Offensive Line Recruiting

[primal defense]

I believe when Wickline was hired the above referenced phrase spread across the UT supporters.  I wonder why?  Oklahoma State has only (2) OL currently on NFL rosters and one of those is Russell Okung.  Here is a look at these "developed" OL amongst Big XII schools:

Oklahoma (8)

Oklahoma State (2)

Baylor (3)

Kansas (1)

Kansas State (3)

Iowa State (3)

West Virginia (3)

TCU (3)

Texas Tech (4)

Texas (5)

I hope Wickline turns into a good recruiter and developer of talent b/c the facts show he isn't as special as we were led to believe when he was hired.  The depth up front may be the worst on the team and that falls at his feet.

Wickline's job was and is to develop a dominant college OL. The majority of his OL recruits were 3 stars and some 2 and 4 star recruits. Oklahoma State offense was consistently in the top 20 when Wickline was the OL coach. Last year's OL class was the highest rated OL class he's ever had.

Those results were the reason Mack Brown tried to hire him in 2011.

 

[Hiphopopotamos]

Wickline's job was and is to develop a dominant college OL. The majority of his OL recruits were 3 stars and some 2 and 4 star recruits. Oklahoma State offense was consistently in the top 20 when Wickline was the OL coach. Last year's OL class was the highest rated OL class he's ever had.

Those results were the reason Mack Brown tried to hire him in 2011.

Thank you.  Wicklines 'greatness' doesn't come from taking 4 and 5 star recruits and turning them into NFL players - its from taking 2 and 3 star recruits, along with a healthy dose of JUCO, and turning out consistently great lines for successful offenses.  Wicklines Offensive Lines were always a perfect example of the 'whole being greater than the sum of its parts'.

No kool-aid needed to understand and acknowledge that Wickline is one of the most respected and talented OL coaches in college football and has been for over a decade. 

 

[Eastexhorn]

Count me in the concerened group. The number of OL available is srinking. Texas has offered some where around 15 to 20 OL and most have already commited else where.IMO only Hudson is a chance to decommit.Delance Texas has a very good chance. Okafor 60% to TCU, Elutise of Calif. who knows a long way from home.Hickey from Godley maybe.

To sum it up IMO there is not enough talented OL available to fill five more spaces. Imade plus five more is what Texas needs IMO. Texas needs more depth in the OL and has for several years mainly due to Brown. Too many recievers and too few OL. Given time Strong will corect this IMO.

 

[utisdabomb12]

Count me in the concerened group. The number of OL available is srinking. Texas has offered some where around 15 to 20 OL and most have already commited else where.IMO only Hudson is a chance to decommit.Delance Texas has a very good chance. Okafor 60% to TCU, Elutise of Calif. who knows a long way from home.Hickey from Godley maybe.

To sum it up IMO there is not enough talented OL available to fill five more spaces. Imade plus five more is what Texas needs IMO. Texas needs more depth in the OL and has for several years mainly due to Brown. Too many recievers and too few OL. Given time Strong will corect this IMO.

There's no way we are taking 6 OL after taking 6 in '15. We may only take 4 OL.

 

[Juan]

Likely = 3 more to go with Tope Imade

That's my guess.  But, if it were up to me, I would add more.

 

[Juan]

Here is our offer list at OT (according to 247)
Lots of early whiffs, but still time to recover (I hope) 
Strong & Co. showed last season they do not quit until the end and have a track record of finishing strong.
 
 
5-star Greg Little (bama?)
5-star Patrick Hudson (committed to Baylor)
4-star Willie Allen (lsu?)
4-star Ben Cleveland (committed to Georgia)
4-star Jean Delance (looks like UT or aggy)
4-star JP Urquidez (committed to Baylor)
4-star Austin Myers (committed to TCU)
3-star Austin Anderson (committed to aggy)
3-star Kellen Diesch (committed to pig suey)
3-star Riley Anderson (committed to aggy)
3-star Tope Imade  (committed to UT)
 
 

 

[Juan]

Our offers on OGs (per 247)

 
4-star Donavaughn Campbell (committed to LSU)
4-star Chris Owens (committed to Bama)
4-star Michael Eletise (committed to Zona)
3 or 4-star Parker Boudreaux (committed to ND)
3-star Denzel Okafor (heavy TCU lean)
 
 
edit - corrected a school
 

 

[Hiphopopotamos]

Brian Perroni (A&M recruit 'expert') just CB'd OT Jean Delance to Texas.  Hamm switched his CB for Delance to Texas earlier today.  Both of these follow the interview EJ Holland did where Delance describes Texas as 'feeling like home'.  I'm guessing Texas sits in a pretty good spot with his recruitment.

