Tag: Texas Longhorns

Sarkisian urged to follow Nick Saban’s example handling Texas QBs Ewers, Manning in playoffs

Steve Sarkisian is being urged to follow Nick Saban’s example handling Texas QBs Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning in college football playoffs.

Quinn Ewers uneven play over the last month of the 2024 season has opened back up questions about who should start at quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. With every Ewers misstep, the calls for Arch Manning grow louder.

Now, Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY Sports is using a moment from the Alabama Crimson Tide dynasty as an example and a road map for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. He suggests Sark be ready to make the same tough decision former Bama coach Nick Saban did in 2017. Remember when Saban replaced Jalen Hurts with Tua Tagovailoa in the national title game?

“Nick Saban made the best decision of his career when the stakes were highest.

Saban benched a quarterback who had a 25-2 record as his starter at halftime of the national championship game against Georgia at the end of the 2017 season.

Bold move.

Winning move.

Jalen Hurts watched from the sideline while true freshman Tua Tagovailoa rallied Alabama past a 13-point halftime deficit in that title tilt against Georgia. The Crimson Tide won 26-23 in overtime when Tagovailoa made one of the most memorable throws in Alabama history, a 41-yard touchdown strike on second-and-26.”
— Blake Toppmeyer

Sark wouldn’t join the Alabama staff until the next season, but he obviously knows the story. “The Texas coach would do well to remember it as his fifth-seeded Longhorns set off on their College Football Playoff course,” Toppmeyer says.

Hurts had done nothing but win at Alabama, but Saban recognized how the game was trending and turned to Tua. Ewers, with some help from Manning, has captained Texas to the college football playoffs. He has three full seasons and a college football playoff game of experience under his belt. But if the game against the Clemson Tigers isn’t trending his way, Toppmeyer suggests he turn to Arch. “Manning, in two seasons as a backup, has amassed more experience than Tagovailoa had before he rescued Alabama,” he says.

Of course, Sark doesn’t need anyone’s help and he doesn’t listen to outside voices. The Texas coach told Rich Eisen that’d it would be an “emotional nightmare” if he listened to everyone’s opinion. “I’m not really one to buy into the opinions of others or the criticism of others that I would never ask advice from,” Sarkisian said.

“Certainly, it’s fine – recommended, even – that Sarkisian tune out us hacks, as long as he doesn’t tune out reality, too, if Texas finds itself needing a spark the playoff.

With Ewers taking most of the snaps, Texas twice lost to Georgia, the only playoff team it faced all season. … Might the Longhorns have won that game if Sarkisian had benched Ewers in the second half in favor of Manning? Maybe, maybe not …”
— Blake Toppmeyer

Would getting replaced in the playoffs hurt Ewers’ career? It didn’t really Hurts. Hurts transferred to Oklahoma and has now been the starting QB for the first place Philadelphia Eagles for several years.

“Possessing two good quarterbacks on the same college roster should be a blessing, not a nightmare, but it only helps if a coach will trigger a quarterback change if the situation calls for it.

If Ewers struggles, Sarkisian must take inspiration from Saban.

The playoff favors the bold.”
– Black Toppmeyer.

Texas hosts Clemson at DKR Saturday afternoon at 3pm CT on TNT.

Will Texas Longhorns appear in the SEC Netflix Documentary?

Netflix and the Southeastern Conference will join forces to showcase the 2024 season.

Netflix is tapping into the world of College Football. The media company announced on Wednesday that they will have a new series that will feature the 2024 season of the Southeastern Conference.

The eight-episode series will offer viewers a 360-degree perspective on SEC football, taking them from the field to locker rooms, team buses, barbershops, and beyond. Each episode, running 45 minutes, will showcase the lives of players and coaches, offering unfiltered access to the stories behind the season.

“This behind-the-scenes docuseries will bring all the drama and pageantry of Southeastern Conference Football to a worldwide Netflix audience,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey told Netflix.

While the full slate of participating programs has been revealed, five prominent SEC schools — Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Texas — opted not to participate in the project, according to Brett McMurphy of Action Network.

The 11 programs featured in the series include Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt.

Among the highlights for fans will be the chance to witness Tennessee’s journey to the College Football Playoff (CFP), following a 10-2 regular season. Additionally, South Carolina’s impressive six-game winning streak to close out the season under head coach Shane Beamer will be highlighted.

It’s unfortunate that we did not get to see Texas’s first season within the Southeastern Conference. It is unclear whether the series will highlight additional years beyond the 2024 season.

