Tag: Texas Longhorns

Former Longhorn Kenny Vaccaro Looking For Redemption

Former Texas Longhorns safety Kenny Vaccaro is looking to spoil a couple NFL record chasing performances.

The former Texas Longhorns and New Orleans Saints safety is looking to spoil the party in Nashville. Playoff implications are all over this matchup. Saints are trying to keep pace so they can get a first-round bye and host a playoff game in the divisional round. The Titans on the other hand are looking to get to the playoffs in a tight battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the final wild card spot.

Vaccaro spent his first five seasons in the league with New Orleans but wasn’t re-signed and he eventually ended up in Tennessee. The former Longhorn is looking to help prevent history today for the Saints. Drew Brees needs four straight completions to set the NFL record for most consecutive completions at 26.

“He showed me that you could be a great player and still be a great dad,” Vaccaro said. “He’s the best player I’ve ever been around. He’s the most detailed player. I remember seeing him in the locker room before games going through the 15-play script by himself. He’d go through the calls and the checks in his head. He’d sit down and look at the script, and he’s going through what’s going to happen and transpire in the game. He’s just the model player.” –Kenny Vaccaro on Drew Brees via ESPN

The other big potential record is with Michael Thomas chasing Marvin Harrison’s NFL record for receptions in a single season. With how Thomas has played this year the record being broken seems like a foregone conclusion. Vaccaro is looking to make sure that his former teammate doesn’t set a new record against his defense.

The Saints and Titans will kickoff at Noon central time on Fox.

2020 NFL Draft: Collin Johnson Scouting Profile

Collin Johnson will be making the jump to the NFL next season so how does his game stack up?

Collin Johnson WR Texas

Height: 6-6

Weight: 220

College Bio

College Stats

Collin Johnson is the third senior Longhorn that is profiled heading into the Senior Bowl and the NFL Draft. Johnson joins Devin Duvernay and Brandon Jones as seniors that will make the trip to Mobile, Alabama to work with NFL staffs for the Senior Bowl. Collin is looking to finish out his Longhorns career in the Valero Alamo Bowl against the Utah Utes on December 31st.

Strength

Collin Johnson stands out on the football field, not exactly difficult when you stand 6’6″. Johnson can be a weapon when teams get into the redzone as he towers over the defenders and he is a prime candidate to go up and get the ball at its highest catch point. Johnson can be the endzone fade mismatch when going towards the corner, basically put it up high where only he can get it.

His catch radius is probably his best asset, get the ball near Johnson and more often than not he is going to get the ball. The Longhorns’ wide receiver can make the circus level catches with some of the best hands at the position. He can make a name for himself at the next level with his ability to find a way to bring it down.

Weaknesses

Despite how he is able to catch the ball, Johnson provides no separation when running routes. For a player as tall as him, Collin Johnson hasn’t shown the ability to run by defenders so he will rely more on technique at the NFL level rather than athleticism. Looks very stiff when trying to change direction and coming in and out of breaks.

At times he struggles with dealing with physical corners who jam him at the line, not able to make up ground with less than ideal speed. Johnson does better with short or intermediate routes than he does on deep breaking routes. Relies more on his ability to catch passes over the top of defenders due to his size.

Bottom Line

Collin Johnson will get his opportunity to make the jump but he needs to become more refined in his route running due to lack of athleticism. He will find a role in the NFL due to his ability to catch anything near him.

Projection: Late Day Two, Early Day Three 

NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Draft Wire Week 16

In this week’s mock draft roundup, the Longhorns have a lone selection in the first three rounds with Brandon Jones.

It is time once again for the weekly mock draft roundup from Draft Wire who post one each week. In last week’s mock draft, Luke Easterling of Draft Wire had three Texas Longhorns in their top 100 selections with Devin Duvernay, Collin Johnson and Brandon Jones.

This week it is just a lone Longhorn in safety Brandon Jones coming in at pick 92 for the Denver Broncos.

92. Denver Broncos (from SF) | Brandon Jones | S | Texas

This would be an intriguing selection for the Broncos who currently have Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson already at starter. Jackson is in his 10th season after spending the first nine in Houston. Jackson is on a three-year deal but could be released for cap reasons after next season.

