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    CJ Vogel
    Welcome to the Round Up. 
    It's a blistering 14º in Chicago currently where I am up for the weekend, but the cold won't stop me!
    Anyways, a quick rundown on some coaching candidates for the open Texas RB position and updates on some Longhorns recovering from injury during the winter conditioning months.
    ***
    RB Candidates
    Texas Special Assistant to the HC Chris Gilbert – A man already in Austin, Texas with plenty of understanding of the current recruiting sphere insdie of Moncrief, this hire makes sense when you also consider Gilbert also comes with on-field coaching experience while at North Texas (TE). 
     
    Ole Miss RB Coach Kevin Smith – Perhaps my favorite option when considering the three major factors I am looking for when replacing Tashard Choice: Development, Recruiting, Presence in the South. Smith has all three.
     
    Baylor RB Coach Khenon Hall – I have heard a lot of positives in regard to Khenon Hall at Baylor. He has great ties to the state of Texas and has been considered a recruit-favorite from coaches I have talked to recently.
     
    Florida RB Coach Jabbar Juluke – One of the more well-known coaches at the running back position, Juluke has been the RB Coach at Florida since 2022 and helped produce Dameon Pierce of the Houston Texans. Of course, he also has huge ties to the state of Florida as well, a place Texas has had plenty of success recently when recruiting the position.
     
    Oregon State RB Coach Ray Pickering – A former staffer of Steve Sarkisian's and now RB coach at Oregon State, Pickering has ties to Mississippi and connections to 5-star WR Tristan Keys already. He would help in the southeast
     
    Nebraska RB Coach EJ Barthel – Barthel comes with ties to the NFL having spent two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, but also some ties to the northeast. Of course, he is currently at Nebraska where he has been tied to the hip of Matt Rhule since the Panthers tenure. 
     
    Oregon RB Coach Rashaad Samples – Of course, what list would be complete without the mention of Samples. One of the hottest recruiters in the country with plenty of ties to the state of Texas. Will Texas go this route? I tend to lean it is unlikely, but of course I won't count out anything with Steve Sarkisian.
    ***
    Quick Injury Updates
    – Texas RB CJ Baxter has been recovering well from his knee injury suffered in fall camp of 2024. I have heard the progression has gone very well and there is a chance Baxter sees some on-field work towards the backend of spring ball. That won't mean he will be 100% as a contributor for those spring practices, but cleated up and running on the side field would be a great sign for his ultimate return in 2025.
    – It was reported by CBS that Texas EDGE Colton Vasek would undergo shoulder surgery towards the backend of January. Right now, his status for the spring is a bit up in the air, though I have heard he has been very active in his recovery. I don't expect to see Vasek fully cleared and ready to return to the field by then, but some light working out would be a great sign. I will dig a bit more to see what else I can find, but right now, a bit of a question mark in terms of overall expectations for Vasek this spring.
     
    Bobby Burton
    Program-record 14 Longhorns invited to NFL Combine
    For the second-consecutive year, the Longhorns shatter their program record of players invited to the NFL Combine.
    AUSTIN, Texas – A program-record 14 Texas Football players were invited to the 2025 NFL Combine, the NFL released Thursday morning. The list of Longhorns invitees includes OL Kelvin Banks Jr., DB Jahdae Barron, RB Jaydon Blue, WR Isaiah Bond, DL Vernon Broughton, DL Alfred Collins, OL Hayden Conner, QB Quinn Ewers, WR Matthew Golden, TE Gunnar Helm, OL Jake Majors, DB Andrew Mukuba, EDGE Barryn Sorrell and OL Cameron Williams.
    It bests the previous program-record of 11 players, which was set in 2024. Texas has had 25 players invited to the NFL Combine the past two years, tied with Georgia for the most in the nation during that stretch. The 14 players invited to this year’s Combine are tied with Georgia for second-most nationally (Ohio State/15).
    The Longhorns’ 11 players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft were a program best for a seven-round draft and second-most nationally (Michigan/13). All 11 were taken in the first six rounds, which was most of any program.
