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Steve Sarkisian continues to upgrade his offense through the transfer portal this offseason. The latest addition announced his commitment to Texas Thursday morning as Wyoming transfer WR Isaiah Neyor pledged to the Longhorns. Neyor, who just wrapped up his sophomore season, hauled in 44 passes for 878 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021. The Arlington native will likely immediately cement his place in the WR rotation alongside Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington, Marcus Washington and Kelvontay Dixon. Neyor joins Quinn Ewers, Ryan Watts and Jahleel Billingsly as transfers who have joined the Texas program.

It did not take long for the addition of Quinn Ewers to impact Steve Sarkisian's QB room. Junior QB Casey Thompson chose to enter the transfer portal Friday afternoon after starting 10 games for Texas in 2021. This past season, Thompson threw for 2,113 yards to go along with 24 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Despite not opening the season as the starter, Thompson in played in each of Texas' first two games before starting the remainder of the season. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

The vacant WR coach position on Steve Sarkisian's staff is expected to be filled by Pitt WR Brennan Marion, according to multiple reports. Marion will be taking over for Andre Coleman, who was relieved of his duties. The former Tulsa standpoint has been a fast riser through the coaching ranks. He served as the offensive coordinator at Howard (2017-2018) and William and Mary (2019) before becoming the WR coach at Hawaii (2020) and Pitt (2021).

Steve Sarkisian filled a vacant spot on his staff yesterday with the addition of Tashard Choice as the new RB coach, but the staff additions do not appear to be done. Horns247 reported earlier this evening that WR coach Andre Coleman is being let go and not expected to return to Steve Sarkisian's staff. Coleman was retained by Sarkisian after serving as the wide receivers coach on Tom Herman's staff in 2020. Prior to his time at Texas, Coleman spent 6 years at Kansas State as the wide receivers and served as the offensive coordinator in 2018.

Another game. Another double digit lead blown by Texas. Texas has a mental hurdle they can not get over right now. Even when Bijan Robinson converted a short TD run on 4th down to put Texas up 21-10 in the 3rd quarter, it never really felt like Texas controlled the game. They had opportunities to pull away early, but the mistakes mounted and ultimately costed Texas yet again in the second half. The Texas defense was gashed on the ground.....again. The Longhorns had a lot of issue holding the point of attack and Baylor repeatedly had gigantic holes for their running backs. The tackling issues and bad angles continued. At this point, Texas is going to have to pick their poison because they are allowing way too many yards in the short and immediate passing game while leaving limited numbers in the box to defend running games that are running wild. It was very obvious that Baylor decided they did not want Gerry Bohanon to give the game away after his two first half interceptions. They did a good job of basically taking the ball out of his hands in the second half unless they absolutely had to throw. Texas never adjusted. Building on the Texas issues defending the run, I am not quite sure what Texas is doing in the secondary right now. They rarely muddy the picture for the QB and give up a lot of easy pitch and catches for 8-10 yards. Onto the offense, Texas left so many points on the field it's tough to go back and recount them all. Casey Thompson couldn't connect on a wide open Xavier Worthy in the endzone in the second quarter, and two plays later Joshua Moore fumbled. A few minutes later, following a Luke Brockermeyer interception that gave Texas the ball back with the chance to add points before the half, Thompson's throw to Moore bounced off his hands and right to a Baylor defender. Baylor was determined to not let Bijan Robinson beat them. Robinson finished the game with 17 carries for 43 yards. Steve Sarkisian even admitted in an interview at the half that if Baylor was going to continue stacking the box, Texas would need to continue to move the ball through the play action game. Texas made them pay a handful of times, but it wasn't enough. As I have mentioned several times in the past few weeks, Texas misses Jordan Whittington badly right now. Marcus Washington did a nice job of stepping up today (7 catches for 70 yards), but the Longhorns are lacking someone who can go over the middle of the field on 3rd down and help move the chains. For the most part, I thought the Texas offensive line held up okay in pass protection. Kyle Flood opted to tinker with the lineup throughout the game for the second consecutive game. In the run game, they were whipped repeatedly. Some of it had to with the numbers Baylor was dedicating to the running game, but the Texas offensive line was unable to generate any type of push even when the box thinned out. All the issues on both sides of the ball were compounded when Texas tried to make a punt in the 4th quarter with the ball around midfield. Not only was the decision to fake the punt questionable, but it was 4th and 11. Sarkisian said after the game that Dicker had the option to run or pass the ball, but it wouldn't have mattered. Baylor had it defended well and stopped Texas on downs. The Bears then turned the short field into a TD when Abram Smith went into the endzone untouched after Texas had no one in the cutback lane. What's next? Any hopes that Texas had about back-dooring their way into the Big 12 championship game are gone. Now, the Longhorns have to go to Ames next weekend and are staring 4-5 in the face. I am far more concerned about the state of the Longhorns defense than I am the offense. Texas is simply getting whipped along the defensive line and teams are running the ball at will. While there are some personnel issues that limit the ability of some of the position groups, the unit as a whole should be playing much better than what they have been showing. Steve Sarkisian needs to evaluate everyone these last 4 games, both coaches and players, to figure out what this team needs to do in the offseason to get over the hump. Whatever they are doing now isn't working.

