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Sixers pick up team options on Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle for 2023

The Philadelphia 76ers will exercise the team options on Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle for the 2022-23 season.

The Philadelphia 76ers are five games into the 2021-22 season as they continue trying to jell together as a team amid the tough Ben Simmons situation. In order to do that, they have been relying on younger players to take on more responsibility.

The Sixers then made a decision on Friday that they have seen enough of those young players to keep them around a little bit longer.

Philadelphia announced that they will pick up the third-year team option on Tyrese Maxey as well as the fourth-year option on Matisse Thybulle for the 2022-23 season. They will both be looking to continue to grow under coach Doc Rivers and help the team on their championship path.

The Sixers will look to continue to grow as a team as Maxey takes over the team’s starting point guard spot as a 20-year old and Thybulle continues to be the defensive menace off the bench. They both have to continue to add to their games, but they have shown enough promise that this is a smart move for them going forward.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Texas Longhorns team of the century: Tight ends

Texas has never been known for the tight ends but has still fielded some good players. Here are the tight ends of the century for Texas:

Texas has never been known for the tight ends, producing better pass catchers at wide receiver. However, there are a couple guys who have played important roles in the offense the past 20 years.

For both Vince Young and Colt McCoy, the tight end was always a safety valve. The two had big-name receivers to throw to such as Billy Pittman, Limas Sweed, Jordan Shipley, and Quan Cosby. Not being the main focus in the passing game, these two tight ends always came through when called upon.

Here are the tight ends of the century for the Longhorns:

Starting tight end: David Thomas

  • 98 receptions
  • 1,367 receiving yards
  • 15 receiving touchdowns
  • 51 games played

An intricate part of the 2005 National Championship winning team, David Thomas gets the starting spot for tight ends. Over his four seasons with Texas, his numbers grew better, having 50 receptions for 613 yards and five touchdowns his senior year.

Thomas’ best performance of his career came in the 2006 Rose Bowl against USC. On that night, he had 10 receptions for 88 yards. Thomas was the safe and reliable option for Vince Young the entire night. He was the leading receiver for the Longhorns, winning the program’s fourth national championship.

Backup tight end: Jermichael Finley

  • 76 receptions
  • 947 receiving yards
  • Five receiving touchdowns
  • 26 games played

Only playing for two seasons, Jermichael Finley was productive during his short stint in Austin. During his redshirt freshman season, Finley’s 31 receptions were the most a tight end had ever caught for Texas during their freshman season.

The next season in 2007, Finley showed out in the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma. His 149 receiving yards were the most by a tight end ever for the Longhorns. A career-high, he did so on just four catches and had one touchdown.

Forgoing his redshirt junior and senior seasons, Finley was drafted in the third round by the Green Bay Packers. Despite only being in Austin for two years, Finley’s production for Colt McCoy was outstanding.

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Texas Longhorns team of the century: Running backs

Continuing our series of the Texas Longhorns team of the century, we now look at running backs. Find out which two players make the team.

Continuing our series of the Texas Longhorns team of the century, we now look at running backs.

Related: Texas Longhorns team of the century: Quarterbacks

Over its’ history, Texas has had world-class running backs come through the program. Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams both won the Heisman Trophy during their time in Austin.

Moving into the 2000s, nothing changed for the Longhorns as they have continued to produce great running backs. Two players, in particular, stand out, as they were both apart of great Texas teams and are atop the all-time leaderboards in rushing.

Starting Running Back: Cedric Benson

  • 5,540 rushing yards
  • 64 rushing touchdowns
  • 621 receiving yards
  • Three receiving touchdowns
  • 49 games played

Benson rushing for 1,000+ yards in all four of his seasons is an incredible stat that will not happen in Austin again for a long time. He got better and better as the years went on, eventually rushing for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns his senior season.

His 2003 performance against Texas A&M remains one of the greatest in the history of the rivalry. On 35 carries, Benson had 283 yards and four touchdowns. Texas dominated the Aggies and won 46-15.

Second in all-time rushing yards behind Ricky Williams, Benson is in the top three all-time running backs to play for the Longhorns. From start to finish, he put up monster numbers for Texas.

Backup Running Back: Jamaal Charles

  • 3,328 rushing yards
  • 36 rushing touchdowns
  • 539 receiving yards
  • Three receiving touchdowns
  • 38 games played

A part of the 2005 National Championship team, Charles got to play with both Vince Young and Colt McCoy during his three years at Texas. Sharing carries with Selvin Young in 2005 and 2006, once Charles became the every-down back in 2007, he exploded for 1,619 yards.

Charles’ speed and agility are what made him special for the Longhorns. A play that always comes to mind is his 80-yard touchdown against Oklahoma in the 2005 Red River Shootout.

