CJ Vogel

Cordova's Hudl: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/17617963/6570d500dfe2e6117829bf40

Cordova tells me he also has a handful of unofficials for the upcoming month: March 23 – USC March 30 – Florida April 6 – USC April 13 – Tennessee

Four-star Lake Travis DL Gus Cordova to visit Texas for Spring Game Texas will receive an unofficial visit from 2025 Lake Travis defensive end Gus Cordova for the Texas spring game on April 20. Cordova has continued to be recruited by the Longhorns since his visit for the junior day in January and told me in February that the staff has continued to be actively pursuing him. The Lake Travis EDGE also locked in an official visit to USC for June 21-23. The next couple of months will be loaded with unofficial visits. Cordova told me last month he hoped to get up to as many as nine campuses in the months of March and April. View full news

Afternoon Longhorn Livestream is coming your way at 1:10 p.m. With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 and eventually 14 teams, Rod Babers, Bobby Burton and I take a look back at Texas teams of the last 25 years to debate which teams would have made the cut. View full news

As we sit here on a beautiful Friday morning a handful of sleeps ahead of spring football kicking off it is worth the laugh to sit here and ponder over how spring break has changed for student athletes. The trips to South Padre or Destin has turned into a first class flight to Jamaica or Cancun. It is rather remarkable to sit here and reflect on how spring break has evolved in the NIL era. But regardless, one last opportunity for the team to sit back and relax prior to spring football kicking off on Tuesday. The Texas team will get back to the weight room Monday morning for one last lift before getting to work. Over the next month, the 15 practices will provide a sneak peak at the 2024 team for anyone interested. One of the most anticipated Pro Days in recent Texas history will take place Wednesday, March 20. For guys like Jordan Whittington, Jaylan Ford and Keilan Robinson, it is a massive opportunity to get in front of NFL scouts and executives for one last audition. However, no one will have a bigger opportunity to impress than Quinn Ewers who will be throwing live for the scouts in attendance. This is not an uncommon practice to see the current QB throw at Pro Days. Texas has had former QB David Ash throw for the last couple of years at Pro Days. Though with a future first rounder on roster at the moment, one extra chance to get in front of NFL personnel was something Sarkisian and Ewers did not want to pass up. Regardless, the next week should be very fun in regards to team coverage. The next month should be a blast when you add in recruiting coverage and the number of big visit weekends set to hit the 40 Acres. March Madness applies to more than just the hardwood. View full news

Overs have been crushing so far in these conference tournaments. I will be taking the Texas/Kansas State over as a result. Blindly following my gut.

The end of the 1H from OU and TCU was hilarious. Watch this sequence.

33 came against Texas Tech lol

The rule is up for approval which is scheduled to have its hearing April 18.

Over the last few days we have covered the ins and the outs of both sides of the ball. However, now it is time to take a deeper look behind the curtain with the task of pinpointing which Longhorns might steal headlines over the next month and a half. Five prospects I have my eyes on this spring to make a big time splash for the 2024 Longhorns. *** DL Jaray Bledsoe – Redshirt Sophomore Bledsoe has all of the athleticism you could desire for a defensive lineman. After seeing just 85 snaps in 2023, Bledsoe certainly qualifies into the breakout category for the spring. Texas must find suitable replacements for T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy, can Bledsoe jump into the rotation? Again, the athleticism is there and now that Bledsoe is north of 290 pounds, it feels like the stars are aligning to finally see an increase in on-field role for Texas this spring. WR DeAndre Moore – Sophomore A lot of talk around the Texas wide receiver room is around the transfer portal additions, as well as the incoming early enrollees. However, Moore is entering his second year in the system and is in the conversation for having the most refined routes of anyone on the roster. Of Moore's 92 snaps last fall, 40 came in the slot. DB Jelani McDonald – Sophomore The versatile secondary member is now firmly in the boat at the safety position which is something I am very much a fan of. McDonald was previously split between linebacker, safety and potentially cornerback when he first arrived in Austin, and now Blake Gideon is in charge of molding him into a big-time ballplayer. The 6-foot-2 DB will have the opportunity to crack the rotation Texas has used at the safety spot over the last two seasons. With Andrew Mukuba, Michael Taaffe and Derek Williams looking for a fourth member, McDonald will be tasked with fending off early enrollee Xavier Filsaime for the role. OL Neto Umeozulu – Redshirt Sophomore We have mentioned it here on OTF over the last few months there might be some changes coming to the Texas offensive line. The left guard position will have a lot of eyes on it this spring as Hayden Conner looks to fight off Cole Hutson and Neto. The light flicked on for Umeozulu at the end of the regular season and into bowl practices last fall, now it is time to keep it on full time. If that is the case, the expectations that have risen over time now have the opportunity to come to fruition as the former Allen Eagle enters year three. CB Warren Roberson – Redshirt Freshman Texas returns two starting cornerbacks on the outside with Malik Muhammad and Terrance Brooks. Though, it remains a thin room and if we have learned anything over the last couple of years, the Longhorn staff likes to rotate their DB's. Warren Roberson entered college as an extremely twitchy prospect that Texas had to pry from the grasp of TCU – a program with plenty of history in developing defensive backs. Roberson will have plenty of opportunity to make plays this spring with run against the top unit often, despite just two snaps on the field in 2023. I have a feeling we will hear his name often this spring. View full news