Jones would provide some depth at safety for the Broncos while also molding him to take over after Jackson giving Denver a young safety tandem along with Simmons.

Former Longhorns Punter Michael Dickson Bouncing Back

Former Longhorn and current Seahawks punter Michael Dickson has had his struggles this season, he is starting to find that groove.

Last season as a rookie for the Seattle Seahawks, Michael Dickson was the best punter in the NFL if you look at his accolades. In 2018, Dickson was named to the Pro Bowl and also named an All-Pro while averaging 48.2 yards per punt. That gives him the eighth best average for a punter in a single season in NFL history.

“I think Mike has really found his groove,” coach Pete Carroll said on Wednesday. “I think early on, for whatever reason, he wasn’t quite as sharp with his consistency. I don’t know, at least six or eight weeks of it, maybe it was longer than that, he really hit it. He’s doing great. I think he was not hitting the ball as cleanly as he had hoped. I know he felt that was [the case]. He’s been on it at least since the bye it seems. It was probably the time it seems like it turned around I think.” – From Seahawks Wire

His numbers are definitely down from a season ago but the Aussie punter has found a groove again with his ability to pin teams team in their own territory. The Seahawks are in great position this season due to his ability to limit good field position. Seattle is preparing to take on Arizona to keep their hopes of getting the number one seed in the NFC.

Texas Longhorns team of the decade: Defensive line

Shifting to defense in the team of the decade, we begin on the LOS. Throughout the 2010s, Texas has produced some monsters on the d-line.

Shifting from offense to defense in the Texas team of the decade, we begin on the line of scrimmage. Throughout the 2010s, the Longhorns have produced some monsters on the defensive line. Producing a few guys good enough to make it into the NFL, all four of these players were recruited by former coaches Mack Brown and Charlie Strong.

The first two players are Alex Okafor and Jackson Jeffcoat, who shared the field for three years. Between the two of them, they have a combined 49 sacks. Jeffcoat’s 26 career sacks are good enough for eighth in Longhorn history. The two players benefitted off each other, with 36 of their 49 sacks coming when the two played together.

Poona Ford played defensive tackle for Texas and did not rack up the kind of sacks the other three players got. At 6 foot, 300 pounds, Ford was an aminal for the Longhorns. Taking up space on the defensive line, he was able to make physical plays at the line of scrimmage to stop runners getting behind him.

The most recent of the players is Charles Omenihu, who graduated in 2018. Playing in 48 career games, Omenihu was in the backfield a lot. His best season came in his 2018 senior year when he recorded 9.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. Currently playing for the Houston Texans, Omenihu was selected in the fifth round. Playing all four years, Omenihu is one of the best defensive players Texas has produced in recent years.

Here are the Longhorn defensive lineman of the decade:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Texas Longhorns Fall To Providence Again

The Texas Longhorns are now 9-2 after falling to the Providence Friars for the second straight year.

For the second year in a row the Providence Friars to it to the Texas Longhorns, only this time it happened at home for Providence. The Longhorns had one of their worst shooting performances under head coach Shaka Smart. In fact the 31.7% shooting from the field was their lowest all season, their second lowest being 37.7% against the Georgetown Hoyas earlier this season.

Much like their game against Central Michigan it became a game of live by the three, die by the three. The Longhorns shot a season low 3-21 (14.2%) from behind the three point line. Texas trailed by 19 at the half and only shot 28.6% during the second half only mustering up 20 points. The Longhorns have over a week to get ready to take on High Point as their last tune up before Big 12 Play.

Courtney Ramey led the horns with 12 points. Jase Febres added six points in 33 minutes. Jericho Sims pulled down 13 boards and added seven points for Texas. The Texas Longhorns are now 9-2 looking for win number 10 in nine days at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. High Point Panthers will come into the game with a 3-9 record.

WATCH: 2020 Texas commit talks after winning state championship game

2020 commit Xavion Alford won the school’s first state championship Friday night. After the game, Alford caught up with a reporter to talk.

