**

The Texas practice bubble was littered with NFL scouts this afternoon. And I overheard two of them from different teams talking about Quinn at the end of the throwing session.

One scout said of Ewers, "he threw one bad pass the whole workout." And the scout said that in an admiring and surprising tone - he's probably seen some stinker performances in his day.

The other scout's response was just two words: "Natural thrower."

Quinn looked THAT good, that smooth, that in command and that confident.

For me, and as someone who has seen Quinn throw numerous times, it was Quinn's confidence that seemed even more improved. He was out there throwing to five different future NFL players. And the QB was not overmatched, AT ALL.

After the workout, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniels and others talked to Quinn.

I'm not sitting here saying that Quinn is going go No. 1 overall next year. Far from it. But I am saying that he has that chance if he keeps improving his body, his footwork and stays as confident as he was today throwing the football. It was an excellent performance, no question about it.

**

Who improved their stock considerably today?

Christian Jones, Keilan Robinson, Ryan Watts, T'Vondre Sweat.

I felt like K-Rob and Watts probably improved theirs the most. K-Rob showcased his elite acceleration multiple times in passing drills. Watts had a warrior-like workout. Not only did he go 11-1 in the standing broad jump, he also was relentless and tireless in DB drills. He will absolutely get bonus points from some teams for how hard he competed today IMO.

With Jones and Sweat, any team that questioned their quickness - true football quickness - had those questions answered today. Yes, both players have warts (Sweat is likely not a three-down DT in the NFL and Jones is probably not an elite pass protector in the league either) but both showed quickness and power IMO.

JT Sanders and Jaylan Ford had mixed results IMO.

JT is simply not a great tester. That's just not his m.o. But man, once he starts running routes and effortlessly snatching the ball, the narrative changes quickly. I can see some teams who will ding him for his lack of explosiveness and some teams not worry about it as much because he never has to slow down to catch the ball like some tight ends have to.

Ford looked the part overall, especially in true LB drills. But he didn't blow anyone away with his testing. Again, I think he's a better player than tester. What will that mean? The great thing about the draft, you only need one team to fall in love with you.

**

Biggest surprise of the day? Keilan Robinson putting up 20 reps on the bench press.

**

Other thoughts:

- That was by far the most attended pro day in at least 15 years. Just crazy the amount of NFL personnel hanging out inside the bubble.

- I think Xavier Worthy may have made himself a little more money today. Very clean day running routes and he caught the ball cleanly.

- At least 40+ current Longhorns showed up to support the team. The current Texas roster absolutely passes the eyeball test.

It was reported by ESPN's Matt Miller over 90+ scouts were there in-person to check on the 13 participants for the Longhorns today. There were three NFL head coaches as well: 

• Cincinnati Bengals HC Zac Taylor
• Indianapolis Colts HC Shane Steichen
• Miami Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel

Plenty of former Longhorns were in attendance as well, plus royalty – Earl Campbell.

Quandre Diggs, Alex Okafor, Fozzy Whittaker, Derrick Johnson and plenty of others.

***

RB Keilan Robinson

No 40-yard dash today for Keilan Robinson. I was a bit surprised, thinking he might use the home track to get into the 4.3's but hey, a 4.42 is in no way, shape or form a bad number for him. How about 20 reps on the bench today, the high number for any of the Longhorns to participate.

Robinson was smooth in his receiving out of the backfield today as well. He caught all but one pass intended for him during the routes on air drills. Strong showing.

WR Xavier Worthy

Probably the best individual day of any of the participants today. Worthy showed tremendous hands and route-running ability, something he did not participate in while in Indianapolis after running a record-breaking 4.21 40-yard dash. Everything from Worthy today was crisp – routes, hands and after the catch.

Worthy told reporters after the Pro Day he felt that NFL scouts had questions about that and he felt like he put on a good showing in front of those guys today.

Worthy met with Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel and even Colts legend Reggie Wayne who was in attendance as well.

WR Adonai Mitchell

Mitchell only participated in the position drills today at the Pro Day. He did have two drops, something he also was hampered by in Indianapolis, however he had a tremendous diving catch in the end zone on a bomb by Quinn Ewers and received several positive remarks on his route running from scouts in attendance.

At this point, Mitchell is firmly in the first round of the NFL Draft next month.

WR Jordan Whittington

Whittington did not do any agility drills and was limited in his routes during the position drills. There is a faux-Pro Day coming up April 14 in Austin that Whittington says he hopes to be 100% for where he will undergo all basic Combine testing prior to the NFL Draft. 