    The NFL Combine will take place in Indianapolis from Feb. 24-March 3. Live coverage of the combine will begin Feb. 27 on NFL Network and NFL+. Executives, coaches, player personnel staffs and medical personnel from all 32 NFL teams will be on hand to evaluate more then 300 individuals who are eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft (April 24-26, Green Bay, Wisc.).
    Tentative Combine Schedule
    Defensive Linemen / Linebackers – Thursday, Feb. 27 – Watch
    Defensive Backs / Tight Ends – Friday, Feb. 28 – Watch
    Quarterbacks / Wide Receivers / Running Backs – Saturday, March 1 – Watch
    Offensive Linemen – Sunday, March 2 – Watch
    Banks became the 25th Longhorn (28th time) to be selected as a unanimous First-Team All-American. The 2024 Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award recipient, Banks was named a first-team All-American by the AFCA, Associated Press, FWAA, The Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation. A three-year starter at left tackle for the Longhorns, Banks was a key member of the Texas offensive line that was tabbed a finalist for the Joe Moore Award which goes to the nation's most outstanding offensive line unit. Individually, he also won the SEC’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the top offensive lineman in the conference and was a first-team All-SEC selection. He played in and started 43 games during his three-year career on the Forty Acres.
    Barron became the third Longhorn to win the Jim Thorpe Award with safety Michael Huff (2005) and cornerback Aaron Ross (2006) having taken it home in back-to-back years. Also a finalist for the 2024 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Barron was tabbed a consensus All-American by the five All-America teams on Dec. 19. During his five-year career on the Forty Acres, Barron played in 57 games with 39 starts. Last season, he led the Longhorns in interceptions (5) and pass break-ups (11) to go along with 67 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.
    Blue played in 39 games with five starts during his three-year career on the Forty Acres. Prior to the 2024 season, Blue landed on the preseason watch lists for the Doak Walker and Paul Hornung Awards. In his final season, Blue proved to be one of the nation’s most explosive playmakers in the backfield after tallying 134 carries for 730 yards (5.4 ypc) and eight touchdowns. He also added 42 receptions to account for 368 receiving yards and six scores, accounting for 1,098 yards of total offense. He posted two 100-yard rushing efforts on the season, including a 124-yard, three-touchdown performance vs. ULM on Sept. 21 and a career-high 146-yard, two-touchdown day vs. Clemson on Dec. 21.
    In his lone season with Texas, Bond showcased his elite playmaking ability at wide receiver despite being limited for a significant stretch due to injury. He reeled in 34 catches for 540 yards (15.9 ypc) and five touchdowns and registered four rushing attempts for 98 yards and a score. The Buford, Ga., native played in 14 games with 12 starts (missed Vanderbilt, Clemson games due to injury). He had a 100-yard receiving performance vs. UTSA on Sept. 14, pulling in five receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
    Broughton had a five-year career as a Longhorn, seeing action in 56 games with 17 starts. The Houston product was a mainstay on Texas’ defense in 2024 and started all 16 games. He logged 39 tackles (24 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two pass break-ups, two forced fumbles and recovered three fumbles.
    A native of Bastrop, Texas, Collins had a five-year career as a defensive lineman who started all 16 games during the 2024 season and earned Second-Team All-America selection from the Associated Press. Last season, Collins registered 55 total tackles (27 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack, seven pass break-ups, one quarterback hurry, one forced fumble and one blocked kick. Following Texas' 20-10 road win at Arkansas on Nov. 16, Collins was lauded as the SEC's Defensive Lineman of the Week. As a Longhorn, Collins played in 64 games with 27 starts.
    Conner played four seasons for the Horns, competing in 52 games and making 44 starts. He was part of a Texas offensive line that was named a finalist for the 2024 Joe Moore Award and a semifinalist for the 2023 Joe Moore Award. He started all 16 games at left guard for the Longhorns in 2024 and was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, along with being a semifinalist for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy.