Depending how the first year goes - DT Gerald Wilbon could very easily be switched to OG.  He is being recruited by most other schools as an OG, and has said that he would happily play OG at Texas if it meant playing time.

 

[Juan]

 

[utisdabomb12]

Here is our offer list at OT (according to 247)
Lots of early whiffs, but still time to recover (I hope) 
Strong & Co. showed last season they do not quit until the end and have a track record of finishing strong.
 
 
5-star Greg Little (bama?)
5-star Patrick Hudson (committed to Baylor)
4-star Willie Allen (lsu?)
4-star Ben Cleveland (committed to Georgia)
4-star Jean Delance (looks like UT or aggy)
4-star JP Urquidez (committed to Baylor)
4-star Austin Myers (committed to TCU)
3-star Austin Anderson (committed to aggy)
3-star Kellen Diesch (committed to pig suey)
3-star Riley Anderson (committed to aggy)
3-star Tope Imade  (committed to UT)

I'm not sure how the staff feels about a few of these guys. Willie Allen has apparently been terrible at a couple camps (Bama and LSU). I'm also not sure how high our interest level is for guys like Urquidez and the Anderson twins. Cleveland we simply have no shot at. 

Out of that group I think Little, Hudson, Delance, Myers, and Diesch are really the only guys we are actively engaging. I could be wrong though. 

 

[utisdabomb12]

Likely = 3 more to go with Tope Imade

That's my guess.  But, if it were up to me, I would add more.

I get the sentiment but I'm not sure we need more than 4 (unless there's attrition). 

Cunney (RS FR)

Raulerson (SO)

Williams (FR)

Anderson (RS FR)

Major (FR)

Rodriguez (Rs FR)

Vahe (FR)

Thomas (FR)

Nickelson (SO)

Hodges (JR)

Perkins (JR)

Add 4 to that group and you have 15 O-lineman. That's a 3 deep. 

 

[Juan]

I'm not sure how the staff feels about a few of these guys. Willie Allen has apparently been terrible at a couple camps (Bama and LSU). I'm also not sure how high our interest level is for guys like Urquidez and the Anderson twins. .....

Never a fan of Urquidez.  But we offered him.  We offered all those guys, at least according to them.

On the numbers, I would rather have an excess OL than WR as we always seem to do.

Spread them out with rs.

 

[North Texas Golfer]

I get the sentiment but I'm not sure we need more than 4 (unless there's attrition). 

Cunney (RS FR)

Raulerson (SO)

Williams (FR)

Anderson (RS FR)

Major (FR)

Rodriguez (Rs FR)

Vahe (FR)

Thomas (FR)

Nickelson (SO)

Hodges (JR)

Perkins (JR)

Add 4 to that group and you have 15 O-lineman. That's a 3 deep. 

Just for the heck of it I checked the rosters of Ohio State and Alabama to see how many offensive linemen they have as both schools seem to always have good offensive lines.

Both had 19. And Ohio State had 11 freshmen. Not sure how many are red shirt and how many are true freshmen. 

IMHO, I think you need more than 15 O-linemen.

 

[CharcoalPuppy]

Would of been nice if all those guys had just followed some simple rules

 

[utisdabomb12]

Just for the heck of it I checked the rosters of Ohio State and Alabama to see how many offensive linemen they have as both schools seem to always have good offensive lines.

Both had 19. And Ohio State had 11 freshmen. Not sure how many are red shirt and how many are true freshmen. 

IMHO, I think you need more than 15 O-linemen.

We have 19 when you include walk ons. I doubt either of those teams have 19 scholarship OL, but maybe they do. I'm sure some of the players listed are walk ons.  

 

[Juan]

I have forever dreamed of our team having excess OLs.

Take more during deep or top-heavy recruiting years.

Spread them out with the thoughtful use of redhshirting.

We are supposed to have superior training/weight/diet/nutrition systems & facilities (if we dont, we wasted a ton of money over the years) -- take full advantage of them.