In the routes Whittington was able to participate in, he was 100% in hauling in passes his direction. 

TE Ja'Tavion Sanders

I will be completely honest, it was not a great initial showing from JT Sanders. I am not sure if he was injured coming in or what, but until he got into his routes I was scratching my head a bit.

Only eight reps on the bench press. A 29-inch vertical jump and only 9–6 on the broad jump. Those numbers might see a bit of a drop in his draft stock in all honesty.

OL Christian Jones

Had a good strong showing in the 3-cone drill, my unofficial hand time says it beat the 8.09 mark he came into the Pro Day with from his Combine performance. By the end of the day, Jones was the final Longhorn on the field with the media and scouts going through his final drills. He is solidified in the 4-5 round range.

DL Byron Murphy

I overheard one NFL scout say Murphy needed to ease off the throttle when going through a drill designed to display get-off and burst. That scout was half-joking, but nonetheless he was impressed. There were plenty oohs and ahhs when Murphy ran his circle drill and bag drills in front of the scouts today. If you want to know what a first round interior defensive lineman looks like, it is Byron Murphy.

Murphy reportedly went 7.5 in the 3-cone drill. That mark would have been the second best of all DL at the combine.

One NFL scout told me he feels bad for whoever is on the opposite side of Murphy when he gets a full head of steam.

DL T'Vondre Sweat

Sweat's weight was one of the hotter topics coming into today. I was told he weighed in at 367 pounds, a consistent mark he has been at since the Senior Bowl in Mobile. 

For Sweat, being able to do drills up and close with the NFL scouts was a big thing today. Yes, the times from the Combine weren't bad, but it is something different watching him move laterally and around cones when you are 15 feet away. All-in-all, it was a strong showing from Sweat today. I liked what I saw.

LB Jaylan Ford

I thought today was a big day for Jaylan Ford coming in. A tweak at the Combine meant he needed to put on good testing numbers for scouts to justify the tape.

The 10–6 broad jump was a 5-inch increase from the Combine. Ford also completed 18 reps on the bench press as well. It was a good showing, but the change of direction drills really helped his case in my opinion.

I clocked an unofficial 40-yard dash for Ford at 4.68.

LB Jett Bush

The first opportunity at impressing NFL Scouts came today for Jett Bush. Interestingly enough, he participated at both linebacker drills and also caught a ball out of the backfield during the throwing session. Who knows what that means going forward, but it was certainly noteworthy.

Bush had a great vertical of 33-inches and combined that with a 10–2 broad jump. My unofficial hand-timed 40 put Bush in the high 4.7's.

DB Ryan Watts

NFL teams are split on where Watts projects at the next level. Watts told me he is getting evaluations at both cornerback and safety with NFL teams being split down the middle on where they have him on their board.

An interesting note here is Watts had been dealing with a hamstring since the Kansas game he told me. Now at 100%, he is really able to show off the athlete he is. Of course, he his 4.53 in the 40, and a 40.5-inch vertical while in Indianapolis. Today, he added an 11–1 broad jump to his card as well.

Over 90 NFL scouts, coaches and executives in attendance today for the Texas Pro Day at the Bubble. 

Quinn Ewers will be throwing this afternoon.  
 

13 Longhorns will be participating. 

Couple of things before I get to the list:

First, I did not pick a certain number of players here. I didn't say only the top 5 or top 10. That's not an honest assessment of who caught my eye. These are truly the ones that got my attention.

Second, if a player didn't make this list, it's not an indictment on them. Far from it. I just didn't see enough of them athletically that really caught my eye on day one. For example, Christian Clark and Jerrick Gibson both looked good physically, but I didn't see them do anything other than "look good" to really single either of them out.

The List

WR Ryan Wingo - early leader for most impressive true freshman IMO. Fluid, plus-sized athlete with excellent separation speed downfield (similar to AD Mitchell) and natural hands.

WR Aaron Butler - quick, lots of short space burst and decent long speed, too. Natural pass catcher, even when hands are low and away from the body. An interesting mix between say Xavier Worthy and Johntay Cook IMO.

TE Jordan Washington - this is how you want to draw up long-term TE prospects. Lanky, good athleticism, good ball skills, ability to add smart weight. Seemed focused mentally and coachable.

OL Brandon Baker - clear-cut elite prospect. Not sure if he's super-sized to be a first-round pick but he's an NFL OL at either tackle spot IMO or even guard if he wanted. Excellent feet and body control. Naturally thick frame in both upper and lower body.