The docuseries, executive produced by James Gay-Rees, Paul Martin, and Hillary Olsen for Box to Box Films, with Collin Orcutt serving as showrunner, is slated for release next summer. Fans across the SEC and beyond are eagerly awaiting this deep dive into one of the most electrifying seasons in college football history.

ESPN’s Rece Davis reveals his pick for Clemson-Texas playoff game on Saturday

The “College Gameday” host weighs in on Texas.

The No. 5 Texas Longhorns are set to face-off against the No. 12 Clemson Tigers on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff. ESPN Analyst Rece Davis didn’t hold back in his projection for the game.

The Longhorns enter the game as an 11.5-point favorite, according to BET MGM and Davis expects Texas to advance to the next round. While he acknowledged Clemson’s momentum after their ACC Championship win over SMU, Davis believes the Tigers face a daunting challenge.

“I just don’t see how Clemson gets enough points to win,” Davis said. “Absent their defense scoring and I don’t know if their defense has shown a great propensity to shut down teams… I think Texas will have them a little bit outclassed… I expect Texas to roll. Not blow them out. That number’s 11, that feels right on the number.”

The Texas Longhorns host the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 3:00pm. The game will be broadcasted on TNT and MAX.

ESPN CFP Top 50 Player Rankings: Where do the Longhorns stand?

ESPN names key Longhorns to Top 50 players in College Football Playoff.

ESPN has unveiled its ranking of the top 50 players in this year’s College Football Playoff. Texas placed four standout players on the list, trailing Ohio State and Oregon with six each and Clemson with five.

The rankings were compiled by ESPN’s Bill Connelly, David Hale, Chris Low, Adam Rittenberg, and Paolo Uggetti, who analyzed the rosters of all 12 playoff teams to determine the top talent.

This isn’t strictly a ranking of the stars who achieved the most during the regular season, though that was a factor. Nor is it necessarily a prediction of who will put up the biggest numbers in the next seven weeks. Instead according to ESPN, it is more of a viewers guide. Here’s where four of the Texas Longhorns shaped up:

24. Andrew Mukuba – DB, Texas, Senior
2024 stats: 33 solo tackles, 1 forced fumble, 4 interceptions, 5 pass deflections

The 6-foot, 190-pound Austin native returned to Texas after three standout seasons at Clemson and quickly became a pivotal figure in the Longhorns’ resurgence. Mukuba helped transform a struggling pass defense, which ranked 116th nationally last season, into the nation’s best this year, allowing just 143.1 passing yards per game. Known for his hard-hitting style and instinctive play, Mukuba tallied 52 tackles (four for loss), four interceptions, and five pass breakups. His 11-tackle performance in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia cemented his leadership on Texas’ dominant defense.

9. Anthony Hill Jr. – LB, Texas, sophomore
2024 stats: 47 solo tackles, 7.5 sacks, 4 FFs, 1 INT

The 6-3, 235-pound sophomore linebacker is an every-down, sideline-to-sideline star. He led Texas in tackles (90), tackles for loss (16), forced fumbles (4), and he was second in sacks (7.5). He added an interception, four hurries and a fumble recovery to his stat line this fall. — Wilson

7. Jahdae Barron – DB, Texas, Senior
2024 stats: 32 solo tackles, 5 interceptions, 9 pass deflections

Barron capped off his stellar career with the prestigious Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back. A veteran of 36 career starts, the fifth-year senior led the SEC in interceptions with five and topped Texas in passes broken up with nine. Barron was a key contributor to the Longhorns’ elite defense, adding 47 total tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. This season, Texas allowed only four passing touchdowns and limited opponents to 5.1 yards per pass attempt.

5. Kelvin Banks Jr. – OL, Texas, Junior
2024 stats: Allowed only 1 QB pressure

Banks, the 6-foot-4, 320-pound anchor of Texas’ offensive line, took home the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman. Starting every game at left tackle during his career, Banks has been the cornerstone of the Longhorns’ offense, which averaged 6.2 yards per play and 164.4 rushing yards per game this season. His protection allowed Texas’ offense to flourish, with three different running backs recording 100-yard games and the unit ranking 13th nationally in passing offense (281 yards per game).

Texas punter enters NCAA Transfer Portal

Texas punter Ian Ratliff declares for NCAA Transfer Portal.

On Wednesday, Texas Punter Ian Ratliff, announced his intentions to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. Hailing from Atascosita High School, the sophomore has three years of eligibility left.