The countdown is on as 18 days remain until Texas kicks off the season against Louisiana. After spending the first part of our preview series on the offensive side of the ball, we turn our attention to the defense. Departures DT Ta'Quon Graham (NFL)- 24 career starts, 23 career tackles for loss, 7 career sacks EDGE Joseph Ossai (NFL)- 24 career starts, 30.5 career tackles for loss, 11 career sacks EDGE Marquez Bimage (Portal)- Sat out the 2020 season. Played in 34 career games with 2 tackles for loss and 1 sack. EDGE Reese Leitao- 7 career tackles DE Daniel Carson (Portal)- Played in 4 career games The biggest departures will be Graham and Ossai, who both are now playing in the NFL. Ossai in particular was the best player Texas had defensively in 2020 and benefited greatly from the move to the 4-man front under Chris Ash, who deployed him as a stand up edge rusher. Graham was a steady presence in the interior of the defensive line and started alongside Keondre Coburn. Bimage flashed at times in 2019 when given playing time, but opted out of the 2020 season and decided to finish his career at Cal. Leitao also opted to end his playing days early after graduating. Carson was never able to crack the defensive line rotation and is now at Western Illinois. Additions Byron Murphy- #400 ranked player in the country, 50th ranked defensive lineman D.J Harris- #268 ranked player in the country, 20th ranked EDGE player Jordon Thomas- #294 ranked player in the country, 38th ranked defensive lineman David Abiara- #439 ranked player in the country, 55th ranked defensive lineman Barryn Sorrell- #686 ranked player in the country, 87th ranked defensive lineman Ray Thornton- Transfer from LSU Ben Davis- Transfer from Alabama It can be argued whether a few of these guys should be grouped with the linebackers, but for the simplicity of this exercise we will group them with the DL. Pete Kwiatkowski's system has both a X-backer and JACK position, which include DL and LB responsibilities. In terms of the new additions via the high school ranks, Texas did a nice job of adding some late pieces to fill needs in the class both in the interior of the DL and on the edge. Byron Murphy is already earning rave reviews in camp and appears poised to see some playing time as a true freshman at DT. Harris is recovering from a knee injury suffered in high school and is likely headed for a redshirt year, but he figures to factor into the conversation at JACK in the coming years. Thomas is already listed at 273 pounds on the Texas roster and could be destined to move inside as his frame continues to fill out. Abiara and Sorrell were both late additions to the 2021 class after Sarkisian took over. Both are likely headed for redshirt years. Abiara was once committed to Notre Dame and likely fits into conversation at X-Backer. Sorrell will also factor in at one of the edge positions. The big story of the spring was the additions of Ray Thornton (LSU) and Ben Davis (Bama). Both come to Texas from big time programs. Thornton is likely the favorite to start at X-Backer and Davis will see plenty of snaps coming off the edge as well after spending most of his career at Alabama as an inside linebacker. Returning Players Junior DT Keondre Coburn- 22 career starts, 4.5 tackles for loss in 2020 Junior DT Moro Ojomo- 13 career starts, 2 sacks in 2020 Sophomore DT Alfred Collins- 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 2020 Junior DT T'Vondre Sweat- 4 tackles for loss and 1 sack in 2020 Sophomore DT Myron Warren- No career appearances Redshirt Freshman DT Sawyer Goram-Welch- Played in 3 career games Redshirt Freshman DT Vernon Broughton- Played in 3 career games Redshirt Freshman EDGE Prince Dorbah- Played in 1 career game Senior EDGE Jacoby Jones- Played in 20 career games, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 2020 Despite losing Ta'Quon Graham, the Longhorns return a lot of talent at defensive tackle. Keondre Coburn will be entering his 3rd year as a starter and appears poised for a big year. Ojomo and Sweat have been rotational players the last few years and will look to take another step forward under new defensive line coach Bo Davis. Ojomo figures to get the first crack at starting alongside Coburn after a strong spring. Collins was a borderline 5-star recruit in the 2020 class and flashed major potential as a true freshman a year ago. He is likely in line for plenty of snaps in 2021. Warren, Goram-Welch and Broughton will likely spend the reminder of fall camp fighting to get into the defensive tackle rotation. On the edge, super senior Jacoby Jones is the favorite to begin the season as the starter at the JACK position. The Longhorns will need him to show he can get to the quarterback if the defense wants to reach its fullest potential. Dorbah played in 1 game a season ago while taking a redshirt year and could still be a year away from being ready to contribute. Outlook The interior defensive line is far and away the biggest strength on the Texas roster. Moro Ojomo, T'Vondre Sweat and Alfred Collins would be starters almost any other year, but 2 of the 3 will find themselves as "backups". The term backup should be used loosely because all 3 will still play a lot and all 3 have NFL futures. The biggest question mark will be the production Pete Kwiatkowski able to get from the X-Backer and JACK position, specifically as pass rushers. Ossai was a one man wrecking crew when teams dropped back to pass a season ago. The Longhorns must find a way to replace his production in a league where teams are not afraid to throw the ball. If Texas is able to get consistent play from Thornton and Jones, it is likely Texas has a defensive front that is one of the best in the Big 12 right alongside Oklahoma.

