<?xml version="1.0"?>
<rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Texas Longhorns News: Texas Longhorns News</title><link>https://ontexasfootball.com/news/articles/page/57/?d=1</link><description>Texas Longhorns News: Texas Longhorns News</description><language>en</language><item><title>Thursday: The Lieutenants</title><link>https://ontexasfootball.com/news/articles/thursday-the-lieutenants-r225/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	If you listened to the Town Hall meeting of <strong>Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte</strong> on Tuesday night, you realize just how many talented people work alongside Del Conte to make Texas athletics the best in the country.
</p>

<p>
	I felt like it would be informative to give a little more background info on those folks and exactly what they do.
</p>

<p>
	<strong>Drew Martin</strong> - If it has to do with marketing and game-day experience, Drew Martin is the person whose fingerprints are all over it. Martin also helps manage and oversee third party agreements with media behemoths like Learfield and William Morris Endeavor.
</p>

<p>
	<strong>Chris Plonsky</strong> - Plonsky was once the women's athletic director, but when CDC was hired, Texas unified the athletic department into one outfit for both men and women. CDC, however, did not clip the wings of Plonsky in the process. Instead, she has continued to help build Texas women's athletics into the juggernaut it is and CDC gives her due credit in the process.
</p>

<p>
	<strong>Andrew Hamor</strong> - One of the leads of the Longhorn Foundation, Hamor helps CDC find the funds for various athletic department projects. While CDC is the forward facing fundraiser for the athletic department, Hamor is someone almost every major Longhorn donor knows.
</p>

<p>
	<strong>Ricky Brown</strong> - The former fullback for Ricky Williams is one of the heads of outreach from the athletic department to former players.
</p>

<p>
	<strong>Shawn Eichorst</strong> - He's the deputy. Eichorst is CDC's right-hand man, the "glue" that keeps it all together. The former Nebraska AD is a voice of experience that CDC can count on.
</p>

<p>
	<strong>Sarah Baumgardner</strong> - Baumgardner works directly with Texas coaches to fix issues that arise on a daily basis. She works hand-in-hand with CDC.
</p>

<p>
	<strong>Fernando Lovo</strong> - All those pretty new facilities and their functionality? That's Lovo's job, to execute the vision, work with the general contractors, architects, and the university, to make sure it all comes out to plan.
</p>

<p>
	<strong>Rob Novak</strong> - The CFO of Texas athletics. He makes sure the money is there, not just for next month, but for large projects well into the future.
</p>

<p>
	While CDC is a gifted administrator and fundraiser, the success of Texas athletics is far from a one-man show, and that's something CDC would tell you himself, and why he mentioned the folks above during his speech on Tuesday night.
</p>

<p>
	Hats off to all of those who help make Texas athletics the best program in the country.
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">225</guid><pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2024 14:40:30 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Texas Might Have Found Its 2026 QB Target</title><link>https://ontexasfootball.com/news/articles/texas-might-have-found-its-2026-qb-target-r224/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Last night, Texas extended an offer to 2026 Mission Hills (CA) quarterback <strong>Troy Huhn</strong>. It was just the second offer extended by Coach Sarkisian at quarterback in the class.
</p>

<p>
	While Huhn has yet to receive a ranking from the larger recruiting services, his Hudl showcases some tremendous talent throwing the football. We have talked about doing OnTexasFootball rankings loosely in the past, Huhn would be a high four star prospect for me.
</p>

<p>
	I traded messages with Huhn last night following the offer.
</p>

<p>
	Off the bat, there are hopes to get to Austin during the spring. Huhn mentioned potentially a trip to the spring game on April 20, but has yet to set anything officially. A trip to the 40 Acres would not be the first trip to Austin for Huhn, he previously attended the Kansas State game at DKR on November 4.
</p>

<p>
	The offer appears to have been a bit of a surprise, though Huhn says he and Coach AJ Milwee have been building a relationship for the last four months. 
</p>

<p>
	There are also ties to the region despite now living in California. Huhn's mother grew up in the south and he still has plenty of family down here. The University of Texas has always been a "dream school" of his growing up and Huhn even added that he feels like he fits in well in the south.
</p>

<p>
	Of course, it certainly helps the Longhorns' cause having seen the development of Quinn Ewers over the last two seasons as well. Sarkisian's ties to the west coast will definitely help in this recruitment as well.
</p>

<p>
	"Coach Sarkisian is a great coach, let alone a relatable person as he grew up in California," Huhn said following his offer Wednesday night. "The program he has built at Texas is nothing but amazing, especially for quarterbacks. In his recent years, he has developed some of the best quarterbacks that get to play on Sundays."
</p>