Can I interest the Broncos in a QB named Sam Ehlinger?

The Denver Broncos have signed three free agents since the legal tampering window opened in the NFL offseason. All three are former Texas Longhorns. This time, the Broncos' latest addition to the roster is WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey, who agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Sean Payton offense in the Mile High City. Clearly there is something in the water in Denver that leads that front office to Austin, Texas am I right? Humphrey joins Brandon Jones and Malcolm Roach as the other FA additions so far for the Broncos, as well as PJ Locke and Caden Sterns who were already on roster.

He will certainly be in the mix for a rotational spot. I am eager to see if he eventually gets run at corner as well. CB is where he was used primarily in HS and at the All American Bowl game practices where he held his own against the country's best WRs.

Yes

You will see Conner bumped out to RT to give Texas the best opportunity to cross-train at more positions. Though you can expect LG to be significantly tighter of a battle than RG at the moment. Cam Williams is going to enter as RT1 and I don't see that wavering in the spring.

There are not many true position battles headed into the 2024 spring camp, but there are a number of positions to keep a close eye on. The 2024 Texas roster consists of plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, but it will take some interesting configurations from the staff to maximize the rotations and on-field performance. *** Quarterback: Quinn Ewers & Arch Manning This is not expected to be too much of a battle. Quinn Ewers has the vocal support of Steve Sarkisian and entering year three in the Texas system, Ewers is the man for the Longhorns in 2024. Running Back CJ Baxter vs. Jaydon Blue + Savion Red, Tre Wisner, Christian Clark, Jerrick Gibson At the moment we suspect the first team RB carries to be split into Baxter and Blue for the most part this spring. Though there is plenty of depth which comes with a ton of talent. At 240 pounds, Savion Red provides a build and skillset no other Longhorn possesses at the moment. Either of the freshmen can make a splash as well. Talented room, we will see how the splits work itself out. Wide Receiver Isaiah Bond and Johntay Cook vs. Matthew Golden, Ryan Wingo, DeAndre Moore A completely new room for Quinn Ewers to throw to this spring. Only Johntay Cook has caught a pass from Ewers in a Longhorns uniform before. Outside of theorizing, it is tough to pinpoint the starting three wide receivers for the spring, meaning this group is wide open for Ewers and Sarkisian to adopt into the vaunted Circle of Trust. Right now, my gut tells me to lean on the receivers with experience – Bond and Golden, with Cook being the top returner from 2023. Tight End Gunnar Helm vs. Amari Niblack This is a fun, interesting battle for the Longhorns. There is a clear discrepancy in the skillsets provided by both tight end. Helm has plenty of in-line experience which overshadows his role as a downfield receiver, which is a 180 from what we know of Amari Niblack. To begin the spring, you can expect to see Helm as your TE1. Will that change? We will see, but there will be plenty of competition here. Offensive Line LG: Hayden Conner, Cole Hutson & Neto Umeozulu You can lock in left tackle, center, right guard and potentially right tackle for starting spots in the spring. Though we know there will be some movement at left guard. Can you expect Hayden Conner to fight off Hutson and Umeozulu? A fully healthy Cole Hutson has plenty of talent and experience to make noise here. Plus, the final month of practice from Neto Umeozulu revealed a prospect that has turned the corner here. Left guard is going to be very interesting this spring. Defensive