Tag: texas longhorns football schedule

Monday Big 12 morning rush: Headlines from around the conference

The Big 12 morning rush headlines that include Houston Miller returning to football, bad coach firings and the Baylor running back duo.

Each morning Longhorns Wire will share the top stories from around the Big 12 Conference. For this edition of the Big 12 Morning Twitter, Sports Illustrated, and 247Sports provide the headlines.

Texas Tech defensive lineman who declared for the 2020 NFL Draft in January has reportedly transferred to an FCS school

Prior to the 2020 NFL Draft Houston Miller of Texas Tech declared. Despite not being highly regarded, Miller wanted to try and make the jump to the NFL. After going going undrafted, he returns to school but this time at the FCS level. Once a player declares but goes undrafted they forfeit any remaining eligibility at the FBS level.

At Southeastern Louisiana, Miller will be eligible to play immediately in 2020.  The upcoming season would serve as his final year of eligibility, unless he were to pursue a sixth season from the NCAA.

Miller was a three-star member of the Texas Tech football Class of 2016.  The lineman played his high school football in Keller, Texas. – John Taylor, College Football Talk

The worst coach firings of the last 15 years

247Sports put together a list on the worst firings in college football over the last decade plus. Former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach made the list. The Red Raiders saw their most success under Leach and since his firing, they haven’t finished with a winning record in conference play since.

Ok, so we’re going to make a slight exception here as Mike Leach was fired in the aftermath of a player mistreatment claim in 2009 which coincided with a rocky relationship with Texas Tech brass and days prior to a guaranteed bonus in his contract. The circumstances and claims have been hotly debated and disputed in the time since and Leach has been vetted and hired by two Power Five programs since that time.

Leach’s resume at Texas Tech is well known. He led the program to its best run in about 40 years and reshaping modern offensive football along the way. The high mark of Leach’s tenure was the 11-win campaign in 2008 (his next to last season in Lubbock) that saw the Red Raiders take down then No. 1 Texas, reach No. 2 in the polls and finish with a 7-1 conference record among what might be the strongest group of teams in Big 12 history.

Former NFL scout: Baylor RBs ‘quietly one of CFB’s best’

“The Baylor RB duo of John Lovett and Trestan Ebner is quietly one of CFB’s best,” Nagy said Saturday on Twitter, publishing side-by-side pictures of the two in a tweet. “Lovett is a tough, durable 212-(pounder) that gives (Baylor football) a physical presence. (The Senior Bowl) staff loves Ebner’s upside as mismatch in pass game and he can roll.”

During the Bears’ breakout 2019 campaign, Lovett rushed for a single-season career-high 665 yards and 6.4 per-carry average. Lovett took 103 totes and scored five touchdowns in all 14 games, also catching eight passe for a personal-best 66 yards (8.3 average). – Garrett Stepien, 247Sports

Tom Herman remains optimistic with 2020 schedule: “We still have time”

Texas head coach Tom Herman remains optimistic regarding the upcoming football schedule, appreciates the Big 12 taking their time.

Texas head coach Tom Herman believes it’s a promising sign that the Big 12 has not announced any concrete scheduling-affecting decisions yet. Continue reading “Tom Herman remains optimistic with 2020 schedule: “We still have time””

Texas QB Sam Ehlinger selected to Manning Award watch list

For the second-straight year, Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger was named to the Manning Award watch list.

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger continues to add to his list of preseason honors. Continue reading “Texas QB Sam Ehlinger selected to Manning Award watch list”

Texas football roster breakdown: Z-Receiver

Brennan Eagles will be taking over as X-receiver and UT will be in search of a new Z-receiver. Here is a breakdown of the Z-receiver for UT.

Brennan Eagles played the role of Texas’ Z-receiver last season, playing opposite of Collin Johnson. Now, Eagles will be taking over as the main outside receiver and the X position and the Longhorns will be in search of a new Z-receiver.

It will be full of inexperienced players, from a graduate transfer to a redshirt sophomore with only six games of experience. A freshman could even make an impact in Mike Yurcich’s offense.

