CJ Vogel

Excited for both. Blackwell has really helped his frame this offseason. He is up to 220 lbs, a 10 pound increase since August. He looks like he could play extended snaps in the middle of the field if needed.

I hope it isn't. I like Hill playing loose and free and without the constraints of being confined to the middle - similarly to what we saw from DeMarvion Overshown here in Austin. Plus with the headset communication now coming into the game, do you really want your most athletic player caught him in calls and coverages before the play or react on instincts and play loose? I would choose the latter.

If it is any consolation, Bryant was one of six DT's to get run vs. Washington. One of three to return as well (Collins and Broughton) we will see a good bit of him this fall.

That was a bit of a surprise when the roster released. I had heard behind the scenes he was having a strong winter conditioning and he looks like he could play immediately if needed. it will be interesting if he gains 5-6 more pounds to get in that 225 range by the time fall camp comes around.

We have heard all offseason about the new wide receivers and gadgets at the disposal of Quinn Ewers and the Texas Longhorns on offense. However, there have been some mighty important pieces added to Pete Kwiatkowski’s side of the ball as well. Several veteran portalers and a freshman class with plenty of talent as well. Texas finished the 2023 season ranked as the No. 12 ranked scoring defense (18.9 PPG). Having to replace Jaylan Ford, Byron Murphy, T’Vondre Sweat and Ryan Watts won’t be easy, but there is promise here. One sentence summary of the offense: Plenty of opportunities for folks in the front seven to carve out snap share of their own in 2024, it starts this spring. *** Defense Line Replacing T’Vondre Sweat, Byron Muprhy and even Trill Carter will prove to be a large task for new Texas DL coach Kenny Baker in year one. Luckily, there are bodies here, the question becomes how much will you be able to rely on each individual body? Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton have the most run time of any in the room. The addition of Tiaoalii Savea is big as well in terms of getting bodies who can defend the run. Texas must see Jaray Bledsoe and Aaron Bryant turn into rotational pieces this fall – Bryant was at the end of the year to be fair. Can Alex January impress the staff in his first spring? And for Sydir Mitchell, the question is at 372 pounds, can he play at that weight. I am holding out hope but am not entirely encouraged. Last Note: What was the biggest strength of the Texas defense in 2023 is now its biggest question mark. Defensive End Returning Ethan Burke, Barryn Sorrell and Justice Finkley is very encouraging. But adding UTSA transfer Trey Moore and five-star Colin Simmons can turn this room from a solid department to a strength of the team. This is five-man rotation I am expecting to see in the spring make most of the noise. Other questions include what does J’Mond Tapp turn into heading into year three? Is Colton Vasek finally healthy enough to see a full two months of ball? Zina Umeozulu and Billy Walton serve as great depth and developmental pieces as well. Last Note: I love the makeup of this room, but now it is about turning pressures into sacks and creating those negative plays off the edge. Linebacker I won’t lie to you, this is a position that has seen an increase in skepticism since the end of the season for me. Yes, Anthony Hill Jr. has the tools and makings of an eventual All-SEC player, but who else will join him as reliable pieces in this room? I don’t quite know right now. David Gbenda had plenty of encouraging moments in 2023 but there is vulnerability in the passing game and teams already targeted him when he had extended snaps a year ago. The Longhorns added Kendrick Blackshire out of the portal, but again, he has his limitations at 263 pounds when dropping into coverage. Out of this group, I am the most bullish on Liona Lefau and believe by the end of fall camp we could see him as the second linebacker on the field next to Hill come week one. Last Note: I don’t want to overlook S’Maje Burrell or Derion Gullette either. But right now, there are questions marks at the LB spot that I think stretch beyond the depth side of things. Nickel Jahdae Barron put together a masterclass at the position a year ago and returns for what should be one final go-round as a Longhorn. Luckily for Texas, this position has plenty of depth and could allow for some movement for Barron to other spots on the field. Both Barron and Jaylon Guilbeau have cross-trained at outside. Austin Jordan is back for year three in the system as well and if worse comes to worst you could potentially see Andrew Mukuba spun down from the safety spot. True freshman Wardell Mack has been receiving some run here in offseason workouts. Last Note: At the end of the day, this spot was a strength on the field with Barron’s intelligence in 2023 and should continue to be reliable for PK’s scheme in 2024 and beyond. Cornerback Count me in as a huge believer in the Texas cornerback room for 2024. This spring should be very fun for all involved, though most specifically for guys like Malik Muhammad and Terrance Brooks who will be going against an elite WR group. Gavin Holmes will certainly benefit from this as well. Holmes had a solid 2023, and I have been told this offseason he has brought an incredible mindset to offseason workouts to take an extra leap in the spring. I am very curious to see how Warren Roberson performs this spring. Roberson is incredibly twitchy and has enough length to be problematic at the line of scrimmage. That then leads me to freshmen bunch of Kobe Black and Wardell Mack and what kind of run they get early. Not expecting a whole lot this early, but I do believe they will benefit from the level of talent they will face on a day to day in camp. Last Note: Plenty of talent on to be optimistic about the future of this unit. Big leaps are in order for the two returning starters. Safety What was probably the most concerning part of the 2023 roster has had a completely face-lift and is now in a position to be the most improved position on the team headed into the SEC. Led by Andrew Mukuba out of the transfer portal and a second year Derek Williams, this unit has significantly more athleticism than a year ago. Add in the ever-so important Michael Taaffe, and I am once again a believer in this position group. Early enrollee Xavier Filsaime has arguably made the most noise of anyone who made it to campus at the turn of the semester. There is a lot of promise from the McKinney native. Jordon Johnson-Rubell is up to 190 pounds already. He has a tremendous football IQ which leads me to think he will be a viable option at either the centerfield S spot, or a potential move to nickel later on. View full news

Pretty cool deal. Enshrined forever!