    A second-team All-SEC performer and finalist for the Manning Award, Ewers completed 293-of-445 passes (65.8 percent) for 3,472 yards and 31 touchdowns while averaging 248.0 yards per contest in 14 starts this season. He was also a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award and Walter Camp Award. Ewers finished sixth in the FBS in passing touchdowns (31), 14th in passing yards (3,472), 14th in points responsible for (202), 25th in passing efficiency (149), 26th in passing yards per game (248.0), 26th in completion percentage (65.8 percent), and 27th in completions per game (20.93). Ewers closed his time as a Longhorn on a 27-game passing touchdown streak – the longest active streak by an FBS quarterback and the second-longest streak in program history behind Colt McCoy's program-record 29 games. The Southlake, Texas, product finished third in the program's record book in both passing touchdowns (68) and passing yards (9,128), and second in most 300-yard passing games in a career (11).
    In his lone season with Texas, Golden powered the Horns’ receiving corps while doubling as the team’s kick returner. The Houston native started all 16 games this season and led the team in receiving yards (987) and receiving touchdowns (9) while ranking second on the squad in receptions (58). Golden averaged a team-high 17.03 yards per catch and recorded two 100-yard receiving games. In the SEC Championship vs. Georgia on Dec. 7, he gathered eight receptions for a career-high 162 yards. He also corralled seven receptions for 149 yards and a score in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Arizona State on Jan. 1. As the team’s primary kick returner, Golden amassed 285 return yards on 14 attempts (20.4 ypr).
    Helm burst onto the national scene during the 2024 season, starting in all 16 games and earning semifinalist status for the John Mackey Award and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and Second-Team All-SEC recognition. During his four-year career, he appeared in 55 games with 26 starts. The Englewood, Colo., native paced UT in receptions with 60 to go along with 786 receiving yards (13.1 ypc) and seven touchdowns. In Texas’ win vs. Michigan on Sept. 7, Helm led the Horns with seven receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown. He also snared six catches for 77 yards and a score in the CFP First Round vs. Clemson on Dec. 21.
    Majors played in 58 games with a program record 57 career starts during his five-year career at Texas. A 2024 Joe Moore Award finalist and a CSC First-Team Academic All-America honoree, Majors was named the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week on Sept. 10 and SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week on Sept. 9 following UT's road victory at Michigan. He was selected as a finalist for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy on Oct. 23 and received an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. He started all 16 games at center for the Horns during the 2024 season.
    Mukuba joined the Horns for the 2024 season after a three-year playing career at Clemson. Starring in the secondary, Mukuba garnered 69 tackles (41 solo), four tackles for loss, five interceptions, six pass break-ups, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble. He, along with Barron, paced Texas with his five interceptions, including a game-securing one in double overtime of the CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Arizona State. The Austin, Texas, native garnered the Jim Thorpe Award’s National Player of the Week on Sept. 9 following UT’s win at Michigan.
    Sorrell, a four-year player from New Orleans, racked up 40 starts in 49 career games. Sorrell recorded 44 tackles (16 solo), 11 tackles for loss, six sacks, one pass break-up and a team-leading 12 quarterback hurries. He went on to have a stellar Senior Bowl, being named the American Team’s Top Defensive Lineman.
    Williams, who played in 38 games with 17 starts in three years at Texas, held down the starting right tackle spot in 2024. Part of a 2024 Joe Moore Award finalist offensive line, Williams was named Co-SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week after Texas’ season opener against Colorado State. Williams started 15 games in 2024, missing the CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Jan. 1 due to injury.
    Jeff Howe
    No matter how you slice it, Texas had one of the most explosive offenses in the country in 2024.
    Steve Sarkisian’s attack finished among college football’s top 35 offenses last season in yards per play (6.21). No offense generated more plays of 20 yards or more than the Longhorns, leading FBS with 108 while finishing No. 3 in the country in 20-yard gains per game (6.75), trailing only Miami (7.62) and Ole Miss (7.39).