Create an OL factory.

Always have a full compliment of guys ready to step up.

 

[Juan]

Here is the Scout write-up on Cuney

http://www.scout.com/college/texas/story/1576212-40-acres-forecast-terrell-cuney

Terrell Cuney Position:OL

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1/289 pounds

High School: Jasper, Texas

Year: Redshirt freshman

2014 Review

Cuney came in with a lot of confidence but playing time just wasn’t in the cards for him last season.  Recruited as a center, Cuney was simply at a position that had too many bodies. Even when Dom Espinosa went down with an injury in the first game of the season, Jake Raulerson and, eventually, Taylor Doyle, were right there to take over in the middle. So Cuney redshirted.

2015 Preview

Cuney didn’t exactly get off to a good start with fall camp as he was reportedly arrested for shoplifting the day before practice started. That didn’t sit well with Charlie Strong, who told the media that Cuney would have some work to do to get back on track.  Cuney did participate in the first practice of fall camp and has been working out with the team every day since. He even got snaps at left guard with the second team on Tuesday.

He won’t see starters snaps but will supply Joe Wickline with some much-needed depth. He’s a player that plays with a lot of confidence and has some ability even though he’s a bit undersized [powerful dude though].

HD Projection

Whether it’s at either guard spot or at center, which is the position he was recruited for by the old staff, Cuney has a puncher’s chance of seeing his name on the two-deep if he works hard and stays focused on the task at hand.

Right now he’s mainly been getting snaps on the third team. Wickline seems to have found his contingent of guys that he really, really likes and we’re not sure if Cuney is in that company.

Sedrick Flowers, Patrick Vahe, Taylor Doyle, Jake Raulerson, Kent Perkins, Brandon Hodges and Alex Anderson are all likely going to get snaps before him.

How he ended up on the 40 Acres

There was never really any doubt that Cuney was going to commit to Texas once he was offered.

He had other offers – TCU and Texas Tech were two of them – but Cuney seemed destined for Austin from the beginning. He committed while in town for a Longhorns spring game.

 

[Godz40acres]

Our offers on OGs (per 247)

 
4-star Donavaughn Campbell (committed to LSU)
4-star Chris Owens (committed to Bama)
4-star Michael Eletise (committed to Auburn Arizona)
3 or 4-star Parker Boudreaux (committed to ND)
3-star Denzel Okafor (heavy TCU lean)

fify

 

[Coal Harbour]

Thank you.  Wicklines 'greatness' doesn't come from taking 4 and 5 star recruits and turning them into NFL players - its from taking 2 and 3 star recruits, along with a healthy dose of JUCO, and turning out consistently great lines for successful offenses.  Wicklines Offensive Lines were always a perfect example of the 'whole being greater than the sum of its parts'.

No kool-aid needed to understand and acknowledge that Wickline is one of the most respected and talented OL coaches in college football and has been for over a decade. 

I know this is taking a shot at Wick, but must be nice coaching at Oklahoma State, whiffing on 4 star OL while using the excuse that its hard to recruit in Stillwater, while other positions were able to land 4 star recruits and then anytime the OL group performed well being praised for their efforts b/c they are a bunch of 2 and 3 star recruits.

Coaching with a built in excuse is brilliant.  I bleed burnt orange and hope Wick excels on the 40; however, my point is that the jury is out on Wick and he is entering a very important time in his coaching life when production is required, not hoped for.

 

[Hiphopopotamos]

I know this is taking a shot at Wick, but must be nice coaching at Oklahoma State, whiffing on 4 star OL while using the excuse that its hard to recruit in Stillwater, while other positions were able to land 4 star recruits and then anytime the OL group performed well being praised for their efforts b/c they are a bunch of 2 and 3 star recruits.

Coaching with a built in excuse is brilliant.  I bleed burnt orange and hope Wick excels on the 40; however, my point is that the jury is out on Wick and he is entering a very important time in his coaching life when production is required, not hoped for.

There is no question Wickline is an average to below-average recruiter at best.  But thats not what we're talking about.  We're talking about his coaching.  And his coaching is good enough that you can live with the fact that he wasn't hauling 5 stars into Stillwater with any regularity.

Thats going to need to change at Texas - and it already has.  Last year was the highest rated group of OL recruits he has had to work with, and that should be a baseline for Texas recruiting.