2020 four-star Texas commit Xavion Alford and the Shadow Creek Sharks won the school’s first state championship Friday night against Denton Ryan. With a final score of 28-22, the Sharks were able to stop a last-second hail mary attempt to win the game.

After the game, Alford caught up with a reporter to talk about his season and what it meant for him to win a championship.

“It’s unreal,” said Alford. “This season has been real emotional for me. I got hurt first game of the season.”

After falling short in 2018, Shadow Creek was able to win the 5A Divison 1 state championship in 2019. When asked what it meant to be a state champion, Alford said it meant “a lot.”

Here are Alford’s full comments:

Alford signed his national letter of intent with the Longhorns on National Signing Day. Playing safety, he is the sixth highest-rated prospect in the 2020 class for the Longhorns. Alford joins two other secondary players in the class, as Jerrin Thompson is another safety, while Kitan Crawford is listed as a cornerback.

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WATCH: 2021 Texas commit scores touchdown in Texas state championhip

2021 WR Texas commit Ja’Tavion Sanders made a spectacular catch in the 5A state championship game. Sanders has been committed since Sept. 8.

It is state championship weekend for high school teams in the state of Texas. With all the games taking place at AT&T Stadium, big-time players have the opportunity to show off their skills in one of the best football stadiums in the world.

That is exactly what 2021 wide receiver Texas commit Ja’Tavion Sanders did, making a spectacular catch in the 5A Division 1 state championship game. Playing for Denton Ryan, the Raiders faced off against the Shadow Creek Sharks. Down 13 late in the fourth quarter, Sanders caught a touchdown in the corner of the end zone to cut the Shark lead to six.

Shadow Creek went on to win the game 28-22, but Sanders still had a huge season for Denton Ryan. Considered a two-way player, he also played on the defensive line this season. Listed at 6 feet 3.5 inches and weighing in at 220 pounds, Sanders has been committed to Texas since Sept. 8.

After a successful 2020 class, all eyes are turned to the 2021 class. Currently ranked third in the country, only trailing Notre Dame and Ohio State.

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Texas’ baseball recruiting class ranked No. 1

According to baseballamerica.com, Texas baseball has the No. 1 ranked class in the nation. The best player in the class is RHP Jared Kelley.

If you thought Texas was doing well in football recruiting, just wait until you see what they have been doing in baseball. According to baseballamerica.com, Texas has the No. 1 ranked class in the nation.

The best player in the class is right-handed pitcher Jared Kelley. He is from Refugio, Texas and attends Refugio High School. Listed at 6 feet 2 inches, his fastball reaches the mid-90s and likes to mix in his breaking ball. He is one of the best prospects in the entire recruiting class and has been committed to the Longhorns since Jan. 11.

Being the top-rated class, Texas is the only Big 12 school in the top five. Oklahoma comes in at the top 10, ranking at No. 7. TCU is the only other Big 12 team listed at No. 12.  The SEC and Pac 12 dominate the top 15, as 10 of the top 15 teams are from those two conferences.

The Longhorn baseball team will begin on Valentine’s Day in Feb 2020, as they travel to Rice for their opening series.

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The Texas Lady Longhorns Set To Host Stanford

The Texas Longhorn’s women’s basketball team is set to host the number one ranked Stanford Cardinals.

It has been an up and down season for the Texas women’s basketball team. They come into Sunday’s matchup against the number one ranked Stanford Lady Cardinals following a two-game win steak including handing Tennessee their first loss of the season. This is an opportunity to prove that the lady horns belong in the discussion as a top 25 team.

Against the Ohio Bobcats, the Longhorns were led by freshman guard Celeste Taylor with 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists. The team will need their best team effort against one of the top women’s team of the last several years. The Cardinals are also coming off a win over Tennessee in their last game where they handed the Lady Vols their second loss of the season.

Game Time: Noon CST

Location: Frank Erwin Center, Austin

Watch: ESPN2

Stream: WatchESPN App

Listen: Austin KTXX 104.9 FM | Elgin KLGO 1260 AM | Marshall KMHT 1450 AM