    While the offense’s average yards per play declined from 2023 (6.67), Texas generated more than an additional 20-yard gain per game en route to a 13-3 record compared to the previous season (5.57 20-yard gains per game). A veteran quarterback and an experienced offensive line made the conditions ripe for the Longhorns to torch defenses, but that’s only part of the equation.
    Sarkisian’s offense is designed so that the ball finds different guys at different times. That team-first mentality accounts for the other half of the formula that kept Texas chugging along after losing its top five producers of 20-yard gains from one season to the next with Jonathon Brooks (14), Xavier Worthy (14), Ja’Tavion Sanders (12), Adonai Mitchell (11) and Jordan Whittington (9) counting among the school-record 11 selections in the 2024 NFL Draft.
    Based on the offense’s leaderboard for 20-yard gains in 2024, the Longhorns must replace their four most explosive players: Matthew Golden (22), Gunnar Helm (15), Jaydon Blue (12) and Isaiah Bond. It’s a daunting task, but the returns of DeAndre Moore Jr., Ryan Wingo and Quintrevion Wisner (10 plays from scrimmage of at least 20 yards) cushion the blow, especially when looking at everybody’s production per touch.
    Golden led the Texas offense by recording a 20-yard gain once every 2.64 touches. The next most explosive Longhorn on a per-touch basis was Wingo, who ripped off 20 yards or more from scrimmage on one out of every 3.4 touches.
    Bond (a 20-yard gain once every 3.45 touches), Moore (3.9), Helm (4), Arch Manning (8.33), Blue (14.67) and Wisner (27) rounded out the explosive play production. The scrambling ability of Manning, who had three runs of 20 yards or more on just 25 official attempts, and the potential he’s flashed on designed runs bring an explosive element by way of the quarterback running game in a style not seen on the Forty Acres since Colt McCoy.
    Three of Wingo’s 20-yard gains came on the ground. Until Blue’s 77-yard touchdown secured a first-round College Football Playoff win over Clemson, Manning and Wingo had a hand in the offense’s four longest plays from scrimmage: a 75-yard Manning-to-Wingo touchdown pass and Manning’s 67-yard touchdown run against UTSA; a 56-yard pass from Manning to Bond against ULM; and Wingo’s 55-yard run against Michigan.
    With Wingo, Moore and Wisner back, Manning taking over behind center and C.J. Baxter returning from injury, the Texas offense has plenty of big-play potential. Sarkisian's creation of advantageous situations for the playmakers who must touch the football and those players coming through when called upon will go a long way toward determining whether or not the Longhorns are in the national championship mix again in 2025.
    Jeff Howe
    National Signing Day occurred on Wednesday without fanfare for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns. That’s a good thing, considering the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in the 2025 cycle was wrapped up before Texas took on Georgia in the SEC Championship on Dec. 7.
    The Longhorns haven’t recruited at their current pace since Mack Brown was stacking one elite class on top of another early in his 16-season tenure. The 1999 and 2002 cycles produced the nation’s top-ranked hauls, setting the foundation for nine consecutive seasons with 10 or more victories, two Big 12 titles and a national championship.
    With that said, Texas fans weren’t on Cloud 9 when Brown and his staff put the 2005 recruiting cycle to bed.
    When Brown sat down for the first time to break down a 14-man class in front of the assembled press 20 years ago, the questions had to do more with who the Longhorns didn’t get.
    Two elite out-of-state prospects — quarterback Ryan Perrilloux (Reserve, La./East St. John) and wide receiver Fred Rouse (Tallahassee, Fla./Lincoln) — spurned Texas at the last minute, choosing instead to stay closer to home and sign with LSU and Florida State, respectively. The Longhorns also lost a hotly-contested battle with Texas A&M for Alief Taylor tight end Martellus Bennett, one of the top prospects in the Lone Star State.
    When the dust settled, Rivals.com ranked the class No. 20 nationally. Scout.com was a little more generous, ranking Brown’s seventh full-cycle class No. 13, but the second-winningest coach in school history had to let it be known that he had “no disappointment in guys that don't come.”