The Humble, TX product didn’t see any action in 2023 and had eight total punts this season. Ratliff punted against Oklahoma and Georgia, totaling 8 punts for a 44.0 yard average. He was named a program player of the game after the Oklahoma Red River Rivalry game.

A two-time all-district honoree, he earned second-team All-District 21-6A recognition as a kicker in 2020 and as a punter in 2022. His standout performances earned him a ranking as the No. 24 punter nationally by Kohl’s Kicking. It is unclear what destinations he might have in mind at this time.

Last week, Texas signed Utah Utes punter Jack Bouwmeester. The Australian native has one year of eligibility left. He started his career at Michigan State, but after a coaching change, Bouwmeester went back to Australia for a couple of years. He returned in 2022 and signed with Utah.

The 6-foot-3, 197 pound kicker has 60 punts in 2024 for 2,682 yards on an average of 44.7 yards per punt. 13 of the 60 punts went for 50+ yards and 9 landed inside the 20-yard line.

Former Texas WR Johntay Cook set for visit with Florida football

Former Texas WR Johntay Cook is expected to visit with the Gators this weekend after entering the transfer portal.

Former Texas Longhorns wide receiver Johntay Cook is set to visit the University of Florida this upcoming weekend, from Saturday to Sunday, according to Mike Roach of 247Sports.

Cook, a highly-touted recruit from DeSoto, Texas, had announced that he’d be entering the NCAA transfer portal last month after playing in a reserve role for the Longhorns. He played in just six games and logged eight catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

Known for his explosive speed and route-running ability, Cook had a standout high school career that made him one of the top recruits in the nation.

Rivals and On3 labeled Cook as a five-star recruit while ESPN and 247Sports had him as a four-star. Also, 247Sports has Cook as the No. 13-ranked receiver in the transfer portal and No. 35 overall.

The Florida football program initially extended an offer to him during Dan Mullen’s tenure with the Gators, and this was reconfirmed when Billy Napier and his new staff took over. Napier and his staff are set to make a strong push for Cook and he’d be a perfect fit for their system, which relies heavily on speed and versatility on the outside.

The Gators have been on the lookout for game-changing talents as they aim to revamp their offense for the upcoming season, especially in the wide receiver room.

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Former Longhorns DT commits to SEC school through transfer portal

With the Commodores, Bryant will be looking to take his game to another level

After three years with the Texas Longhorns, Aaron Bryant has a new home. The talented defensive lineman who had entered the transfer portal announced his commitment to Vanderbilt Tuesday night on social media. With the Commodores, Bryant will be looking to take his game to another level.

During his time with the Longhorns, Bryant played in 13 games and recorded two tackles. The Southaven High School product only appeared in four games this season, recording one tackle. While Bryant was unable to make much of an impact in Austin, he was a popular name during the recruiting process.

Coming out of high school, Bryant drew interest from some of the top programs in the country. The former four-star recruit received an offer from every SEC school except Vanderbilt and Missouri, according to 247Sports. He now has a chance to show why he belongs in one of the best conferences in the nation.

Although Bryant’s time with the Longhorns didn’t go as planned, there were a few memorable moments. In his freshman year, Bryant played against Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game. His first career tackle came that season against Baylor.

With the Longhorns now in the SEC, Bryant will not have to wait long to face his old team at some point during the 2025 campaign.

Texas DB Andrew Mukuba ready to face former team Clemson in College Football Playoff

Texas defensive back Andrew Mukuba talks about his former team, Clemson. Ahead of Saturday’s game.

The No. 3 Texas Longhorns face the No. 16 Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday, the first-ever meeting between the programs. The game is a homecoming for Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik and a reunion for Texas defensive back Andrew Mukuba, who transferred from Clemson in spring 2024.

Mukuba has been a key addition to Texas’ defense, earning Jim Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week honors after Texas’ win over Michigan. The Austin native, a former Freshman All-American at Clemson, has posted multiple standout performances this season, including interceptions against Michigan, Georgia, and Florida.

Mukuba reflected on his decision to transfer to Texas, calling his decision tough. He said that Swinney was understanding. Mukuba added on the “Behind The Facemask” podcast that he also suffered from a lack of player development.

“My time there at Clemson, I just felt like I wasn’t really getting better,” Mukuba said in an interview on the Behind The Facemask podcast. “I wasn’t being pushed enough to where I could reach my potential and my peak. The program wasn’t where it needed to be for me and the whole team to be successful. After my junior year, I felt like it was the same thing. After that, it was only right for me to transfer.”

