CJ Vogel

Aaron Butler a bit of a surprise, otherwise, feels pretty similar to my views on the class!

I didn't know this was a real place until I drove through Atlanta, Texas about two and a half years ago 😂

Really nice quote here, well done Gerry!

Sark's mindset will keep the task of winning a championship at the forefront of the Texas program. I love it.

He has the skillset to eventually be used closer to the ball, but I bet his career begins back deep at safety.

Exactly what I wanted to hear too! Loved it from Sark today.

Steve Sarkisian graciously spoke for 50 minutes this morning, covering topics from the 2024 class, transfer portal additions, coaching changes, recruiting department promotions and the mindset heading into the spring. I wanted to share some quick thoughts on the press conference as well as the key points that will carry us into the remainder of winter conditioning. 1. Brandon Harris' Promotion to GM Sarkisian spoke very highly of new General Manager Brandon Harris. Off the bat, you can tell there is a lot of trust between Sarkisian and Harris. Several times during the presser, Sarkisian mentioned being able to rely on Harris to sit in meetings or accomplish an important role without him being present. “His ability to communicate, I thought was incredible," Sarkisian said. "It was a guy that we’ve just grown our relationship over three years. So I felt like the time was right for him to assume this role.” 2. Staff Additions Interestingly, Sarkisian said that every coach on the Texas staff was offered a new job this offseason from a program looking to poach. Of course, Jeff Choate went west to Nevada and Bo Davis ended up back home at LSU, however Sarkisian was thrilled to return all three coordinators on his staff and spoke positively about the new additions, Kenny Baker and Johnny Nansen. Sarkisian mentioned the national perception of Texas football has changed since he arrived. In his opinion, national players are now more willing to give Texas a chance. He believes staff continuity has played a role. Adding Nansen and Baker will allow Texas to dive even deeper into the west coast and deep south, respectively. As Texas heads into the SEC, Sarkisian mentioned how important it would be for his staff to have in-roads to the backyard of where they will be playing a majority of their games. 3. Wide Receiver Additions It was clear that Sarkisian was thrilled with the pieces Texas added out of the portal. Oregon State WR Silas Bolden will join the program in the summer, but the two mid-year transfer wide receivers are already making solid strides. Sarkisian mentioned it would have been "malpractice" to not utilize the portal, to have entered a season with only three returning scholarship receivers – of which they group has only eight career receptions. “That room is going to be solid," he said. "We have just got to find that right group of guys once September rolls around.” 4. Desire to Get Back to CFP My biggest takeaway was the desire in which Sarkisian spoke about returning to contending for a National Title. Texas got a small taste with the semi-final game against Washington, however, the way in which Sarkisian spoke about getting back to that level and eventually winning a National Title left a strong impression on me. He is driven and wanting to do whatever it takes to bring a title back to Austin. “I didn’t come here to just be a head coach again," he said. "I didn’t come here to say I am the head coach at UT. I came here to win a championship. I am borderline obsessed with it.” 5. Important Dates Sarkisian did mentioned more changes to the recruiting department were in store but did not provide finite details on when that might occur and what it might exactly look like. One thing he did give us a schedule for was spring football. Texas will undergo four more weeks of winter conditioning starting on Monday – so 4.5 weeks left for those pulling out the calculator. March 19 will mark the first day of spring practice. For NFL Draft hopefuls, the Texas Pro Day will take place March 20 in Austin. The Texas coaching staff will also host the coaching clinic on March 22, the weekend we are also expecting a pretty busy recruiting weekend. View full news

Taking a sure-fire center, guard and tackle this cycle is going to help long term with numbers. Small class with only three guys, but ensuring someone is being added to each individual position was a key point in the approach.

Mack brings impressive tape to Austin, my question with him is how sticky he can be in coverage. I like the ball skills and am high on how quickly he can plant his foot and come down hill to support in the running game. But my questions remain in those man to man coverage situations.