As expected, the SEC has officially extended invitations for Texas and Oklahoma to join the conference. The news comes following a meeting with all 14 presidents, who all voted in favor of offering membership to the Longhorns and Sooners. The only thing left for both schools to do is to accept the invitation. That will happen Friday during separate Board of Regents meetings the schools have scheduled. Things have moved quickly since the news leaked last Wednesday that Texas and Oklahoma had been discussing joining the SEC. On Monday, the presidents formally informed the Big 12 that they would not renew their grant-of-rights agreement after it expires in 2025. The invitation for Texas and Oklahoma is to begin play in their new conference in 2025, but it is expected that both schools will attempt to make the move earlier, perhaps as soon as 2022.

We continue our series previewing each position group for the 2021 season. Today, we turn our attention to the offensive line. Departures Sam Cosmi (NFL)- 34 career starts, 21 of them at Left Tackle Reese Moore (Portal) Willie Tyler (Portal) Kyle Flood will have to find a way to fill a massive hole left behind by Sam Cosmi, who was a 3-year starter for the Longhorns. Cosmi anchored the Texas offensive line for the last 2 years and was a 2nd round pick by the Washington Football Team. The departures of Moore and Tyler were not a total surprise as both didn't see much playing time last year. Additions Hayden Conner- #391 ranked player in the 2021 class, 29th ranked OT Max Merril- #1086 ranked player in the 2021 class, 9th ranked OT Connor and Merril are both headed for a redshirt year. Herb Hand did not have a good year from a recruiting standpoint, but he did improve the Longhorns overall depth the last few years which will allow Flood to redshirt most freshman lineman moving forward. Returning Players Jake Majors (R-Fr)- Played in 3 career games with 2 starts Tope Imade (R-Sr)- Played in 8 career games Derek Kerstetter (Sr)- Played in 46 games with 37 starts Andrej Karic (R-Fr)- Played in 3 games with 1 start Christian Jones (Jr)- Played in 23 games with 10 starts Logan Parr (R-Fr)- Redshirted last year Tyler Johnson (R-So)- Played and started in the Alamo Bowl last year Isaiah Hookfin (R-So)- Played in 1 career game Rafiti Ghirmai (R-Jr)- Played in 13 career games Junior Angilau (R-Jr)- Has played and started 22 career games Jaylen Garth (R-Fr)- Redshirted last year Denzel Okafor (R-Sr)- Played in 48 career games with 14 starts Despite losing Cosmi, Texas will be returning 6 players with starting experience and have several more who could make positive contributions for a unit looking to take a big step forward in 2021. Christian Jones is the favorite to take over at LT entering fall camp after spending the majority of his time at RT a season ago. Jones has a high ceiling but will need to develop more consistency after struggling at times in 2020 against good pass rushers. The biggest wildcard of the group will be Derek Kerstetter, who is returning for a 5th season and has played all over the offensive line in his first 4 seasons. Kerstetter spent last season at center but could be moved to a guard spot or RT with the emergence of Jake Majors. Wherever Kerstetter ends up will cause a domino effect on the rest of the unit. If Kerstetter ends up at RT, it likely leaves Tope Imade and Denzel Okafor in a battle for the RG spot. Kerstetter at RG opens the door for Andrej Karic to claim the RT spot. The Southlake Carroll product flashed in the final few games of 2020 when he received extended playing time. Junior Angilau likely has a firm grasp on the LG spot. Outlook As a unit, Texas has to be better at protecting the QB than they were in 2020. The Longhorns OL struggled mightily against teams like Oklahoma and Iowa State who were strong along the defensive line and at linebacker. Sam Ehlinger was able to mask some of the issues with is scrambling ability, but Steve Sarkisian will be asking his QB's to stay in the pocket much more frequently which will place more of an emphasis on keeping either Hudson Card or Casey Thompson upright. Another important factor will be Bijan Robinson, who will make the jobs of the offensive lineman easier. If Flood can get the offensive line to be an above average run blocking unit, the Longhorns should see plenty of success running the ball. The expectations for the unit as the whole should be higher despite losing their best player. The Longhorns have depth at all 5 positions and Flood is regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in the country. If Christian Jones to take the next step in his development and Kerstetter shows that he is the same player at guard or tackle that he was pre-injury, Texas should field one of the better OL units in the Big 12.

Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns received good news on the defensive side of the ball on Monday when linebacker Ben Davis formally announced his decision to transfer to Texas from Alabama. Later that evening, the Texas defensive line became the beneficiary of a commitment from an out-of-state 4-star defensive end prospect. Zac Swanson (6-4, 255 lbs.) became the eighth commit in the Longhorns' 2022 recruiting class and the second out-of-state prospect to commit, joining 5-star Junipero Serra (Gardena, CA) QB Maalik Murphy. Swanson attends Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona, and held offers from Arizona, Arizona State, USC, Auburn, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Iowa State among others. He received an offer from the Longhorns on February 18th and made it official nine weeks later. He joins safety Bryan Allen Jr., cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau, lineback Trevell Johnson and defensive tackle Kristopher Ross as defensive commits for Texas.

On Saturday afternoon, Texas fans got their first look at the 2021 Longhorns under new coach Steve Sarkisian. The Orange-White spring game concluded spring practice for Texas and allowed everyone to get a sneak peak at what to expect this fall. Here are three key takeaways from the Texas spring game: 1. The QB battle is nowhere close to being over Despite Casey Thompson taking all the reps with the 1st team during Saturday's scrimmage, the QB battle is just heating up on the 40 Acres. Thompson finished the afternoon 23 of 42 for 242 yards and a pair of interceptions (one of which was a hail mary on the last play of the game). Redshirt freshman Hudson Card led the second team offense and tossed a touchdown while finishing with 191 yards on 16 of 26 passing. Steve Sarkisian has preached the need for consistency when talking about his quarterbacks. Thompson started off well but cooled off towards the end of the first half while Card started off slow but heated up as the game progressed. This is a battle that is likely to last well into August and potentially even into the week of the season opener. 2. Texas' biggest strength heading into the offseason is the defensive line Despite losing star pass rusher Joseph Ossai to the NFL, the Texas defensive line appears to be in a really good place entering the summer, especially at defensive tackle. Keondre Coburn is entering his 3rd year as a starter and the Longhorns have plenty of depth behind him. Alfred Collins flashed a lot of potential as a freshman will likely open the season next to Coburn, with Moro Ojomo, Vernon Broughton and T'Vondre Sweat (who missed the spring game due to injury) getting snaps as well. On the edge, LSU transfer Ray Thornton and Jacoby Jones flashed several times on Saturday. Texas will also get reinforcements in June when Notre Dame transfer Ovie Oghoufo and Alabama transfer Ben Davis join the program. The Texas coaching staff has done a good job of building quality depth along the defensive line and Bo Davis should have a lot of pieces to work with when camp opens in August. 3. Wide receiver remains the biggest question mark If there is a position group right now that causes Steve Sarkisian to lose sleep at night, it is the wide receivers. It is no secret Sarkisian prefers gamebreaking speed to help maximize his scheme, something the Longhorns lack on the current roster. Sarkisian also lost Jake Smith, who might be the receiver with the best quick twitch on the current roster, on the first day of spring ball to a broken foot. Jordan Whittington will likely be a big piece of the puzzle as long as he can stay healthy, but after Whittington there are more questions than answers. Joshua Moore was leaned on heavily at times a year ago, but is still searching for consistency. Marcus Washington was someone mentioned throughout the spring by Sarkisian and did reel in a touchdown from Hudson Card, but also had two critical drops in the opening drive for the White team. The biggest wildcard for the position is Troy Omeire, who missed last year with a torn ACL and played limited snaps on Saturday. If Omeire is back to 100% by fall camp, it could go a long way in helping solidify the biggest question mark for Texas heading into the season.