    “Things have a way of working out and guys go to the places they need to go to for whatever reason,” Brown said on Feb. 2, a few weeks after Dusty Mangum’s walk-off field goal lifted Texas to a memorable Rose Bowl win over Michigan on New Year’s Day. “We’re excited about the ones we got.”
    Who the Longhorns got in 2005 made up arguably the best class Brown ever signed. From a pound-for-pound standpoint, it’s hard to argue against a class in which half of the recruits were drafted or played at least one NFL season.
    We’re not talking about fringe players, either.
    Cushioning the 11th-hour blows Texas suffered by losing Perrilloux, Rouse and Bennett were Colt McCoy, Quan Cosby and Jermichael Finley. Twenty years later, they’re still among the all-time best Longhorns to play their respective positions.
    McCoy, Finley, Jamaal Charles and Roy Miller were selected within the first three rounds of the NFL draft. Henry Melton transitioned to the defensive line late in his career and became a Pro Bowler with the Chicago Bears.
    Roddrick Muckleroy was a two-time All-Big 12 linebacker and a fourth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010. Chris Hall and Charlie Tanner were multiple-year starters along the offensive line, while defensive lineman Aaron Lewis started 13 games over the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
    The 2005 class proved that it doesn’t matter how a recruiting class looks on signing day if the signees themselves don’t develop. The program’s culture was at a place in 2005 where the 14 newcomers learned the standard immediately and what must be done to protect it daily.
    Sarkisian and Texas have almost all of the superbly talented 2025 class on campus right now, going through winter conditioning ahead of spring practice. The 22 signees who enrolled early are joining a program that’s made consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff semifinals thanks to outstanding player development.
    The conditions are as ripe as they were 20 years ago for the Longhorns to maximize their recruiting class. If the trend of exceptional player development continues, the 2025 class will have a historical significance long beyond a recruiting cycle.
    Jeff Howe
    I’m scattershooting this Sunday while wondering what happened to the original plaque President Richard Nixon presented to Darrell Royal and the 1969 Texas Longhorns after their thrilling 15-14 win over Arkansas.
    — After rushing for 1,456 yards and 14 touchdowns in his second season with the Atlanta Falcons, Bijan Robinson was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time last Monday.
    The winner of the Doak Walker Award in 2022, Robinson was selected to replace Saquon Barkley, who is gearing up to lead the Philadelphia Eagles into the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs. Next Sunday’s game features three former Longhorns: Moro Ojomo is in his second season with the Eagles, while Charles Omenihu and Xavier Worthy will play significant roles for the Chiefs.
    Robinson headlined the 2020 recruiting class for Texas, a group finalized on Feb. 5, 2020. Five years ago Wednesday, when the 2025 class will officially be recognized as the nation’s top haul on National Signing Day, Alfred Collins and Kelvontay Dixon put pen to paper to complete the program’s last full-cycle class under former coach Tom Herman.
    Herman only coached the group for one season. Thankfully, Steve Sarkisian's regime maximized what they inherited, using the class led by Robinson and Collins to build a championship-caliber foundation.
    — Only six of the 20 signees completed their collegiate eligibility on the Forty Acres. Still, the six who wore only burnt orange in their collegiate careers helped the Longhorns win 33 games in three seasons under Sarkisian, making the College Football Playoff semifinals twice and racking up a host of honors.
    Along with Robinson, Jahdae Barron (granted a release from the National Letter of Intent he signed with Baylor after Matt Rhule left for the NFL) was a national award winner, becoming the third Longhorn to win the Jim Thorpe Award. Robinson (unanimous All-American in 2022) and Barron (consensus All-American in 2024) are two of the four All-American selections the class produced (Collins was a second-teamer in 2024 and Jaylan Ford was a third-teamer in 2022).