I have rankings dating back to 2020, where I boast a spotty history of projecting the development of several classes. My biggest whiff last year was Tre Wisner – my biggest whiff overall was probably Jake Majors. Here are the 2023 ranks: Tier 1: Arch Manning, Anthony Hill Jr., CJ Baxter, Johntay Cook Tier 2: Colton Vasek, Sydir Mitchell, Derion Gullette, Malik Muhammad, Derek Williams, Ryan Niblett, Jelani McDonald Tier 3: Tausili Akana, Trevor Goosby, Liona Lefau, Peyton Kirkland, Jaydon Chatman, S'Maje Burrell, Billy Walton, DeAndre Moore, Connor Stroh, Spencer Shannon Tier 4: Tre Wisner, Andre Cojoe, Will Randle Class of 2022 tiers: Tier 1: Kelvin Banks, DJ Campbell, Justice Finkley, Terrance Brooks, Neto Umeozulu Tier 2: J'Mond Tapp, Ethan Burke, Jaydon Blue, Jaray Bledsoe, Cam Williams, BJ Allen, Brenen Thompson Tier 3: Aaron Bryant, Kris Ross, Cole Hutson, Malik Agbo, Connor Robertson, Larry Turner-Gooden, Derrick Brown, Maalik Murphy, Jaylon Guilbeau, Savion Red Tier 4: Austin Jordan, Trevell Johnson, Xavion Brice, Zac Swanson