OL Daniel Cruz - he "looks" different than every other OL on campus, which is saying something. He looks like he swallowed an oak barrel. Surprisingly quick for that type of body build.

DL Alex January - attentive and focused in practice; good muscle mass, nice body weight for plus-sized player early in his career; abnormally quick with his hands for someone this early in their career.

DE Colin Simmons - he's chiseled from different clay than most. One drill he showed quickness no one else on the edge has. Time will tell if he can play with the requisite toughness to get on the field early.

DE Zina Umeozulu - his arms are looooooooooong. Also athletic. I know some have questioned his toughness out of the gate. But if he can overcome that, he has an elite tool set with length, quickness and speed.

S Xavier Filsaime - I knew he had the speed and frame but he showed some advanced route/ball awareness on one play in particular.

If Texas fans are wondering who could be the next prospect to receive and offer from the Longhorns, time to take a look toward the Golden Triangle. OnTexasFootball was informed Tuesday night that the Texas staff is close to offering Port Arthur (Texas) Memorial 2026 LB Tai'yion "Tank" King. 

King, 6-1.5 and 210'ish, is an instinctive downhill linebacker that has been a force for the Titans since his freshman year on varsity. King has 15 offers with Notre Dame being the most recent. Texas A&M is considered the team to beat headed into the spring. 

King is expected to visit Texas Saturday prior to a 7v7 tournament in Round Rock. An offer could be made Saturday, or even prior. 

Nightrydas 7v7 players visiting Saturday 

P.A. Memorial LB Tai'yion King will be on hand, as mentioned above. He will be joined by 2026 Texas linebacker target Kosi Okpala. Okpala is a Texas lean at this time.

Aldine (Texas) Nimitz 2025 LB Javar Thomas and Spring (Texas) Grand Oaks 2026 QB Grant Smith are two other names expected to visit from ther 7v7 team. 

California Power 7v7 team visiting Friday

OnTexasFootball has reported the details of visits Friday for Texas pledge Brandon Brown (Melbourne, Fla./Eau Gallie) and 2025 4-star offensive tackle Josh Petty (Roswell, Ga./Fellowship Christian School). 

A former teammate of Ryan Wingo has also confirmed he will be visiting with California Power. Keenan Harris, 2026 safety, with 16 offers will be among those making the Texas visit Friday. The 6-2 and 190 pound safety/hybrid LB has not been offered by the Longhorns to date. 

Top three Texas linebacker target Matai Tagoa'i (San Clemente, Calif./High) is a possibility to visit as well. 

Bell was on campus and attended the first practice of spring ball for the Longhorns this morning.

It is certainly worth mentioning that Dia is the son of former NBA All-Defensive honoree Raja Bell who spent 12 seasons in the Association.

With 25 offers under his belt now, Bell is touted as one of the most sought after recruits at the quarterback position in the 2026 class.

When Texas offensive line coach Kyle Flood stopped by John F. Kennedy High in Cedar Rapids, Ia. in January it went without any fanfare. 

That's because the name Nick Brooks was just a very talented prospect in the 2025 class that Texas offered March 1, 2023.

Brooks, 6-7 and 345 pounds, had not been on campus and was seen as a true long shot. Brooks then committed to Iowa the in early September before backing off that pledge November 7. At the time, Georgia was considered the main competition. And while the Bulldogs remain the in the top 2 with Iowa, Texas has officially entered the race. 

Brooks told OnTexasFootball Tuesday afternoon that he has two visits planned to Texas.

"I'm going to visit Texas in April," Brooks told OTF. That visit is scheduled for the Spring Game April 20. 

That will be the first of two visits with an official visit in June very likely.

"I have an official visit scheduled to Texas, but I think I have to change it to another date."

Texas was looking to lock in the June 21-23 visit weekend, but that is when Brooks is scheduled to be at Iowa. With Georgia scheduled for May 31-June 2, that leaves June 14-16 as the likely date for the Texas official visit. 

The one-time Iowa pledge currently sports 31 offers. The offer list includes SEC teams Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Mississippi State and South Carolina. 

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Committee proposed three new rules for the upcoming 2024 season – with helmet communication being the No. 1 talking point of the bunch.

During the post-practice press conference, Sarkisian mentioned how that rule change impacted the first spring practice window with a look ahead to how it might trickle down to the field in the fall.

"A little different for Quinn and I this year is my ability to talk to him through the mic," Sarkisian said. "We were practicing that today. Having two years of experience and working together and now having that dialogue through the headset is going to be beneficial for us."

The change to helmet communication has yet to be approved, however Sarkisian says he is preparing for the fall as if it will be green-lit. The rules committee will meet April 18 for possible approval.