Despite only playing for three years and having another running back in the backfield with him for two seasons, Charles is still fourth all-time in rushing yards. What if Charles had returned for the 2008 season to help a 12-1 Texas team? It could be one of the biggest ‘What ifs?’ in Longhorns history.

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Former Longhorn Jordan Hicks lends a helping hand

Former Texas Longhorn and Super Bowl winning linebacker Jordan Hicks has teamed up with a local pet shelter to help out.

Current Texas Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger isn’t the only Longhorn who is trying to step up during this time of quarantine to help out those in need. Former Longhorns linebacker and current Arizona Cardinal Jordan Hicks has stepped up to assist with a local pet shelter to help find homes and ways to help out our four-legged friends.

My wife & I have partnered with @austinpetsalive to get animals into homes during this wild time. We will be giving every adopter a care package that includes a crate, pet food, treats, a leash, a toy, litter for cats, and a gift card. Find your forever friend now! – Jordan Hicks via his twitter account

According to a recent report from 247 Sports, new pet owners will be sent home with a care package that includes a crate, toys, food and a leash. With the guidelines set to keep people at home and to comply with social distancing, getting a new pet is a way to keep your mind off of the pandemic. Not to mention that these pets deserve a loving home.

Hicks spent five seasons roaming the field at Darrell K. Royal-Memorial Stadium amassing 5.5 sacks, 248 total tackles, 135 solo tackles and two interceptions for the Longhorns defense. Last season in Arizona, Hicks totaled 150 combined tackles, seven quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks and three interceptions. His 150 tackles is the fourth-most in a single season in Cardinals history.

Texas Longhorns Lose 2021 Three-Star Tight End’s Commitment

Lake Travis tight end Lake McRee has re-opened his recruitment after decommitting from Texas on Tuesday evening.

The Texas Longhorns lost a recruit from the 2021 class that was ranked fifth in the early going according to 247 composite boards. Lake Travis three-star tight end and former teammate of signee Hudson Card has announced that he is re-opening his recruitment per his twitter account Tuesday evening.

McRee didn’t play in 2019 after he tore his ACL per the report from Jeff Howe of 247. McRee currently holds offers from Alabama, Auburn and Arizona State among others. While losing the commitment is tough for the position, the Longhorns have a commitment from Juan Davis, three-star athlete out of Everman (Fort Worth, Texas) on their list of commits to the program. He plays tight end but is listed as an athlete on recruiting websites.

The Longhorns have eight offers on the table to other tight end recruits with Cane Berrong (Notre Dame) and Sam Hart (Ohio State) being off the table. McRee could still come back around after opening his recruitment back up but Texas won’t be lost at the position if he doesn’t.

Longhorns offer Virginia Football Player of the Year

Texas has given an offer to TreVeyon Henderson out of Hopewell, Virginia. Henderson is a four-star ATH in the 2021 class but mainly plays RB.

Texas has given an offer to TreVeyon Henderson out of Hopewell, Virginia. Henderson is a four-star athlete in the 2021 class but mainly plays running back. If he were to be a running back, Henderson would be the seventh player the Longhorns have offered at the position in 2021.

Listed at 5 feet 10 inches, Henderson has been outstanding for Hopewell High School the past two seasons. In his junior year, he nearly ran for 2,500 yards, recording 2,424 yards and 45 touchdowns on 198 carries. Henderson was also a threat catching the ball, having 283 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 13 receptions.

Playing some snaps on the defensive side of the ball, he recorded 48 tackles, three of them for a loss. Henderson also forced four turnovers, three via interceptions.

His efforts in the 2019 season were good enough to earn him Virginia Player of the Year. Most top schools throughout the country are in on Henderson, with Oklahoma and West Virginia coming from the Big 12. Clemson seems to be the favorite to land his commitment right now, but the door remains open for Texas to ink another star running back.

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Three ways Texas can win the Big 12 in 2020

Texas is expected to play in the Big 12 championship in 2020. Once in the game, winning it would be a plus too. Here is how they can do it.

The expectations for 2020 are simple for the Texas Longhorns. Make the Big 12 Championship game. Even with the poor 7-5 season, Texas was still in the race for an appearance in the final quarter of the season. All it will take it some improvements on the offensive and defensive side of the ball and the Longhorns will have a great chance at achieving their goal.

Taking it one level further, once in the game, winning it would be an even better prize. It would be the first conference championship for Texas since 2009 and its fourth Big 12 title in program history.

The quarterback play from Sam Ehlinger needs to take another level up in order for the Longhorns to truly improve. Once you get past him, it is an elite level defense that is missing from this team. The defense can not only take the pressure off the offense and what they are doing, but it can create opportunities for Ehlinger to truly survive.