Three full classes are in the books now for Steve Sarkisian as the head coach of the Texas Longhorns. A top six finish continues the trend of elite recruiting here for the Longhorns as well, in which Texas went out of state a bit more this season to get the core of their class. This is a bit of a new feature for most of the audience here, however I have done this for the past four seasons with the predictions being anywhere from spot on to couldn’t be further off. I will post the results of previous classes in the comments, dating back to 2020. Without further ado, let’s dive into the categories. I divide my rankings into four categories. The boundaries for each category are used quite loosely, however I take into account talent, instant impact ability, the level of excitement around each player's addition to the program and how they project for the duration of their career. Historically, offensive linemen have received the short end of the stick in past rankings, with their longer path to the field than other positions. 1. Instant impact with program changing talent. 2. Early contributor 3. Likely to be a starter in career. 4. Will take time to develop. Potential to be starter late in career. I am heavier in tiers two and three this year because of the returning contributors Texas is expecting in 2024, plus the number of big time additions out of the portal. This is not a bad thing in the slightest. This is also the heaviest group of tier four players I have had since doing these rankings, a sign of tremendous health in the depth department currently on roster. Tier 1 EDGE Colin Simmons – This is a no-brainer. The highest rated prospect in the 2024 class comes at a position Texas has not had a ton of national success at in previous years. Simmons has already added weight to his 6-foot-3 frame and has proven to carry weight at any level. Texas has added to their defensive end room this offseason, but Simmons will find the rotation and be a three year contributor in the fall and beyond. S Xavier Filsaime – A borderline five-star safety is joining a room that saw a lot of turnover this offseason. Filsaime has the perfect frame to compete right away at the college level. He has the track speed necessary for the SEC and it is clear Texas enjoys rolling out several safeties. Filsaime has the makings to me of a future all-conference defensive back. WR Ryan Wingo – Probably the prospect in this class I am most excited for during his time at Texas. At 6-feet-2-inches, it is rare to find a receiver with the level of acceleration and body control of Wingo. Texas added several pieces in the WR room this offseason, however Wingo has as high a ceiling of anyone in a Texas jersey. How soon will we see him unleashed? I'm not sure. But the 2025 and 2026 seasons alone will be enough to justify this ranking. Tier 2 OT Brandon Baker – A five-star offensive lineman that doesn't need to be thrown into the fire right away? Yessir, sign me all the way up! Baker is an elite tackle prospect with superb length and solid athleticism. Above anything, I am excited Baker will get to develop for a couple a bit. Potential day two pick already without any work done by Kyle Flood. CB Kobe Black – For Kobe Black to be receiving as high of praise already even without any true offseason weight training, his ceiling will only continue to raise for me. Black has the potential to play anywhere in the secondary, though I see his best fit at cornerback. Really like what he brings to the table. RB Christian Clark – Probably a ranking that I am a bit too high on right now and I will be interested to see how this one ages. But Christian Clark to me is the full package at the running back position. He can run, he can catch, he can cut, he can juke. Basically, anything that you ask him to do with the ball in his hands, Clark will be able to do. After 2024, I envision Clark being in the RB2 conversation with his junior year seeing a jump to the true bell cow for Texas. C Daniel Cruz – I love offensive linemen with mean streaks and Cruz has exactly that. He can flip a switch and absolutely abuse defensive linemen in front of him. I love that Cruz made the jump inside to the interior to play center for his senior season and believe he will put up a very large fight for the center spot with Connor Robertson and perhaps Cole Hutson in 2025. WR Aaron Butler – I thought about punching him in under tier three, but I re-watched the tape again this morning and just couldn't get myself to justify it. Butler fits exactly what Sarkisian targeted out of the portal and has been attempting to add to this lineup. The biggest question for Butler is the path to the field, but the close-space acceleration and burst with the ball are too impressive to ignore. EDGE Zina Umeozulu – In August, this ranking would have been a bit lower. But credit to Zina for putting the pieces together while continuing to add to his frame. Umeozulu will step onto campus at 6-foot-5 and a hair over 240 pounds. He has the length and the athleticism to be a special player. Question is will he be able to unlock that early and maintain consistency throughout. Tier 3 RB Jerrick Gibson – The first name in this tier is the former IMG Academy running back. Gibson is built like a truck and is going to hold 220 pounds easily during his time on campus. My question with Gibson is whether or not he can differentiate himself enough to get on the field early. Eventually, Gibson will be more than a fine player, but early on I expect the road to the field to be a tough one with the backs Texas has on campus. DL Alex January – I juggled with January being up in tier two, but I still expect the Longhorn staff to add a piece to the defensive line room in the spring. January, physically, is a massive prospect and Texas needs just that on the interior. The multi-sport background will help with the athleticism, I like the upside long term. WR Parker Livingstone – Perhaps no writer on the Texas beat is as high on Parker Livingstone as I am. In a year where Texas does not add four pass catchers from the portal, he is absolutely a tier two prospect. It is also extremely unfortunate that Texas fans were unable to watch Livingstone during his senior season. This kid can ball amongst the best in the state and has enough speed to get on the field with that 6-foot-4 frame of his. CB Santana Wilson – Anytime you can add a four-star prospect with the NFL pedigree of that of a former NFL All-Pro, you do it, Wilson is a top notch prospect with versatility and production all across the field while in high school. My question is how quickly he can crack the rotation, but Wilson has great length and ball skills. Wilson played a ton of boundary corner in HS and I would not be surprised to see him there to start the college days. DB Jordon Johnson-Rubell – Going on a little run of defensive backs here. JJR undoubtedly will come to campus with as high a football IQ of anyone in the class. Talking with Johnson-Rubell in Orlando gave me a different outlook on his career outlook. DB Wardell Mack – Listen, in a class this stacked with defensive backs, someone has to come in the final spot amongst the bunch. I am more than anticipating to be wrong here, especially when you consider the push made by Corey Raymond at Florida to get Mack into the class specifically. Mack is a stud. He plays the ball very well and is incredibly quick to coming down field to make a play. If there is one pick I am expecting to be wrong on, it is Mack. LB Ty'Anthony Smith – One of the hardest working prospects you will find in this class. Smith will have a ways to go with his body to add the necessary weight for the middle of a defense in the SEC, however I suspect he gets there by year three. The Longhorns have a talented LB group at the moment, though being the only linebacker in the class is going to help in the long run. Tier 4 QB Trey Owens – I am a huge fan of Trey Owens. He took major strides on the field his senior season and was one of the top performers in San Antonio for the All American Bowl. Unfortunately for Owens, he has a tough path to the field with Ewers returning in 2024 and Arch Manning set to take the reigns the following years. Regardless, this is the quality of prospect Sarkisian turns into a stud in three years time. OL Nate Kibble – Lengthy wingspan and road grader in the run game. That's what Nate Kibble brings to the table. There will be a transition period as he heads inside to guard, but Kyle Flood liked what he saw very early on and stayed on the former Atascocita lineman. Similarly to several others, path to the field is a bit of an issue at the moment. TE Jordan Washington – Here is the deal: I have a soft spot for converted basketball players at the tight end position. With Washington, he can stretch the field vertically and has a willingness to put his nose in the trenches. But we saw a long journey from JT Sanders to get to the field and he was most advanced physically than Washington. I like the upside, but it will take a bit. WR Freddie Dubose – An ACL injury cut short his junior season, though Dubose returned to the field and helped lead Smithson Valley to a state title game appearance this past fall. I am a bit on the 'I need to see it' side for Dubose when it comes to getting fully healthy with the knee. He has the top-end speed that will compete with anyone on the roster, but again, I need to see it first. DL Melvin Hills – Hills won't have the luxury of a spring season with the Texas program which does make a difference for trench players. There is versatility here that will allow Hills to make a jump from inside to outside, but in the long run, he is best suited for the interior at a 3-tech spot. Let's see how Kenny Baker is able to mold the former Louisiana standout. View full news

Staying in-house for the promotions here, I like it.