Sarkisian added Texas has been working with the NCAA and the SEC to get hands on helmet communication in the spring.

For Sarkisian, experience with calling in plays through the headset at the NFL level allows for this transition to occur a bit smoother. While there is a learning curve for Ewers to overcome with the headset, Sarkisian says it is a two-way road when it comes to getting him up to speed.

"I think it is just hearing (the call) as opposed to the signals. I still think he is going to look towards the sideline, yet hearing the call and communicating that with the pertinent information needed. I think the challenge for me is how much information is quality, good information and when does it cross the threshold of too much where it is a little paralysis by analysis."

Sarkisian was the playcaller for the Atlanta Falcons in the 2017-18 where he was responsible for the play call communication getting to Matt Ryan and the offense. Of course there will be months of prep leading up to the fall with Ewers and Sarkisian through the helmet, but according to the Texas Head Coach, the two got off to a strong start.

"I thought it felt really comfortable for him today in his first time out doing it," Sarkisian said.

For folks who lean one way or the other when it comes to tempo with the helmet communication, Sarkisan says he believes it will enable offensive coordinators to do both.

"I think you can do both, quite frankly," Sarkisian said. "It is a lot easier to say five words than signal five words, but yet you can give more information and have real dialogue to speed up and slow down. Hopefully I can give him some more information that allows him to play faster within plays as well."

Some random notes and thoughts from the 30 minute media viewing window...

1. The talent level at Texas is that of a program with a consistent chance to be a contender. A lot of likely and potential future NFL draft picks on the field today, spread in all classes. 

2. Ryan Wingo is a dude. That's all. The rest will play out. 

3. Sarkisian really praised Trey Moore in post practice presser. More isn't the guy that wows physically on first look, but he has compact twitch and power in his frame. Much stronger in lower body than a year ago playing at UTSA.

4. Just good to see Colton Vasek on the field again. Looks good physically. Tough for a young guy that was turning some heads early on to be shut down for nearly an entire year. 

5. Jaray Bledsoe's 293-295 pounds is legit. Sark mentioned him after practice in PC.

6. Quinn Ewers looks like a stronger guy. Behind the neck, in the legs. Confident third year starting QB was his look throwing the ball today.

7. Terrance Brooks is really 209 pounds, as listed. Very thick lower body for a corner. He's just about physically tapped out. 

8. Malik Muhammad looks like streamlined second year corner. Very, very good natural build for a corner. He's the guy that is showing Kobe Black the ropes. 

9. Christian Clark has the lower body of an NFL vet at the RB position. That dude is a very powerfully put together 5-11, 210

10. Cedric Baxter Jr. is the same weight as last year - 218. But it's a different 218 now. More cut in upper body, and looks stronger on a longer RB frame.

11. Malik Agbo was third team left guard. Obviously, the jumbo package TE. 

12. Brandon Baker was third team RT ... Daniel Cruz third team center.

13. Kelvin Banks looks like a 1st or 2nd team All-American.

14. Trevor Goosby 2nd at LT with Jaydon Chatman 3rd.

15. If Amari Niblack doesn't run low 4.5 at the NFL Combine I will be surprised. 

16. Jelani McDonald is among the best looking pound for pound athletes in the program, and he's a safety. Looks tremendous physically, especially at that spot. 

17. Savion Red may be closer to 230 than 240, but he's in the area code. 

18. Trey Owens showed quick feet than one would think. Quicker moving feet vs. Maalik Murphy. 

19. Payton Kirkland on the field going through full workout at 4th team left guard. 

20. Freddie Dubose was not going through full workout. 

21. Sydir Mitchell is 370-372. 

22. Jahdae Barron is carrying very good weight. 

23. Jordan Washington is a keeper at TE. All reported measeurables are legit. And he has the flexibility to come off a three-point stance with winning leverage. 

24. T'Vondre Sweat and Johnathan Brooks were on hand. NIL good!

25. DJ Campbell definitely looks 10-12 pounds lighter. Neto Umeozulu and DJ Campbell the quickest/most explosive movers at guard. 

26. I stand by what I have said on the OnTexasFootball YouTube channel... Texas should be a batter team in 2024. Does that mean more W's with the move to the SEC? Can't say that. But a spring portal addition or two away from solidifying the Horns as a top 4 team preseason. 

Gerry and Bobby are going live on YouTube as I write this (9:45 a.m.) but I have some notes I wanted to get over to the site.

I spent a lot of time watching the front seven of the defense with a number of new faces and additions to the field. But here is the full run down of tidbits from day one.