The annual Texas Football Orange-White Game will take place today at 1 p.m. at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and will be televised on Longhorn Network. Admission is FREE and seating will be available in the lower bowl in on a first-come, first-served basis with social distancing measures in place.

Today marked the first day on the field for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. Spring Practice began and with it another came an injury to a key player. Smith's injury adds to a larger injury pool that we posted yesterday: P Ryan Bujcevski (knee) LB Derrick Harris (knee) OL Derek Kerstetter (ankle) TE Brayden Liebrock (shoulder) DS Justin Mader (shoulder) LB DeMarvion Overshown (shoulder) DL T’Vondre Sweat (shoulder) Also QB Casey Thompson is sporting a new number on his jersey. Look familiar? More to come....

New UT Baseball Volunteer Assistant Coach Troy Tulowitzki and Coach Pierce make an appearance at UT football practice today. I really like the support that each of the coaches and programs give to one another.

http://collegefootball.ap.org/poll LSU (6,) Texas (9,) and ags (16,) with largest jumps (+5) Go Cougs at #10

Texas Baseball and Django Walker are.

VIA UT AUSTIN, Texas – Kickoff times and television selections for three of Texas' contests in the 2018 season were released on Thursday. Longhorn Network will air the home opener versus Tulsa on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. CT, while home match-up against USC on Saturday, Sept. 15 will be on FOX at 7 p.m. CT, and the game at Kansas on Friday, Nov. 23 will be on FS1 at 11 a.m. CT. Longhorn Network will also televise an additional game this season with further details to be announced at a later time. Since its launch in 2011, LHN has televised 16 Texas Football games, with the games against Tulsa and a to-be-determined opponent serving as the 17th and 18th, respectively. The 2018 season marks the eighth year LHN has exclusively televised select Texas Football games. Texas GameDay, a two-hour pre-game show, and Texas GameDay Final, an hour-long post-game show, will once again supplement LHN's Texas Football telecasts. Further details on both the game telecasts and the pre-and post-game coverage will be announced at a later date. The game against Tulsa will mark the first-ever meeting between the Longhorns and the Golden Hurricane, while the contest against USC will be the seventh all-time between the two storied programs, but the first in Austin since 1966. The game at Kansas will be the first between the schools to be played on a Friday in 18 series meetings, and the first time they have met around the Thanksgiving holiday.