Line Nose Guard Vernon Broughton and Alfred Collins don't necessarily have the ideal bodies for the nose guard spot – someone who can plant their feet and hold their ground on a double team. Tiaoalii Savea is added to the group of Aaron Bryant and Jaray Bledsoe as well. At 372 pounds, I am a bit skeptical of what to expect from Sydir Mitchell this spring. And then of course that leads us to early enrollee Alex January who has lost 10+ pounds and comes in with plenty of hunger. This is my favorite battle of the spring. Defensive End Ethan Burke and Barryn Sorrell vs. Colin Simmons, Trey Moore and Justice Finkley The two returning starters from a year ago are going to be pushed and tested from the moment pads get thrown on this spring. Adding Trey Moore from UTSA will provide the most immediate heat on Burke and Sorrell. Texas has not seen a pass rushing prospect with the hype and talent arrive in Austin with the level of Colin Simmons in over a decade. Plus, we saw spurts of Justice Finkley towards the end of the season, can he turn that corner to become a true contestant for a starting job? Linebacker Mike Position – David Gbenda vs. Kendrick Blackshire, Liona Lefau and Derion Gullette You can lock in Anthony Hill Jr. for a starting spot in the middle of the defense – I believe it is safe to assume it will be at the WILL backer. Now, where does the Robin to Hill's Batman come from? David Gbenda will be the first backer out of the bunch with the Texas starting 11 when spring football gets going. Kendrick Blackshire may not possess the best skillset for a three-down backer, but moving into the SEC his role is significantly larger than it would have been a year ago. Then of course what emerges out of Lefau and Gullette, two ultra-talented backers hungry to crack the starting 11. Nickel Jahdae Barron Jahdae Barron is back and is rocking a new No. 7 at the nickel spot. There won't be too much of a battle here. But the question becomes, when or if Barron sees snaps at outside cornerback, who takes his spot? Austin Jordan and Jaylon Guilbeau will be battling for a third consecutive year. Plus, early enrollee Wardell Mack is getting run at nickel as well. Cornerback Malik Muhammad and Terrance Brooks vs. the rest of the room Ryan Watts departs for the NFL, but luckily for the Longhorns, there were extended snaps in 2023 for guys like Malik Muhammad and Gavin Holmes. The Longhorns leaned heavier to the side of Muhammad than they did Holmes and there is reason to believe it will be the two former DFW stars to begin spring as the CB duo. Warren Roberson will enter year two as a backup and Kobe Black will be a freshman looking to make noise on the outside. Safety Andrew Mukuba, Derek Williams, Michael Taaffe, Xavier Filsaime This unit is significantly more talented than we saw a year ago with the athleticism noticeably more abundant. As a result, the back half of the Texas defense should be able to bring more splash plays to the Texas defense in 2024. Now, we know the Longhorn staff likes to rotate in the backend of the secondary very often. Derek Williams and Michael Taaffe were the two DBs to play the majority of second half snaps against Washington in the Sugar Bowl last year, though it is hard to imagine Mukuba not seeing the field early and often in 2024. Pretty fun battle when you added in what is arguably the early enrollee who has made the most noise in winter conditioning so far. View full news

Join Erin Hogan, Rod Babers and myself tonight for the Tuesday night Longhorn Livestream! View full news

Catch up on the latest recruiting news in the 2025 and 2026 cycles with a little Recruiting Breakdown with Gerry Hamilton and I this morning. Plenty of updates on top targets and a breakdown of the March and April unofficial visit dates, as well as June officials. View full news