Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
According to PFF, these were the top five players on offense for Texas last season.
Texas has their third opt out of the 2020 season, this time in offensive linemen Willie Tyler. He was going into his second year in Austin.
Texas has their third opt out of the 2020 season, this time in offensive linemen Willie Tyler. A redshirt sophomore from Racine, Wisconsin, Tyler was going into his second year in the program. He was a JUCO transfer from Iowa Western Community College.
Tyler announced his decision on his Twitter account.
After talking it over with my family. Also much thought and prayer. While this decision was VERY hard for me to make, with everything going on in the world and with the uncertainty of having a season. I have decided to opt out of the 2020 football season. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity that I have to be apart of the longhorn family. I’ll be back in 2021.
Defensive end Marquez Bimage and running back Daniel Young are the other two players who have opted out for COVID-19 precautions. All three have stated they will be back to play in the 2021 season.
— Willie Tyler III™️ (@TheWillieTyler) August 19, 2020
Tyler did not take a snap in the 2019 season, taking a redshirt year. He has been transitioning to the offensive line after spending most of his high school career playing on the defensive line.
Listed at 6-7 and 335 pounds, Tyler is still a work in project for offensive line coach Herb Hand. Once his transition is complete, Tyler is going to have great size and potential to play offensive tackle.
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With the 2020 college football season just over three weeks away, the Longhorns Wire staff weighed in our their predictions for Texas.
It’s been a whirlwind offseason, but college football is quickly approaching. We’re now just a mere 24 days (at time of publishing) away from kickoff. The Texas Longhorns are in the midst of fall camp and looking to ramp up the intensity as they prepare for the UTEP Miners on Sept. 12th.
The buzz surrounding three of the Power Five conferences is reaching a fever pitch. The Longhorns are eager to get the sour taste of an 8-5 season out of their mouths. Although it’s a shortened season with minimal offseason work, expectations are sky high.
Head coach Tom Herman has spoke at length regarding what a successful season would be for the Longhorns. Obviously, this particular season could be derailed in a matter of moments due to COVID-19 or injuries to a key player.
For Texas, the expectation level is to compete for the Big 12 title. That’s the primary stepping stone in order to advance to the College Football Playoff.
With a substantial amount of hope and optimism in the air as the schedule approaches, Longhorns Wire staff put together their predictions for the upcoming season.
Related: ESPN predicts each game by win probability
Related: 2020 Longhorns Wire game-by-game predictions
Shaka Smart may be losing an assistant, as UK is looking to steal Jai Lucas. KSR is reporting that Calipari wants Lucas to join his staff.
Head coach Shaka Smart may be losing one of the assistants on his coaching staff, as Kentucky could be looking to steal Jai Lucas away. Kentucky Sports Radio is reporting that John Calipari could want Lucas to join his staff.
“Would be a big get if we could pull that off,” a source close to the Kentucky basketball program told KSR Tuesday morning.
“Jai Lucas is a specialist, knows everyone in the country. Limitless resources,” another source familiar with the situation told KSR on Monday evening. “Could be an assistant like he is now but more of a connections guy. Fits like a glove [at Kentucky].”
He would be replacing Kenny Payne, who recently joined the New York Knicks’ coaching staff.
Lucas joined the Texas staff in 2013 and began as the Texas director of basketball operations. Smart then gave him a promotion, making him an assistant coach beginning in 2016.
He is responsible for the great 2017 recruiting class that included Mo Bamba, Matt Coleman, and Jericho Sims.
Reports out of Kentucky indicate John Calipari is trying to lure Texas men's assistant Jai Lucas to Lexington.
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) August 18, 2020
Before coaching, Lucas was a player at Texas for two seasons after transferring from Florida. He averaged just under three points a game with 2.9 and 1.2 assists per game during his time in Austin.
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During media availability on Tuesday, Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger voiced his opinions on the upcoming season.
Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger did not shy away from letting his opinions be heard on Tuesday. Continue reading “Texas QB Sam Ehlinger expresses initial reactions to upcoming season”
Pro Football Focus has released their rankings for all 130 quarterbacks in FBS. So where does Sam Ehlinger stand?
Pro Football Focus is back at it again with their college football rankings. This time the focus being on the single most important player on the field, the quarterback. The Longhorns are led by senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger who is looking to finally bring Texas back to the top of the conference. A place they haven’t been since Colt McCoy left a decade ago.
He came close in 2018 but ultimately fell short to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12 title game. Can Ehlinger and the Longhorns finally get their retribution? That remains to be seen. There has been considerable hype surrounding the Austin native this offseason. Ehlinger is one of the top three quarterbacks in almost every single statistical category in school history.