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

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Longhorns Profile Snapshot: No. 50 Byron Vaughns

LonghornsWire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Texas roster. Today, we will be looking at soph. Jack Byron Vaughuns.

Going into the 2020 football season, LonghornsWire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Texas roster.

Over the summer, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Tom Herman this season.

Today, we will be looking at sophomore Jack Byron Vaughuns.

Bryon Vaughns, Jack

Height: 6-4 / Weight: 225

Class: Sophomore

Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas

High School: Eastern Hills

HS ranking (247Sports): Three-star / No. 31 position / No. 55 in-state

Analysis: A new position in Chris Ash’s defense, the Jack position could change Texas’ defensive line struggles. Joseph Ossai is the no-doubt starter but his backup will be sophomore Byron Vaughns.

Coming out of Fort Worth, Texas, Vaughns played in the final 10 regular-season games. He had 14 tackles throughout the year and 10 of them were solo tackles. Unfortunately, Vaughns did not get to participate in the bowl game against Utah as he was sent home.

The defensive line was the downfall of the Longhorns’ defense last season. With Chris Ash implementing the Jack position, the pass rush will significantly improve. When Ossai is on the sidelines getting a rest, Vaughns will have to fulfill a key position for Texas.

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Big 12 Conference should keep an eye on the Pac-12 dispute

The Pac 12 Conference has a labor dispute on their hands. How they handle it could impact the Big 12 and other Power Five conferences.

For years there has been an argument on paying college athletes. The NCAA rules have prevented the players from earning any money while maintaining amateur status and playing for their college of choice. We all remember the last time it occurred. You have seen the movie about the Pony Express. SMU’s football program was given the death penalty after paying their players.

Many thought that we were heading in the right direction with NIL bill (name, image, likeness) that would allow players to earn money off their own names. While there has been some progress, it was still in it’s infancy stage. However, while that has been a work in progress the athletes of the Pac-12 Conference have gone ahead and taken things into their own hands.

According to the Players Tribune, they have made a list of demands or they will boycott the season. Some of those demands directly reflect the COVID-19 situation as college football seasons draws near. While other demands are in regards to pay for players. This has been brewing for some time now before the demands were made known to the public.

COVID-19 Protections

Allow option not to play during the pandemic without losing athletics eligibility or spot on our team’s roster.

Prohibit/void COVID-19 agreements that waive liability.

Their first set of demands according to the Players Tribune concern COVID-19 agreements. Next we will look at the demands concerning pay for administrators, staff and the commissioner.

Preserve All Existing Sports by Eliminating Excessive Expenditures

Larry Scott, administrators, and coaches to voluntarily and drastically reduce excessive pay.

The demands go on to list ways to combat social injustice such as civic-engagement task force, assist those who come from low-income households and help with medical expenses. Then there are the requests for proper financial compensation.

Fair Market Pay, Rights, & Freedoms

Distribute 50% of each sport’s total conference revenue evenly among athletes in their respective sports.

The list of demands has sparked conversation nationwide about how college football and fall sports could function under these demands? As previously stated, NCAA rules prevent athletes from being paid. The conference would likely need to separate from the NCAA unless they drastically changed their rules. If you read about the potential for Power Five conferences hosting their own championship, this was already a possibility.

If the Pac-12 gave in to these demands, the remaining Power Five conferences would have to follow suit. For the Texas Longhorns, they earned $156.1 million in revenue last season. For a split among the players, it would come out to about $780,000 per player based on 100 players on the team. If you calculate it by the Big 12 it comes out to about $312,5000.

This just creates more questions based on do they take out money for tuition? Do they keep their scholarships? Are all athletes paid the same? Do preferred walk ons gets a smaller amount? This is a huge dispute that the whole college football world will be monitoring.

Stay tuned to Longhorns Wire as we keep you up to date.

Could Texas land another blue chip wide receiver?

The Longhorns recently landed a commitment from 2022 receiver Phaizon Wilson, could Ketron Jackson be the next to Austin?