If all of that comes together, beating some of the top teams in the conference will be crucial. In 2018, it was a hump the Longhorns could overcome, losing to third-place West Virginia and fourth place Iowa State, but the Big 12 has gotten better and a couple losses may be the end of your season. Winning against top-level competition will be the key determinant of who plays in the Big 12 Championship game next season.

Here are three ways Texas can win the Big 12 in 2020:

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Texas Longhorns Team of the Decade: Special Teams

Texas has been excellent on special teams the past few years. In both facets of the kicking game, the Longhorns have had reliable players.

All three phases of the game are important and in the past few years, Texas has been excellent on special teams. In both facets of the kicking game, the Longhorns have had reliable players who will step up when they are needed. Placekicker Cameron Dicker has been clutch in his two seasons in Austin and punter Michael Dickson was one of the best in the country.

Hitting two game-winning field goals this season alone, Dicker has been a key clutch player for Tom Herman’s squad. This season, he did it against Kansas and Kansas State, stealing two wins for the Longhorns. Dicker has been automatic from the point after, making all but two career attempts. Making above 70% of his career field goals, if Dicker is trotting out, you are more than likely going to end up with three points.

When the offense stalled and required a punt, Texas had one of the best punters in the country. Michael Dickson won the Ray Guy Award in 2017, given to the nation’s best punter. After his three years in Austin, Dickson was the first special teams player taken in the NFL Draft, selected in the fifth round. Averaging just over 45 yards per punt, Dickson constantly switched the field for the Longhorns.

Then there is Justin Tucker, who both punted and was the placekicker to the Longhorns in 2010 and 2011. Now one of the best kickers in NFL history, Tucker was amazing for Texas during his time in Austin. Never missing a point after attempt, he was just as automatic when kicking field goals too. When it was time to punt, he was able to bomb the ball 40 yards downfield.

Here are your Longhorns special teams players of the decade:

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Texas Longhorns Team of the Decade: Safety

Continuing the tradition of DBU at Texas, we look at the best players at Safety to play for the Longhorns throughout the decade.

Continuing the tradition of DBU at Texas, we look at the best players at Safety to play for the Longhorns throughout the decade. Having a great tradition of producing stars at this position, it takes a lot to be considered a great Longhorn play at Safety. Complimenting the great cornerbacks throughout the decade, both of these players were outstanding at Texas.

Dylan Haines and DeShon Elliot both played for former Head Coach Charlie Strong. Elliot played for one season with Herman, but Strong recruited him to the program. While they have two different paths, the two played together for two years in 2015 and 2016.

Not seeing the field until 2014, Haines came into the program in 2012 as a walkon. Redshirting his freshman year, he was on the scout team in 2013 and was awarded the ‘scout team player of the week’ before the Red River Shootout. Getting a scholarship in 2014, Haines quickly became an impact player. Securing 13 career interceptions, that ranks tied for the fifth-most in program history.

Elliot is one of the top players at the position in the history of Texas. Really becoming a key player in his junior season, he ended the year with 63 total tackles, six interceptions, and nine passes defended. Add in three forced fumbles and all he did was create turnovers. Drafted in the sixth round by the Ravens, Elliot is the best safety Texas has seen this decade.

Here are your Longhorn Safties of the Decade:

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Texas Longhorns Team of the Decade: Cornerbacks

While there has been debate over who DBU is, Texas makes a strong case. Diggs and Boyd are two of the bost CBs to ever come out of Texas.

While there has been a long debate over who ‘Defensive Back University’ or DBU is, the Longhorns make a strong case when bringing up these two names at the cornerback position. Both crucial members on their current NFL teams, Quandre Diggs and Kris Boyd are two of the best cornerbacks to come out of Texas.

While they never played on the same field, what Diggs and Boyd do share in common is that they both had two different head coaches during their time in Austin. Diggs was there for the final years of Mack Brown while playing under Charlie Strong for one season. Boyd got two years of Strong and the first two years of Tom Herman.

On the field, Diggs played amazing in his first two seasons, getting All-Big 12 honors and even being named the Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2011. His best season came in 2011, when he had four interceptions, while also being involved in 13 pass breakups. His 11 career interceptions rank him at No. 10 in career interceptions in a Longhorn uniform.

Coming in the season after Diggs was drafted, Boyd found more success under Tom Herman than he did with Charlie Strong. Even though he was not a huge interception machine, Boyd covered No. 1 receivers really well. His final two seasons saw him receiving All-Big 12 honors and got him drafted in the seventh round by the Minnesota Vikings.

Here are your Longhorn cornerbacks on the decade:

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