Michigan defensive line coach Mike Elston is headed to the NFL. A big piece of the Wolverines success from a year ago was the work of their defensive line. Just as importantly for the Longhorns who play Michigan in Ann Arbor the second game of the upcoming season, the Wolverines' DL was supposed to be a strength of their 2024 team. That may have hit a bit of a snag Tuesday afternoon as word out of Jim Harbaugh’s LA Chargers camp leaked that Elston will be making the leap to the Pros. Michigan did not have any roster attrition of note after the first round of its coaches departing to Los Angeles. However, with Elston now leaving, it makes things significantly more interesting for two elite interior defensive linemen, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, if they were to enter the portal. View full news

Big fan of Traylor, he runs a tight ship so if there’s anyone to get anything out of Denver Harris, he’s probably the guy.

These two rooms are going to be so much fun to watch over the next couple of seasons.

I am rooting for Harris. Hope he gets it right this go-round.

Today in part two of the In The Pipeline series, we will cover the pass catchers on the Texas roster in 2024 and beyond. Of course, a lot has happened in these two position rooms since the end of the season and by all means, I am expecting the wide receivers to remain a strength of the Texas program. A quick look at the current state of each room for 2024 and beyond: Wide Receiver On Roster: Silas Bond, Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden, Johntay Cook, DeAndre Moore, Ryan Niblett, Freddie Dubose, Ryan Wingo, Parker Livingstone, Aaron Butler Coming Soon: We will see. For 2024: In a room that was expected to be a huge question mark just over 45 days ago, the work done by the Texas staff has completely revamped the group of weapons for Quinn Ewers. Through the portal, Texas added Alabama's leading wide receiver, Oregon State's leading receiver and a 1,000 yard career receiver with 13 touchdowns. It is very likely this unit is a strength of the Texas roster in 2024 when you combine sophomore Johntay Cook and DeAndre Moore, as well as former five-star freshman WR Ryan Wingo. The options are bountiful right now in this room. No need to dive back into the idea of a positionless offense, but the speed in this room is going to be at a level Texas hasn't seen in years, maybe even a decade-plus. Really exciting for Texas in year one of the SEC. Beyond: You can chalk up Silas Bolden (grad transfer) and Isaiah Bond to being one-year rentals for the Longhorns this season. Yet, the 2025 outlook remains incredibly encouraging. Johntay Cook will be entering year three and Matthew Golden will most likely be back to bring you a very solid 1–2 look on the outside. Of course, Ryan Wingo will have at least two more years after the 2024 season before being eligible for the NFL Draft. How can Parker Livingstone and Freddie Dubose crack the lineup? Aaron Butler is a popular choice for most underrated prospect from the last class as well. Oh, and I have yet to even talk about the potential of a third year DeAndre Moore and Ryan Niblett. Plenty of options here, and it will be up to Chris Jackson to get those guys ready behind the scenes to catch passes from Arch Manning. Tight End: On Roster: Gunnar Helm, Armari Niblack, Juan Davis, Malik Agbo, Spencer Shannon, Will Randle, Jordan Washington Coming Soon: 2025 Emaree Winston For 2024: Texas fans were given very little time to weep following the departure of Ja'Tavion Sanders to the NFL. Sarkisian and Jeff Banks took a turn towards the portal almost immediately and jumped right on in for Amari Niblack following the retirement of Mr. Nick Saban. As a result, Texas will continue to be able to deploy a two tight end set with strengths both in the trenches and down the field vertically. We have mentioned Malik Agbo's use as a hybrid tight end and offensive lineman. Plus Juan Davis has game experience, albeit limited, but regardless an option that has been around a good bit. Beyond: A bit of a question mark for 2025 and beyond. Who takes that next leap? Will Texas have the luxury of one of Helm or Niblack returning? Perhaps, but no guarantee. Big question remains in regards to Spencer Shannon and his development. He could be an immediate replacement for Helm as the in-line tight end in the Sarkisian offense as Texas continues to develop Jordan Washington behind the scenes. What kind of contribution from Will Randle will be seen. I am a big fan of Washington's, though a two tight end class is very likely for the 2025 class. View full news

Former five-star North Shore cornerback Denver Harris has found a new home. After stops at Texas A&M and LSU, Harris finds himself back on the schedule for the Texas Longhorns in 2024, this time as a member of Jeff Traylor's UTSA program. An interesting storyline for when the two teams meet up September 14. View full news

Can't wait. 😈

March 3rd.