A Lyndon B. Johnson High School graduate, Mukuba excelled as a two-way player and was a four-star recruit. Now, he looks to help Texas secure a playoff victory against his former team. The Texas Longhorns and Clemson Tigers are set for kickoff on TNT/Max on Saturday at 3pm from Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.

Could Arch Manning take Texas Longhorns from ‘back’ to ‘dynasty’?

Could Arch Manning hold the key to a Texas Dynasty? The celebrity QB will take the helm of the Longhorns next season.

The 2019 Sugar Bowl left an indelible mark on Longhorn history. From the pre-game altercation between Bevo and Uga to the Longhorns’ triumphant victory over Georgia with a final score of 28-21, it was a year filled with unforgettable moments. To conclude the remarkable season, then-Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger declared, “We’re back.”

Texas indeed has status as an academic and athletic powerhouse, boasting one of the nation’s largest endowments and athletic budgets, rivaling only Harvard University. The Burnt Orange identity holds immense significance.

But it took a while to be truly “back.”

Critics and rivals mocked “Texas is back” with every misstep over the next few years. Network analysts ask the question over and over, “Is Texas back?” The coach in that Sugar Bowl, Tom Herman, was dismissed. Steve Sarkisian came in and it took some time before he got UT back to competing for championships.

But now Texas is back, no pun intended to Sam Ehlinger. Two CFP berths in two years, two conference title appearances, an elite recruiting class on the horizon, and two elite quarterbacks sharing the field. Texas is back.

The decision to join the SEC was done with championships in mind. “Compete against the best to be the best” is the thinking. But playing the best week in and week out is challenging.

The Longhorns continue to face scrutiny and are often judged differently than other teams. The SEC’s 2024 season is considered a disappointment by some. But all of the aspirations for this season are still on the table for Texas. Two losses to Georgia won’t matter in the long run if UT wins the national title. Texas’s path to success is still alive.

Hiring Sarkisian, acquiring the highly touted prospect Quinn Ewers, and subsequently landing Arch Manning were all significant steps forward. However, despite these achievements, Texas fell short of securing the College Football Playoff National Championship last year. They did, however, win out the Big 12 in their final season.

So, what or who could restore Texas to its former glory, its elite-power dynasty status, if you will? First off, Texas has always been elite, in their ways of course. Financially, and academically, but on the football field, they have had their fair share of struggles. What could propel them to the level of the Alabama Nick Saban era. Well, the answer could lie in Arch Manning.

I’m not placing the entire fate of a billion-dollar brand’s image on a college student, but I believe Arch has the potential to lead Texas to levels of excellence we haven’t witnessed since the 2005 National Championship. The next two years could very well be a fairytale for the Longhorns. Next season, with a win at Ohio State, a victory at Georgia, and possibly even winning the SEC and heading to the Championship once again, could be a reality for the Longhorns.

Regardless, Arch Manning possesses the complete package to make things happen. With the No. 1 recruiting class loading up for his senior year, greatness is consistent. If he leads Texas to a win-out, we could be talking about an Arch Manning Heisman contender. That alone could be enough to redefine Texas as a dynasty.

Texas will always have haters of the brand, some claiming that the SEC, CFP, and others favor Texas. However, in all honesty, this analysis is intriguing. Texas is an interesting brand, and it undoubtedly lives up to the SEC Motto of “It Just Means More.”

So, am I suggesting that this year, specifically, this CFP couldn’t propel Texas back to greatness? Well, this could be Texas’ year; it’s an easy path, at least statistically, for the Longhorns to secure a spot in the National Championship. Nevertheless, I believe they’ll need more than just a first-round victory to truly be a dynasty similar to the likes of Alabama or Georgia.

A National Championship would undoubtedly be a significant achievement and would be proudly displayed in the Texas Athletics Hall of Fame and on the side of DKR. But, the Longhorns should crave consistency. To be truly elite, Texas must consistently perform at an elite level in every game. The Manning family thrives on consistency and growth.

Let’s be honest, Arch Manning has the potential to be a starter at any university in America and could potentially make the most NIL money imaginable. However, he has been behind Texas’ Quinn Ewers for the past two seasons, observing and learning from him. Next season, this is his team.

So, yes, this year could be the year Texas builds upon the SEC mantra of “Just Meaning More.” A win at the National Championship or even a first-round CFP game shouldn’t be enough to declare the Longhorns a dynasty. But it’ll look great on the journey. Texas is indeed back, the question is, how do you define back?