Tom Herman and the Texas Longhorns recently secured their first commitment in the 2022 recruiting cycle. They landed a blue chip talent from Lancaster, Phaizon Wilson. Wilson could become the next top wide receiver for the Longhorns once he gets to campus. However another blue chip talent at the position could be coming to the Forty Acres a little sooner than 2022.

Following the 2019 season the Longhorns lost both Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay to the NFL Draft. Both players were listed as blue chip talents as four-star prospects. This year they are expected to be replaced by some combination of Brennan Eagles, Jake Smith, Jordan Whittinton, Joshua Moore and newcomer Tarik Black. It still remains unclear who will remain standing when the dust has settled.

Looking forward to the 2021 recruiting class, could the Longhorns find yet another blue chip talent for the new look Mike Yurcich offense? Billy Bowman is a part of that group and the second-highest rated commitment behind teammate Ja’Tavion Sanders. Both players are listed as athletes and both play wide out for Denton Ryan. Sanders is likely playing defensive end while there is an unknown element with Bowman.

Will Bowman play slot receiver or defensive back? Many feel it will likely be receiver since he is so dangerous with the ball in his hands as a return specialist. Outside of Bowman, there could be another receiver on the way to Austin, Ketron Jackson of Royse City is picking up steam.

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Up until recently Jackson was predicted to go with fellow Big 12 school Texas Christian or with an old rival in Arkansas. Now the Longhorns are in the mix and crystal ball predictions are giving them the edge. Texas offered him back in March and in the past 48 hours it seems like many feel like it is a done deal.

Jackson fits the mold of some of the recent Longhorn receivers such as Marquise Goodwin or John Burt. He is a football player who also competes in track. His athletic prowess could be on full display very soon under the lights of Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Could the Power Five conferences host their own fall championships?

If the NCAA cancelled fall championships due to concerns over COVID-19, could the Power Five conferences create their own?

A lot has changed in the landscape of college athletics in the six months since novel coronavirus spread to the United States. The Big 12 Conference basketball tournament was cancelled. That was followed up with the NCAA Tournament and then all college athletics soon followed. It left a lot of doubt as to whether there would be college football in the fall.

There is still plenty of concern surround the idea of a full college football season in 2020. The situation surrounding the Miami Marlins and Major League Baseball creates more concern over if they can finish a football season. If they are able to finish the year, what could they mean when it comes to fall championships? Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated makes the case for the Power Five conferences hosting their own.

In anticipation of the NCAA Board of Governors potentially canceling or postponing fall sports championships, Power 5 conference leaders have begun exploring the possibility of staging their own championships in those affected sports, multiple sources have told Sports Illustrated. This could be seen as a first step toward a long-theorized breakaway from the NCAA by the 65 schools that play college sports at the highest level.

In recent days, Power 5 conference officials began seeking feedback from their members about the feasibility of staging their own championships during the fall, sources told SI. When asked if such a move away from the NCAA championship structure could be seen as a precedent-setting rift between the national governing body of college sports and the Power 5, one athletic director said, “If I were (NCAA president Mark) Emmert, I’d be really worried about it. He’s got to keep the Power 5 together.”

Another Power 5 athletic director said he thinks the chances of breakaway fall championships are remote, but added, “I think this is representative of the poor relationship between the (NCAA) national office and our conferences.”

When it comes to Division I football, it is the Power Five conferences that truly run college football. A breakaway from the NCAA with hosting their own fall sports championships could shake the foundation it currently stands on. Especially since the foundation it is built on is shaky to begin with. NCAA has sat and watched as the Power Five schools, conference and leadership have made their decisions on the upcoming season. As stated in Dellenger’s article, this could cause a crack in the armor to grow. Essentially burning the whole thing down to the ground.

Sunday Big 12 morning rush: Headlines from around the conference

The latest morning rush headlines from around the Big 12 including a local product heading to Kansas over Texas and Baylor.