By Daniel Seahorn If you couldn’t tell by now, Texas running back coach Stan Drayton values versatility in his meeting room. Being able to tote the rock is one thing, but when you can be an asset as a pass blocker in blitz pickup and or as a receiver out of the backfield or split out wide then you really set yourself apart from the pack in evaluations. Running backs Daniel Young and Toneil Carter have certainly shown in flashes that they possess these traits and incoming freshman back Keaontay Ingram has shown on tape consistently that he can be that kind of back as well. The thing these three players have in common? They will all be underclassmen when the 2018 season kicks off this fall and they could probably benefit from some veteran experience in the rotation. That’s where former Cal running back Tre Watson enters the picture. Watson possesses the traits mentioned previously and he was setup for a breakout year as the lead back in Berkley in 2017 before suffering a season ending injury. Watson got the Wally Pipp treatment, as his replacement Patrick Laird experienced a breakout season of his own as he tallied over 1400 yards from scrimmage . With that transpiring, Watson opted to go the graduate transfer route and look for a new home. Watson looks to have found what he was looking for in his new home in Austin, Texas. After officially visiting Texas over the weekend and thoroughly enjoying himself for the spring game festivities, Watson decided to call Austin home for the next year and become a Longhorn. Film Analysis Player InformationName: Tre Watson Position: RB High School/ College: Centennial/ Cal- Berkley City & State: Corona, CA Measurables Height: 5’11 Weight: 205 40-yard: N/A Shuttle: N/A Vertical: N/A Statistics 2014: 25 carries, 94 yards, 1 TD, 1 reception, 1 yard, 20 kick returns, 407 yards, 1 punt return, 4 yards 2015: 88 carries, 494 yards, 3 TDs, 10 receptions, 106 yards, 1 TD, 2 kick returns, 44 yards 2016: 143 carries, 709 yards, 4 TDs, 21 receptions, 241 yards, 4 TDs, 12 kick returns, 206 yards 2017: 17 carries, 83 yards, 5 receptions, 31 yards ** ** Suffered a season ending injury Film 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWuSOjeUMoI 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxwl50ssIy4 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGry4SIXHVE Pros: Battle tested veteran. Tallied just under 1800 yards from scrimmage during his time in Berkley. Brings a diversified skill set to the table. Can be effective as a receiver out of the backfield and can also be split out wide. Possesses solid size for the position at 5’11, 205 pounds. Possesses good vision and runs decisively. Sticks his foot in the ground and goes without much hesitation and shows good up-field burst. Shows to have a good feel and patience for inside and outside zone as well as the power run game. Has the speed to get the corner of the defense and rip of yards in chunks. Not the biggest guy, but runs with some subtle power and runs behind his pads when anticipating contact. Has some wiggle and can make defenders miss in close quarters and in the open field. Will be a big asset in the screen game in Austin just like he was in Berkley. Possesses a reliable set of hands as a receiver. Could be an asset in the return game. Cons: Suffered a season ending lower body injury in 2017. Will have to be sure he has fully recovered from that injury without any setbacks. Returning from a lower body injury makes me wonder if he will have the same decisiveness and burst as he did pre-injury. Was easily replaced after going down with an injury. Product of a plug and play system? Can he BYOB (be your own blocker) with the state of the Texas offensive line? Shows a lot of good on tape, but I have questions about how he holds up as a pass protector. He’s a one year band-aid for the position that is young and struggled a bit this spring with ball security. Will likely steal carries from one of the young backs, which could be both good and bad. Summary Tre Watson is a former three year lettermen with the California Golden Bears. Watson participated in 37 games and logged 8 starts before going down with a season ending lower body injury in the second game of season in 2017. Prior to the injury in 2017, Watson displayed the makings of a player that could be an asset in three different phases of the game (as a runner, a receiver, and returner). As a runner, Watson displays good feel for both the zone (inside and outside) and power run game. He shows good vision, and patience as he lets the play and blocks develop in front of him before showing off his up-field burst and exploding to the second and third levels of the defense. At 5’11, 205 pounds, Watson has solid size for the position and does a good job of running behind his pads and show good tackle breaking ability both through finesse and at times through pure strength from his lower body. Watson has some wiggle to his game and is capable of making defenders miss in close quarters as well as the open field and particularly showed off this facet of his game as a receiver in the screen game. As a receiver, Watson proves to have reliable hands in the screen game or even flexed out wide in empty sets. Watson possessing this ability only adds to his value due how Texas likes to utilize their running backs outside of just turning and putting the ball in their belly. Watson being a reliable target in the passing game gives Watson the opportunity to potentially be a three down back during his time in Austin, which would be a change a pace from the game of musical chairs the position experienced in 2017. During his time in Berkley, Watson also logged snap both as a kick and punt returner, and while he didn’t put any points on the board as the return man, he does bring that experience the table and give the coaches another option back there going forward. Final Verdict The more I watch Watson, the more I really like this pickup for Texas. Does him coming off a lower leg injury worry me? Yes. Does he likely take carries away from two young backs that showed promise last year? Yep. Does the Texas offensive line still need to be able to open up consistent running lanes for him to be successful? You would be correct about that. In regards to the young backs, I don’t think the Texas coaches would be going down this avenue if they felt 100% comfortable with their stable after concluding spring practice. We’ve already covered the staff’s concerns about ball security and we saw that issue in the spring game with Toneil Carter putting the ball on the ground. And while many are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Keaontay Ingram in the summer, it would be nice if the staff didn’t have to rely heavily on a true freshman for the second year in a row at the running back position. Watson may be a one year rental, but he could prove to be a very valuable asset in the Texas backfield in 2018 with the skill set he brings to the table and he takes the pressure off of Keaontay Ingram to have to provide meaningful snaps from Day 1.