    An Academic All-American and a finalist for the Campbell Trophy (the academic Heisman), Jake Majors started 57 games in a Texas uniform, more than any other Longhorn in history. If Majors and Vernon Broughton are taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, Texas could top the school-record 11 draft picks produced last spring; Barron and Collins are sure to join Robinson (first round in 2023) and Ford (fifth round in 2024) as draft choices to emerge from the 2020 class.
    — What about the 2020 signees who finished their careers elsewhere?
    Hudson Card, (Purdue) Kitan Crawford (Nevada), Andrej Karic (Tennessee) and Jerrin Thompson (Auburn) started for the Longhorns at some point before departing.
    Xavian Alford, Prince Dorbah and Troy Omeire helped Arizona State win the Big 12 championship and reach the CFP in 2024.
    Logan Parr also played in the CFP, helping SMU get into the 12-team dance as an All-ACC offensive lineman for the Mustangs.
    Ja'Quinden Jackson averaged more than five yards per carry in his last two college seasons as a running back at Utah (797 yards and four touchdowns on 161 carries in 2023) and Arkansas (790 yards and 15 touchdowns on 149 carries in 2024), respectively.
    It’s not the best class in school history. Still, a recruiting haul in which 20 percent of the signees become All-Americans with a projected NFL hit rate of 30 percent (assuming Barron, Broughton, Collins and Majors are drafted or make an NFL roster) is a tremendous group in today’s college football climate.
    — Kudos to Texas men’s basketball coach Rodney Terry, who recovered from the flu in time to coach the Longhorns to an 89-58 road win over LSU on Saturday. Terry said he was “down and out for about 36 hours” following last Wednesday’s 72-69 road loss to Ole Miss, unable to join the team until the night before the 31-point romp in Baton Rouge.
    Texas (15-7, 4-5 SEC) got 18 points from Tre Johnson and Tramon Mark and a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double from Kadin Shedrick. Terry credited the coaching staff for the Longhorns' sharp preparation before facing the Tigers in his absence and for the team bouncing back mentally from a loss to the Rebels that was there for the taking.
    — The most impressive aspect of Johnson’s performance wasn’t scoring in double figures for the 19th time in 20 games (he leads the SEC in scoring, averaging 18.9 points per game) or going 7-for-13 from the field (2-for-4 from 3-point range).
    The freshman recorded a season-high and team-leading five assists with only one turnover in 30 minutes.
    — Sources recently told OTF to start expecting more of 6-foot-7-inch sophomore forward Devon Pryor on the court. Pryor was on the floor for 21 minutes against LSU, scoring nine points on 4-for-6 shooting with a career-high six rebounds, four of which came on the offensive glass.
    — I love what Texas baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle said regarding the Longhorn pitchers after Saturday’s Alumni Game.
    When he was asked about the live arms Texas pitching coach Max Weiner ran out to the mound on a sun-splashed afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, Schlossnagle was quick to remind the assembled media that while being chock-full of fireballers in the SEC is a must, the goal is to throw strikes.
    “Nobody cares about how hard you throw ball four,” Schlossnagle said.
    — Freshman lefty Dylan Volantis tossed three with no earned runs allowed against the Longhorn pros who stepped into the box. The 6-foot-6-inch, 212-pounder allowed two hits and struck out three before he was lifted for UTSA transfer Ruger Riojas.
    Schlossnagle said the outing was the worst for Voltants "as far as controlling the strike zone.”
    — Riojas, who OTF has reported could be in the same role 2024 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Evan Ashenbeck was for Schlossnagle and Weiner at Texas A&M last season, as the team’s top reliever who can enter a game at any point to get the Longhorns out of a jam, made his Disch-Falk Field debut in style by retiring Tres Barrera, Kody Clemens of the Philadelphia Phillies and Zach Zubia, who plays in the Miami Marlins organization, in order.
    A Wimberley native, Riojas opened the second inning of his dominant three-frame outing by striking out David Hamilton of the Boston Red Sox.
    “He’s going to be a super-valuable arm,” Schlossnagle said. “He’s such a really good strike thrower.”
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