Each morning Longhorns Wire will share the top stories from around the Big 12 Conference. For this edition of the Big 12 Morning Twitter, Sports Illustrated, and 247Sports provide the headlines.

Austin native K.J. Adams chooses Kansas over staying home

Austin Westlake power forward K.J. Adams decided to stay somewhat close to home and play basketball in the Big 12 conference. However, he didn’t choose to stay in his hometown of Austin, Texas. Instead he chose Kansas over Georgetown, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor and yes Texas. The 2021 power forward is the 16th ranked power forward in the country and is set to play for the Jayhawks and Bill Self.

How Bringing in BYU Solves Every Big 12 Scheduling Dilemma

It was recently reported by Matt Mosely that the Big 12 wouldn’t consider bringing in Brigham Young University. However, desperate times call for desperate measures right? AllSooners of Sports Illustrated highlighted how adding BYU even for one season would fix their scheduling woes in 2020.

Start with the numbers: 10 games spread over 15 Saturdays, from Week 0 (Aug. 29) to Week 14 (Dec. 5), although there’s been much discussion about adding yet another week and pushing the regular-season finales to Dec. 12 — 16 weeks in all.

Try to keep the Thursday and Friday matchups where they are for TV purposes, and build around that if possible. With the final games on Dec. 12 and the Big 12 championship game pushed back to Dec. 19 (essentially what the Pac-12 announced on Friday), that would give every Big 12 team seven open dates to cope with positive COVID-19 test results if they happen, and thus manage rosters.

To start, do away with all existing non-conference games. Simple as that. Let the FCS and Group of 5 opponents figure out their own schedules.

Report: Big 12 closing in on preferred scheduling model for 2020

The Big 12 Conference is the last man standing so to speak. Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and the conference have yet to announce their 2020 schedule plans unlike their Power Five brothers. Jeff Howe of Horns 247 says that the announcement is coming in the next couple of days.

Texas has two Group of Five opponents left on the schedule, both of which are to be played at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium: USF on Sept. 5 and UTEP on Sept. 19. If the league is planning on beginning league play in late September and goes to a plus-one scheduling model, the likely scenario would be the Miners coming to Austin to play the Longhorns before Texas opens conference play Oct. 3 with a road trip to K-State.

In theory, there’s a way Texas could play a full 12-game schedule. The Longhorns have the option to move their season opener to Aug. 29 (Kansas and Oklahoma are both due to kick off on the last Saturday in August) and they could potentially add an in-state opponent to fill the void created by the LSU cancelation, likely from Conference USA if Texas went down that road (the Jayhawks added a game with FCS Southern Illinois while the Sooners merely moved their game with Missouri State from September to August, which allowed them to begin preseason practice Friday).

Longhorns Profile Snapshot: No. 49 Ta’Quon Graham

LonghornsWire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Texas roster. Today, we will be looking at senior DE Ta’Quon Graham.

Going into the 2020 football season, LonghornsWire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Texas roster.

Over the summer, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Tom Herman this season.

Today, we will be looking at senior defensive end Ta’Quon Graham.

Ta’Quon Graham, Defensive end

Height: 6-4 / Weight: 294

Class: Senior

Hometown: Temple, Texas

High School: Temple

HS ranking (247Sports): Four-star / No. 214 overall / No. 15 position / No. 29 in-state

HS ranking (Rivals): Three-star / No. 22 position / No. 56 in-state

Analysis: A member of Tom Herman’s first recruiting class in 2017, Ta’Quon Graham was the top defensive player in the class. Rated a four-star on the 247Sports composite, the defensive end has been a key member of the Texas defense the past two seasons.

Graham started in all 13 games last season on a defensive line that struggled. He finished with 31 tackles, 12 which for a loss, and 3.5 sacks. He finished second on the team in sacks, only behind Joseph Ossai.

Now, Graham is going to be the player who determines how much improvement the defensive line sees. Ossai is going to be consistent from the Jack position. If Graham can creep closer to double-digit sacks, the Longhorns will have a top defensive line in the Big 12.

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