So where does he rank among the 130 quarterbacks in FBS? PFF answered that question with their rankings.
Texas might not have the same “elite program” status as they did in the early 2000s, but it’s far from Ehlinger’s fault. He posted an impressive 85.7 PFF grade in 2018 before improving that to an elite mark of 90.1 in 2019. Ehlinger produced 33 big-time throws last year, tying for the second-most in the country. He makes good decisions with the ball, he has excellent accuracy and mobility for a college quarterback, and he can take his play even further if he cuts down on his tendency to bail out of clean pockets.
Sam Ehlinger comes in as the highest rated Big 12 quarterback, just two spots above Brock Purdy. If you are asking yourself right now, yes he is ranked higher than that other quarterback who wears number 11 in the state.
Big 12 Quarterback Rankings
Ohio State continued their dominance on the recruiting trail Tuesday. Dasan McCullough, a four-star from Kansas, committed to the Buckeyes.
Ohio State continued their dominance on the recruiting trail, this time going to the 2022 class. Dasan McCullough, a four-star prospect from Kansas, committed to the Buckeyes Tuesday afternoon, their fifth of the class.
McCullough is listed as an athlete on 247Sports but is projected to play a role in the secondary. He has played safety, outside corner, and over the slot corner during his time in high school. Former cornerbacks coach and now defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs will have a fun time utilizing him.
Listed at 6-5 and 220 pounds, the rising junior in high school has good size to play safety instead of cornerback. He could even creep down further into the box, using his athleticism and tackling ability to make plays for Ohio State.
At the time of commitment, McCullough received 43 offers from some of the best in the country. Back in June, the four-star dropped a top 10 consisting of Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, and USC.
Committed… pic.twitter.com/Md5kZuLLBC
— Dasan Mccullough ¹✊🏾 (@Dasan2022) August 18, 2020
After Quinn Ewers committed to Texas, McCullough showed the Longhorns some love, tweeting out an orange heart and a couple of ‘Hook ’em’ signs.
🤘🏾🤘🏾🧡 https://t.co/MiQK3H42D4
— Dasan Mccullough ¹✊🏾 (@Dasan2022) August 16, 2020
Going for a top-three class in 2022 is going to be difficult for the Longhorns, especially if Ryan Day can continue on the path the Buckeyes are currently on. Five prospects are already committed to Ohio State for 2022 and are all top 150 guys.
Texas had landed Ewers, the No. 1 player in the country, and four-star wide receiver Phaizon Wilson. The Longhorns are just getting started on the 2022 train and will be competing with the Buckeyes for top players throughout the class.
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This particular clip of Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington during fall camp appears to show that he’s healthy and poised for a big year.
Will Texas finally have wide receiver Jordan Whittington at their disposal this season? Continue reading “Texas Football: Jordan Whittington looks healthy, ready to contribute”
In 247Sports’ most recent article they posed an idea of a college fantasy draft. In this scenario the Texas Longhorns walk away with a LBer.
If you are an avid football fan, it is likely that you play fantasy football. It isn’t just a NFL game anymore as some sites offer a college football fantasy league. Many fans are putting their draft parties together, putting a board together much like a NFL team is doing and prove they have the superior football mind against friends and colleagues. So what about a college football fantasy draft?
What if the contenders in the remaining Power Five conferences got their shot at drafting a player out of the Big Ten or Pac-12 Conference? Throw the transfer portal out the window for just a moment. That is what 247Sports’ staff did. In this scenario the Longhorns received the number 12 selection to try and improve their team. So do they go offense and add to their wide receiver corps? Or do they add to their defense in an attempt to slow down some high powered offenses?
No shock will this selection as the Longhorns have been on the hunt for linebacker help. Recently they were among the three teams vying for the commitment from Arizona transfer linebacker Tony Fields II. In this scenario from Barton Simmons, the Longhorns get their man in McGrone.
Texas needs a fix at defense and has turned to new coordinator Chris Ash for answers. There’s no denying the talent in the secondary and Joseph Ossai is expected to emerge as one of the best pass rushers in the country. It’s the linebacker position where the Longhorns need to find consistency. Cameron McGrone, a former five-star in the Top247 rankings, was poised to have a breakout fall this season at Michigan and the feeling here is that whenever we see him on the field again, he’ll quickly assert himself as one of the best linebackers in the country. That’s the kind of talent that would make Ash sleep much easier in his first year
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In the first NFL training camp update of the year we look at Holton Hill, Kris Boyd, Connor Williams and Devin Duvernay.
NFL is in full swing with training camps getting going. For the Texas Longhorns there a list of former players in the mix for various position battles across the league.
Continue reading “Longhorns in the NFL: Training Camp news and notes”