*** 

OFFENSE

Quinn Ewers broke the team out and led the last bit of the opening stretching period.

First Team Offense:

• QB – Quinn Ewers
• RB – CJ Baxter
• WR – Johntay Cook
• WR – Isaiah Bond
• Slot WR – DeAndre Moore
• TE – Gunnar Helm
• LT – Kelvin Banks
• LG – Hayden Conner
• C – Jake Majors
• RG – DJ Campbell
• RT – Cam Williams

No true surprises here. DeAndre Moore was also the first Longhorn on the field this morning and looked completely bought in on the field today. 

RB Jaydon Blue saw time with the first team as well. Just mixed in with Baxter at times.

Second Team Offense:

• QB – Arch Manning
• RB – Jaydon Blue / Savion Red
• WR – Matthew Golden
• WR – Ryan Niblett
• WR – Ryan Wingo
• TE – Amari Niblack
• LT – Trevor Goosby 
• LG – Neto Umeozulu
• C – Connor Robertson
• RG – Cole Hutson
• RT – Andre Cojoe

Five-star freshman Brandon Baker began on the third unit, as did Daniel Cruz. This is bound to change as the freshmen across the field were littered in the backhalf of drill lines all morning. Reminder that it is their first practice in college, this will take time.

RB Savion Red did not looked 240 pounds to me. Credit to him I suppose for carrying it well.

Freshman TE Jordan Washington looked tremendous at his 240-pound designation. He was smooth, he was physical in pad blocking drills. He looked like he has a very bright future for Jeff Banks.

There is something about DeAndre Moore that will be difficult to keep off the field. He is tremendously smooth in and out of cuts in his routes. Going back to freshman WR Ryan Wingo, he looks the absolute part. Incredibly bright future.

The Quarterbacks looked good. Ewers, Manning and Owens were all accurate throwing the ball from what I was able to see. Ewers had a very good passing day when going deep. He connected with Isaiah Bond and Ryan Niblett on sluggo routes.

I saw some passes hit the ground today, but none were the result of errant throws. A number of younger wide receivers were seen doing pushups after routes if that gives you any inclination as to why that was the case. (Drops)

Malik Agbo was your third team left guard.

DEFENSE

First Team:

• EDGE – Barryn Sorrell
• DT – Alfred Collins
• NT – Vernon Broughton
• EDGE – Ethan Burke
• LB – Anthony Hill Jr.
• LB – David Gbenda
• nCB – Jahdae Barron
• CB – Malik Muhammad
• CB – Terrance Brooks
• S – Michael Taaffe
• S – Derek Williams

The second team unit was a bit of a hodge podge, but I did see Trey Moore with that unit to begin. 

Sydir Mitchell did not have the best start to practice. He was asked to take a lap at the beginning of practice from what I noticed. Kenny Baker is asking a lot of him, he was showing some great intensity at the beginning of practice. Taioalii Savea and Alex January were two others I watched a good bit.

Only seven true interior defensive linemen today: Collins, Broughton, Savea, Bryant, Bledsoe, January, and Mitchell.

As for the EDGE spot, a few things: First, Trey Moore won't shock anyone with his physical size. He is a good looking prospect, but he won't 'Wow' anyone when he steps into a room. 

To the two most impressive looking prospects on the EDGE, that goes to Colton Vasek who was back in pads for the first time in a while. I was very encouraged from what I saw from Vasek today. Early Enrollee Zina Umeozulu certainly is an impressive looking prospect as well. He has a perfect build for the edge position.

As for Colin Simmons, his body looks tremendous. In the drills that the EDGE worked in moves off the snap, Simmons was smooth and quick, as you would expect.

Man, no one on this roster is more physically impressive with the athleticism to back it up than Anthony Hill Jr. He looks like he could play on Sundays immediately.

You can really tell Terrance Brooks added weight to his frame. He looks like an NFL DB.

I was really impressed with the movement of both Xavier Filsaime and Jelani McDonald at the safety position. Andrew Mukuba looks incredibly smooth in coverage skills.

Punt Return:

A whole slew of guys returning punts in practice today:

Johntay Cook and Isaiah Bond were the first out for the drills today. Following by Aaron Butler, Matthew Golden, Ryan Wingo and Parker Livingstone.

Misc.

The SEC had a camera crew that arrived prior to any of the local media and stuck around after. You can expect some cool footage from that later on.

The reigning Outland Award winner, T'Vondre Sweat, was also late to arrive for the practice. He watched on the sidelines.