<p>
	While the Longhorns just officially got involved with the offer, I would expect to see Texas become a major player here down the road.
</p>

<p>
	"The University of Texas will be high on my list as I continue to build relationships with the staff and move forward."
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">224</guid><pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2024 13:59:47 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Thursday Morning Recruiting Nuggets: The QB Report (7:03 a.m. CST)</title><link>https://ontexasfootball.com/news/articles/thursday-morning-recruiting-nuggets-the-qb-report-703-am-cst-r223/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	It's that time in recruiting where quarterback recruiting is starting to take center stage. Steve Sarkisian and staff have a commitment from one of the nation's best in the 2025 cycle, and have now extended offers in the 2026 cycle ahead of spring visits and June Elite Camp. 
</p>

<p>
	The June 3 Elite Camp in 2023 resulted in <strong>K.J. Lacey</strong> committing to Texas for the 2025 class. And the same is likely for the 2026 class. 
</p>

<p>
	OnTexasFootball begins Thursday with the latest on quarterback recruiting. 
</p>

<p>
	<strong>Lacey planning return trip to Texas</strong>
</p>

<p>
	OnTexasFootball exchanged messages with OnTexasFootball 4-star and Texas commitment <strong>K.J. Lacey</strong> Wednesday. Lacey, 6-0 and nearing 180 pounds, was on campus during the season and in January while in the Austin area for a 7v7 tournament. The Saraland (Ala.) High signal caller told OTF that he will be back in April. One source close to the recruitment said most likely for the spring game April 20. The visit plans are still being finalized to lock in an April date. 
</p>

<p>
	Ole Miss and Auburn continue to be the two programs pursuing Lacey the most, currently. Lacey cancelled a visit to Ole Miss the first weekend of February at the request of the Texas staff. He has been on campus at Auburn multiple times since the start of the 2023 season, with all trips being alongside 2024 5-star, teammate and good friend <strong>Ryan Williams</strong> prior to Williams signing with Alabama earlier this month. 
</p>

<p>
	Texas head coach <strong>Steve Sarkisian</strong> and <strong>A.J. Milwee</strong> made a visit to Saraland High in late January, which went very well according to a source close to the recruitment. 
</p>

<p>
	<em>Lacey's Saraland High stats:</em><br />
	2022 (sophomore): 200 of 314 for 3,177 yards with 40 TD's and 5 INT's. He added four rushing scores.<br />
	2023 (junior): 219 of 315 for 3,448 yards with 42 TD's and 8 INT's. He added five TD's on the ground. 
</p>

<p>
	<strong>Texas offers two in 2026</strong>
</p>

<p>
	Steve Sarkisian and A.J. Milwee extended the first two offers at quarterback in the 2026 cycle Wednesday, and they were both out of state. 
</p>

<p>
	The first was <strong>Jared Curtis</strong> out of Nashville (Tn.) Nashville Christian School. Curtis, 6-3 and 220'ish, has been trending to Georgia for a few weeks. Oregon has also made Curtis a priority.
</p>

<p>
	The second offer has the full attention of OnTexasFootball. <strong>Troy Huhn</strong> (San Marcos, Calif./Mission Hills) was a first year starting quarterback on the varsity level in 2023. He received his first offer in February of 2023 from Texas A&amp;M (Bobby Petrino). After a quiet season and December/January in terms of offers, he caught fire February 14. Oregon, closest to home San Diego State, UCF and Texas all offered Wednesday. He quickly now sits at 10 offers. And based on watching his video and taking a deeper dive, expect that offer list to race past 20 in the spring. Huhn camped at Texas in June, and returned for the Texas game vs. Kansas State. There is a connection with Huhn and Steve Sarkisian of note. Huhn trains with Danny Hernandez out of the Southern California area. The same QB instructor that Malik Murphy spent some time working with in high school. 
</p>

<p>
	<em>Offer list:</em><br />
	Texas, Oregon, Arizona (Jedd Fisch), Arizona State, California, Penn State, Nebraska, Texas A&amp;M, San Diego State and UCF.
</p>

<p>
	<em>Huhn's 2023 stats:</em><br />
	133 of 223 for 1,623 yards with 16 TD"s and 6 INT's. Two of those INT's came in his first varsity start for Mission Hills. After that game, he posted 16 TD"s against 4 INT's. 
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">223</guid><pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2024 13:07:43 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Coffee and Football: Thursday 02/15</title><link>https://ontexasfootball.com/news/articles/coffee-and-football-thursday-0215-r222/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Rise and shine with Coffee and Football, as we discuss the latest Texas-related news and notes. At 8 AM CST, Bobby Burton, Gerry Hamilton and I will be taking your questions and delivering you the top Longhorns stories of the day. <br />
	 
