in spring football. That wasn’t a knock against the talented player, but a reflection on how much the receiver room improves with transfer receivers AD Mitchell and Isaiah Neyor.

There wasn’t anything wrong with his decision to run track. Even so, it was head coach Steve Sarkisian’s prerogative to elevate players like Johntay Cook and Casey Cain for working with the team year round. Cook and Cain won that tie breaker and are more polished route runners presently.

Thompson wasn’t going to play many snaps at Texas this season. Here’s a look at the all but solidified two-deep of Longhorns receivers.

Stewart Mandel: “Texas could contend for a Big 12 title”

The Athletics’s Stewart Mandel, who had Texas going 4-8 last year, says the Longhorns could contend for the Big 12.

Texas football really appears to have turned a corner. Even one of the program’s most vocal critics appears to be drinking the burnt orange kool aid after an impressive showing in Saturday’s Orange and White game.

Stewart Mandel, the college football editor-in-chief for The Athletic, has higher expectations for the team than he had last season. If you recall, Mandel had the Longhorns going 4-8 in 2022. Apparently he read his crystal ball backwards as Texas finished the regular season with a record of 8-4.

On Wednesday, Mandel responded to a comment posed by an Oklahoma fan who voiced concerns that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has the Longhorns heading in the right direction. The Athletic’s editor had the following to say about Texas.

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“Against my better instincts, I came away from Saturday’s spring game feeling more optimism for the Horns than I expected,” Mandel wrote. “(Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers), who was underwhelming for most of his debut season, looked noticeably more polished than at any time last fall. Texas already had a lot of weapons at receiver even before adding Georgia transfer AD Mitchell, but I was particularly impressed with the running backs post-Bijan/Roschon.”

Mandel went as far as saying Texas could compete for the Big 12 if players up front, like defensive tackles Alfred Collins and Byron Murphy II, live up to expectations. If one of the team’s most vocal doubters views the Longhorns as a contender, perhaps this is the year they break through into meaningful football into late November and beyond.

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