During SEC Media Days, Nick Saban declared that Texas wouldn’t dominate the SEC. However, in their inaugural season, the Longhorns made it to the SEC Championship game and they are right back in the College Football Playoff, with no Alabama in sight.

Above all else, they certainly outperformed their arch-rivals, A&M.

Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, Texas’ Quinn Ewers met before & it was epic … for Michael Taaffe

Saturday’s college football playoff game won’t be first time Clemson’s Cade Klubnik has faced Texas’ Quinn Ewers, just ask Michael Taaffe.

Saturday’s college football playoff matchup between the No. 5 seed Texas Longhorns and the No. 11 seed Clemson Tigers will feature a meeting between two of the best quarterbacks in college football. But, even though UT has never faced Clemson, this won’t be the first time Quinn Ewers and Cade Klubnik have met in a high-stakes clash.

Back in early 2021, Texas high school football was finishing up the Covid season a little late. The state championship games were in January instead of December. Two of the biggest powers in the state Southlake Carroll and Austin Westlake would meet in the state title game. Westlake has won four state titles and Carroll has won an astounding eight championships.

The two powerhouse programs met at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, for an epic championship game that would be remembered primarily for its QB matchup, but also a heroic performance from a defensive standout. All three will play at DKR on Saturday.

Westlake and Southlake had one big common factor, they both had the fingerprints of former Texas QB Todd Dodge all over them. Dodge had made his name as a progressive head coach at Carroll from 2000–2006, where the the Dragons were three-peat champs in ’04, ’05 and ’06.

Dodge then took over the University of North Texas where he was much less successful. After being dismissed, Dodge went back to coaching high school and ended up at Westlake.

Who was the head coach of Carroll? Riley Dodge, Todd’s son. It was the first ever Texas state championship game where father and son head coaches squared off against each other.

Ewers was rated as the better high school prospect. An Ohio State commit at the time, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound QB topped most recruiting rankings. Klubnik was 6-2, 180-pounds and uncommitted. The No. 2 ranked QB in Texas would later end up at Clemson after some flirtations with the Longhorns.

To Longhorns fans, Ewers stats would look very familiar. He threw for 351 yards and three touchdowns on 23-of-39 passing and led Carroll to 34 points, the most Westlake had allowed in years. But he also had a fumble and two interceptions.

Klubnik was the better QB on the day, even if his stats weren’t as gaudy. Listed as a pro-style QB by recruiting services, it was Klubnik’s running ability that made the difference. On the day, he was 18 of 20 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown and had 17 carries for 97 yards, both career highs.

Southlake and Westlake went back and fourth in the first half until Klubnik threw a short TD pass to give Westlake a 28-21 lead. Hit as he threw the ball, Ewers tossed an interception on the next possession to none other than future teammate Michael Taaffe. Taaffe was committed to Rice at the time.

Westlake scored on the next possession, set up by a long Klubnik run. Down 35-21 in the third quarter, Ewers threw another interception to Taaffe, this time the future Longhorn DB made an impressive leaping one-handed catch for the pick. Taaffe would later receive a walk-on offer from Texas that he would accept instead of going to Rice.

Westlake won the game 52-34. Klubnik won the duel between the two superstar juniors and was named the game’s offensive most valuable player. “He is super dynamic with his legs,” Southlake Carroll coach Riley Dodge said. “When you have a quarterback as accurate as he is and can really run, when he’s in the open field, he may be the fastest guy on the field. That ain’t fun when the fastest guy on the field is touching the ball 100% of the time.”

The presence of No. 1 ranked prospect Ewers made no difference to Klubnik, who said, “I treated (the game) like any other game. I wasn’t paying attention to the quarterback on the other sidelines. I paid a lot of attention to their defense. It was never about me or him. It was about that defense.”

Taaffe was named defensive most valuable player for the second year in a row. The year before, Taaffe was voted the defensive MVP in Westlake’s win over Denton Guyer after an interception, a sack, two tackles and two pass breakups. Thomas Jones of the Austin American-Statesman said of the DB, “Maybe Jerry Jones should think about getting Michael Taaffe’s name in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor, because the Westlake senior defensive back certainly enjoys playing at AT&T Stadium.”

After the game, Taaffe said, “It would be a cool story that I dreamed and prayed that this is the game I will make a great play in. But that’s not true. I try to make these plays each week. It’s about the team. I mean, without that pressure the guys up front were getting on the five-star quarterback (Ewers), we wouldn’t make those plays in the secondary.”

Vintage Michael Taaffe.