</p>

<p>
	<em>I would like to thank Rick Vavro and Austin Underground for sponsoring today’s show.</em>
</p>

<div class="ipsEmbeddedVideo" contenteditable="false">
	<div>
		<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="113" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Zbp8bMbDSJk?feature=oembed" title="OTF Today - February 15 | Latest Texas Longhorns News" width="200"></iframe>
	</div>
</div>

<p>
	<br />
	 
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">222</guid><pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2024 11:34:29 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Texas Offers 2026 Cali QB</title><link>https://ontexasfootball.com/news/articles/texas-offers-2026-cali-qb-r221/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	The Longhorns remain in the hunt to find their top quarterback prospects for the 2026 cycle. 
</p>

<p>
	Steve Sarkisian extended an offer to 2026 Mission Hills (CA) quarterback Troy Huhn late Wednesday night. 
</p>

<div class="ipsEmbeddedOther" contenteditable="false">
	<iframe allowfullscreen="" data-embedid="embed2042705145" style="height:879px;" data-embed-src="https://ontexasfootball.com/index.php?app=core&amp;module=system&amp;controller=embed&amp;url=https://twitter.com/Troyhuhn/status/1757935668498682125"></iframe>
</div>

<p>
	Huhn is a very fun prospect on film. He also brings a great frame for a quarterback at 6-foot-4.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">221</guid><pubDate>Thu, 15 Feb 2024 04:24:45 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Texas Named in 2025 LB Riley Pettijohn's Top 6</title><link>https://ontexasfootball.com/news/articles/texas-named-in-2025-lb-riley-pettijohns-top-6-r220/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	<span> </span>Texas has made the top six for 2025 McKinney LB Riley Pettijohn.
</p>

<div class="ipsEmbeddedOther" contenteditable="false">
	<iframe allowfullscreen="" data-embedid="embed2433810545" style="height:976px;" data-embed-src="https://ontexasfootball.com/index.php?app=core&amp;module=system&amp;controller=embed&amp;url=https://twitter.com/Hayesfawcett3/status/1757911747825201660"></iframe>
</div>

<p>
	Pettijohn has long been a target of the Longhorns in the 2025 class. The McKinney star made it to campus for the Junior Day and Texas made a stop in-person at McKinney soon after to double-up on the face time.
</p>

<p>
	Georgia, Florida State, USC, Texas A&amp;M and Ohio State round out the top six with the Longhorns.
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">220</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 2024 23:40:33 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Four-star DL Dilan Battle updates his recruitment (Wednesday 3:58 p.m. CST)</title><link>https://ontexasfootball.com/news/articles/four-star-dl-dilan-battle-updates-his-recruitment-wednesday-358-pm-cst-r219/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	One of the stops <strong>Steve Sarkisian</strong> and <strong>Kenny Baker</strong> made together in late January was Mansfield (Texas) Timberview High to see OnTexasFootball 4-star DL Dilan Battle. 
</p>

<p>
	Battle, 6-2 and 295 pounds, spoke with Sarkisian at length February 1. 
</p>

<p>
	"Coach Sark and I were talking about a lot of personal stuff," Battle told OnTexasFootball Wednesday. "He was interested in helping me with anything I need as a person. He knows my mom works a lot. If it's my grades or anything he can help me with personally, he said he would. Coach Sark told me Texas will always welcome me when it’s available to visit."<span> </span>
</p>

<p>
	Battle has not spoken with Kenny Baker since February 1, but the initial impression was a positive one. 
</p>

<p>
	"I thought that he was about his business. He did coach in the NFL. He said I'm one of these guys he's looking for at the position at Texas. He told me they are still recruiting me heavy even though Coach Bo (Davis) left." 
</p>

<p>
	Speaking of Bo Davis, Battle is set to make his first visit to LSU the weekend of March 9. It will be a big visit weekend for the Tigers, which includes Lufkin High 4-star DL <strong>Zion Williams</strong>. 
</p>

<p>
	Battle attended one Texas game in 2023, the overtime win over Kansas State. 
</p>

<p>
	<strong>Battle's spring visit plans</strong>
</p>

<p>
	Along with the early March trip to LSU, the DFW area 4-star is set to visit Texas A&amp;M April. After a trip to College Station, it may be a trip north and out west. 
</p>