Texas reeled in their first defensive back commit of the 2019 class with the verbal pledge of 4-star Kenyatta Watson. The Georgia product is ranked as the 11th best safety in the country (187th overall), according to the 247composite rankings. After signing an historic defensive back class in 2018, Texas had the opportunity to be selective on whom to take in the 2019 class. Watson was offered back in November while he was committed to Florida State. The commitment did not last though, as Watson de-committed from the Seminoles in January, and proceeded to visit Austin in late February. In early March, Watson named a final two of Texas and Notre Dame, with Texas set to host him on an official visit the weekend of April 27th. Following the official visit, Watson ultimately chose to shut down his recruitment and pledge to the Longhorns, giving Tom Herman another key piece of the 2019 class. Player Information Name: Kenyatta Watson Position: CB,S High School: Grayson City & State: Loganville,GA Measurables Height: 6’2 Weight: 187 40-yard time: 4.50 Shuttle: 4.12 Vertical: 45″ Statistics No stats available. Film Kenyatta Watson Junior Season Pros: Plays very physical. He is not afraid to get up close to the scrimmage and disrupt the timing and rhythm of a receiver. In the run game, Watson shows a good nose for the football and isn’t afraid to fight through blockers Reliable open-field tackler. Shows the ability to tackle in space and take good angles to the ball carrier. His tape shows him reading several screen plays well and making an open field tackle Possesses quick hips and good length as a corner. Stays with receivers well and rarely gets beat deep Very athletic and multiple. Watson has the speed to play sideline to sideline, while having the athleticism to play pretty much anywhere in the secondary. Impressive special teams player. Played on both punt block and field goal block, where he used his speed off the edge to disrupt kicks. Will almost assuredly be a special teams contributor early in his career. Cons: Needs to show a little better awareness with the ball in the air. There were times where balls that should have been picked off ended up as PBU. There are questions about whether he is a safety or a corner. He probably has the frame to tack on a couple extra pounds, which could lead to his future being at safety. Summary The first thing that stands out about Watson when turning on his film is his length. At 6’2, he uses his length both at the line of scrimmage and in coverage. Watson is no stranger to press coverage, and he isn’t afraid to get physical with receivers, re-routing them at the line and throwing off their timing. In the run game, Watson shows the ability to make open field tackles and be a solid run defender. The biggest question for Watson has he heads into college is what position best suits him long term. Texas appears to be recruiting him as a corner, and he has the skills to be successful, but his best long term position may end up being safety. Regardless of where he ends up, his quick hips, good length and physicality help him profile well at any of the defensive back positions. Final Verdict The 2019 defensive back class in the state of Texas is not as strong as the 2018 class, so it is not surprising Tom Herman opted to look at some out-of-state players. Watson’s father mentioned early in the process that current Texas TE Reese Leitao is cousins with Kenyatta, so it certainly did not hurt to have a family tie to Austin. Many pegged Watson as a Notre Dame lean early in the process, but Tom Herman once again worked his magic. The Longhorns now have 2 big out-of-state commits, with Watson joining California LB De’Gabriel Floyd.

Texas has made a huge splash in the recruiting world today, securing a commitment from elite California LB De’Gabriel Floyd. Floyd becomes the first linebacker commit in the Longhorns 2019 class and ranks as 40th best player in the country (3rd ranked LB), according to the 247composite rankings. The addition of Floyd fills a huge need at the linebacker position, a position Tom Herman and Todd Orlando knew they needed to address in the recruiting cycle. On January 28th, Floyd was extended an offer. In Mid-February, he attended junior day and said afterwards that he was blown away and said the Longhorns were very high on his list. Floyd returned a month later during his spring break in March, and ultimately chose to commit to Texas, giving the Longhorns their highest ranked player so far in the 2019 class. Player Information Name: De’Gabriel Floyd Position: LB High School: Westlake City & State: Westlake Village, CA Measurables Height: 6’2 Weight: 220 40-yard time: 4.78 Shuttle: 4.51 Vertical: 35.6″ Statistics No stats available. Film De’Gabriel Floyd Junior Season Pros: From the moment you turn on the film, the first thing that stands out is Floyd’s willingness to hit. The first play of his HUDL is him blowing up a running back trying to pass protect and then slinging the Quarterback to the ground Floyd spent time on offense, defense and special teams during high school, and excelled in every well. On defense, he spent time at linebacker and DB. Plays very well in space. Takes good angles to the balls and diagnoses plays well. Definitely a guy who knows what he is doing in pass coverage Shows good patience in the run game. Chooses gaps wisely and rarely plays timid when attacking a running lane Not afraid to mix it up between the tackles. Takes on offensive lineman willingly and will knock them on their backside if they aren’t ready. Football savvy. Shows good instincts and high football IQ. Cons: Loves to lower the shoulder to deliver the big hit, which worked out for him a lot in high school, but he will need to become more reliable as a tackler at the next level. He shows the ability to wrap-up and drive a ball-carrier, he just needs to do it consistently Since he played all over the field, he will probably need at least a year to adjust to the ins and outs of playing college LB. Testing results shows a lack of straight line speed, which is worrisome, but his play speed seems adequate on tape. Have some questions about his coverage ability, but certainly seems athletic enough in space to be competent. Depending on how the roster shakes out, he could be counted on early, but could benefit from a redshirt. Summary Watch the first play of Floyd’s HUDL, and you will be sold. Tom Herman often times talks about how he wants physicality to be a trademark of his program, and Floyd fits that category. The California native shows tremendous athleticism on film. At junior day, he talked about how Todd Orlando had been discussing the Rover role with him, and it’s easy to tell why. Floyd possesses the ability to play between the tackles and serve as a run stuffer, while also having the speed to play in space. Against the pass, he has the ability to both rush the passer and play in coverage. Unlike some recruits, he doesn’t need to bulk up too much or add a lot of weight. Overall, Floyd has all the tools and traits coaches drool over at the linebacker position, and it’s easy to see why Texas made him a priority target early in the process. Final Verdict Entering the 2019 recruiting cycle, there were some questions about where Texas was going to turn for linebackers. The LB depth in-state was not outstanding, but the Longhorns still had glad a glaring need that needed to be filled. Tom Herman and Todd Orlando deserve a lot of credit for building a relationship with Floyd and pulling him out of California when many thought it was not possible. It certainly does not hurt to bring Floyd into the fold with the Longhorns still heavily pursuing elite California CB Chris Steele. With several members of the 2017 signing class hailing from out of state, it appears Tom Herman and company are willing to go wherever they see fit to bring talent to the 40 acres.