<p>
	“I’m trying to go to Notre Dame April 13 and California April 20. And maybe USC this spring too.<span> </span>
</p>

<p>
	<span>Battle attended Junior Day's at SMU, TCU and Florida in January. The Gators offered at the Junior Day. His mom made that trip with him. </span>
</p>

<p>
	<span>Michigan could also remain a factor in the recruitment. His father lives in the Detroit area. </span>
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">219</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 2024 21:59:15 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>State of the Program</title><link>https://ontexasfootball.com/news/articles/state-of-the-program-r218/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Once a week, we sit down and talk about The State of the Program.
</p>

<p>
	In this episode, some news we’re hearing behind the scenes, thoughts on Chris Del Conte’s town hall and the value of 11 NFL combine invites.
</p>

<p>
	<br />
	<a href="https://youtu.be/bpZUeVqkVEM" rel="external nofollow">https://youtu.be/bpZUeVqkVEM</a>
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">218</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 2024 19:49:52 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>From the Trail | Westlake High School</title><link>https://ontexasfootball.com/news/articles/from-the-trail-westlake-high-school-r217/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Spent the morning out at Westlake High School in Austin to check in on a number of top prospects, as well as catching up with Coach Tony Salazar, one of the best coaches in the state. There were a number of prospects that stood out on the trip, though five specifially caught my eye.
</p>

<p>
	***<br />
	2026 QB <strong>Rees Wise</strong> was mentioned by our Gerry Hamilton yesterday in a 2026 quarterback article yesterday. Wise has received offers from Houston, SMU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Nebraska since the middle of January. At 6-feet-2-inches, Wise has the prototypical size and a lively arm. 
</p>

<p>
	I really enjoy Westlake's approach to the offseason. They run a tight ship and the kids are tremendously disciplined. During the winter months, the quarterbacks do not lift with the team, but instead go through a QB Bootcamp on campus where they watch film and go through the entire playbook. Wise lifts either before or after school to make sure he fits in with the schedule of the offseason weights program. But this is something that was very impressive to me on the trip.
</p>

<p>
	Steve Sarkisian and AJ Milwee stopped by at the beginning of the contact period on January to catch up with the Westlake prospects. Wise also visited campus for the Junior Day. Texas has yet to offer, but I would expect them to be in immediate contention if they do get involved here. Wise will visit a handful of schools this spring.
</p>

<p>
	*** 
</p>

<p>
	2025 Westlake EDGE <strong>Connor Vasek</strong> has received offers from Texas State and SMU this offseason. The younger brother of Texas' Colton Vasek is recovering from a shoulder injury but colleges are wasting no time getting involved here.
</p>

<p>
	*** 
</p>

<p>
	I was probably most impressed with 2026 Westlake iDL <strong>Maddox Flynt</strong>. Recruiting has yet to really pop for Flynt, however, he has a tremendous frame and was named the 26-6A Newcomer of the Year this past season. Flynt stands 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds at the moment. 
</p>

<p>
	Texas A&amp;M is a school that showed a lot of interest in the winter when they came through the halls of Westlake. Flynt can move very well and I watched him bench 315 pounds this evening with room to improve. He will be a baller.
</p>

<p>
	***
</p>

<p>
	Sticking on the defensive line, EDGE <strong>Cullen Devine</strong> could develop into a P5 guy. Opposite of Vasek, Devine's 6-foot-3 frame brings plenty of length to the Westlake defensive line. Devine was previously at Houston Stratford where he was the 17-6A Newcomer of the Year. He still has plenty to go in development, but encouraging signs early on.
</p>

<p>
	***
</p>

<p>
	In the secondary, 2026 DB <strong>Thompson Bennett</strong> caught my eye. Bennett is quite the athlete. He will be looking to break 50 seconds in the 400m this spring, which is an elite time. The 6-foot-2 safety looks the part. Excited to return in the spring to see him with pads on.
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">217</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 2024 19:41:34 +0000</pubDate></item><item><title>Texas Offers No. 1 2026 QB</title><link>https://ontexasfootball.com/news/articles/texas-offers-no-1-2026-qb-r216/</link><description><![CDATA[<p>
	Steve Sarkisian has extended an offer to the No. 1 QB in the country for the class of 2026.
</p>

<p>
	Jared Curtis, a 6-foot-4 quarterback out of Nashville, TN, has reported an offer following a phone call with the Texas head coach.
</p>

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</div>

<p>
	There is currently a prediction in for Curtis to end up at Georgia, but Texas is now officially in the running.
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>

<p>
	 
</p>
]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">216</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 2024 19:07:07 +0000</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