According to Tom Herman, Gary Johnson will miss 6 weeks with a groin injury. Also, Cameron Townsend has moved from LB to RB. Sounds like Herman wants some more competition at the position.

Tom Herman confirmed during his signing day press conference that Reggie Hemphill Mapps will transfer from UT. He has not been working out with the team and is currently looking for a potential landing spot. The redshirt freshman caught 32 passes for 328 yards in 2017.

The 2018 recruiting class will officially come to a close as National Signing Day 2 is upon us. Texas inked 19 players during the early signing period in December, but will look to add to that number with a strong finish. Below are the remaining commits and targets, with the time they plan on signing: Committed DL Daniel Carson (SIGNED) DL Moro Ojomo (SIGNED) DL Keondre Coburn (SIGNED) RB Keaontay Ingram (SIGNED) WR Josh Moore (SIGNED) OL Christian Jones (SIGNED) DL Michael Williams (2:40 PM) Targets DL Joseph Ossai (9 AM) LB Andrew Parker (9 AM) WR Lawrence Keys III (10 AM) WR Tommy Bush (10:30 AM) DL Vernon Jackson (TBD) Follow along here at HornSports for live updates throughout the day.

There may be some injury news coming in the next several days that impacts the Texas offense. The injury could be minor, because the player has not had an MRI yet. That's all we can say at this time. We will release more information as it comes to us.

It all began with his tweet after the spring game. "Could've told my mother to save her money on the plane ticket". Half of a game after being called on account of rain, or a subtle blast to the fact he didn't sniff the field? I don't know, but I believe, when it comes to a young guy who wants his shot, it was the latter. When Buechele became the obvious nod to the future with Ehlinger on deck at QB, I knew Locksley was going to have to change positions or transfer. Then it was even more evident when Heard got moved to WR, where a stable of capable guys was already in place. Now, I don't even know what the plan is, if any for the kid. I know he never had huge expectations, but does anyone feel bad for him? I just feel like he is a perfect example of how you can be swept up in the circus that can be recruiting. It's a valid thought to wonder if he ever really knew what he was doing/expecting when he said yes to Texas and bailed on FSU. Then again, you wonder what he was told. Who knows. I'll give him this much: I don't know what it's like to be 18 and have those kinds of decisions to make with the confidence and probably somewhat arrogance that I can go somewhere and be the guy. But at the same time, how do you make such a huge decision without really looking at the reality of the situation and asking yourself where you fit in? At one point during camp, his name came up on a brief article about roster position changes, what ifs, etc. And I completely forgot the kid was on the team. I'm betting the house on Texas this Saturday and putting all my winnings on my next bet, which is news that Locksley transfers before this season ends.

Kirk Johnson appears to have not been improving from his torn ACL last year. The answer why is now known. Johnson had a slight meniscus tear in his knee, which was hindering his progress. Johnson underwent a minor scope procedure to resolve the issue. I would not be surprised if Johnson medically redshirted this year, but he could also be back later in the season. Tough break for him, but he will be back. Luckily, Texas has three solid RB's in front of him. Rumors are circulating that Patrick Vahe injured his wrist in practice and is in a cast. Before any of you freak out, this is just a rumor for now. Nothing has been confirmed. On the positive side, it is not uncommon for a lineman to play in a cast. If there is any way that Vahe can get out on the field against Cal, he will play. Vahe is key to the Texas run game, and OL coach Matt Mattox wlll not hold him out unless the injury is serious. I will update the thread as more information arrives. Stay tuned.