Will Randle is still on the roster, yes. Listed at 6-4 and 238.

I don't expect to see much more fallout from Florida. They have already been crushed by the portal in the months of Dec. and Jan. To me I don't think they are in a position to lose any additional depth despite the noise around the program at the moment, simply because majority of their roster currently is underclassmen and portal additions.

It's going to be hard to maintain all of the twitch he had before as a result of the weight gain. Rod and I actually spoke about it a bit on the Talkin' Ball this afternoon. Imagine Red as a goal line or even a FB option that would allow for Texas to go full pony-package without sacrificing anything in the run or pass game with Red's ability to receive and still have a lead-blocking FB build as a FB/RB.

That 2017 Maryland opener was my first game as a student at Texas. Not a fun memory.

Going to be hard to find it on this side of the ball.

Big time!

Officially eight days away from the beginning of spring football here in Austin. Our Gerry Hamilton has repeatedly echoed the sentiment that this spring season will be the most anticipated in Texas history and there is very little reason for me to not agree at the moment. Today, we will start with the offensive side of the ball when it comes to previewing spring football. One sentence summary of the offense: There are plenty of new toys around Quinn Ewers who returns for year three behind loaded, veteran offensive line. *** Quarterback Quinn Ewers is headed back up the weight roller coaster after a strong winter in the weight room. He returns to Texas for year three in the system and will enter the upcoming season as one of the favorites for the Heisman trophy. For Quinn this fall, the key for me is to hear about his total control of the offense. Take true leadership of the new faces at the WR spot and continue the path of development. As for Arch Manning, this will be the most we will get to see from the former five-star prospect in a Texas uniform. Manning will no longer have to wait for third team reps as we saw his freshman season. I am fully of the belief Manning would be able to succeed in the Texas offense should he be asked to this season. Should be another opportunity for development this offseason. Last Note: I have been told several times this offseason Ewers' command/leadership of the team has improved significantly since the conclusion of the season. Running Back There is no hiding the talent in this Texas RB room – something we have said for several years now. CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue are expected to be the 1–2 punch though it is going to be very interesting to see how the rest of the room falls in place. What role does Savion Red carve out at 240 pounds? Can Tre Wisner increase some of his share in the room as well? Plus, what happen with the two freshmen and do they create some noise this spring. Regardless, a very fun room to look at and plenty of big time talent. Last Note: The path for any of the backup RBs to carve out a role for themselves heading into the spring is to become a plus in pass protection. That is the biggest weakness in this room. Wide Receiver The talk of the offseason has been surrounding the portal additions of Matthew Golden, Isaiah Bond and Silas Bolden. While only Bond and Golden will be on campus for the spring season, this room is going to have plenty of competition in what was expected to be a wide open target share. Johntay Cook is the leading incumbent from the 2023 team and is one guy I have penciled into the starting 11 at the moment. Of the early enrollees, there has been plenty of praise in direction of Ryan Wingo and should he get up to speed with the playbook and situational football in the spring, you can expect to see the new No. 5 on the field in the fall. One other Texas wide receiver I am keeping a close eye on is DeAndre Moore who will be entering his second year in the program. Matthew Golden was still receiving treatment on his foot as recently as the end of last week. Last Note: The speed in this room is going to be noticeable from the get-go. Question is now, which of these receivers will play unselfishly without the ball, something Texas has asked their WRs to do a lot under Sarkisian. Tight End You can expect to see Gunnar Helm as the first tight end used this spring. That goes for a number of reasons, but mostly the familiarity with the system. Helm has had a strong offseason and is up to 250 pounds currently. What is going to be very fun is the combination of Helm and Amari Niblack on the field together. There is an ideal balance of talent and skillsets between the two which will pose as a challenge for seemingly every defensive coordinator Texas faces this upcoming fall – first it will be Pete Kwiatkowski during the spring. Juan Davis is the slimmest of the bunch which gives me pause for a possible increase in his snaps this spring. Whereas, this will be a big spring in the development of Spencer Shannon. Niblack too was in a boot earlier this winter, though the belief is he will be good to go for the beginning of spring. Last Note: Nice complementary aspect with this unit here. Question turns to if there will be too much a tipped hand with personnel usage. Offensive Line The makeup of this offensive line is ideal for not only Quinn Ewers, but for Steve Sarkisian as his program enters the SEC. With four of five returning, there is plenty of familiarity and talent with this bunch. It should not be out of the range of possibility to see this unit in the Joe Moore Award finalist group next fall. Though for the spring, the question turns to which of the guys in the 2nd group challenge for a starting spot. Texas has plenty of depth here at the moment. With guys like Cole Hutson and Neto Umeozulu eager to get into the starting five, what movement do we see on the interior? Will there be true movement from Hayden Conner to right tackle to push Cam Williams? What about Brandon Baker or Trevor Goosby? So many options and possibilities here. Kelvin Banks is up to 325 pounds and DJ Campbell is coming down a bit in his own right. Last Note: On paper, this is the best Texas offensive line in the past 15 years. Should be a very strong spring season. View full news

I am a huge fan of Daylan's. He's a stud.

Nice new deal for a former Texas Longhorn defensive back! The Denver Broncos and DB Brandon Jones have agreed to 3-year deal worth $20M according to Jordan Schultz. Three former Longhorn defensive backs are now on roster for the Broncos – PJ Locke, Caden Sterns and now Jones. Quite the trio!

McCutcheon's Hudl: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/16099504/64fe64e05798110b68b20460 2023 Stats: 94 receptions, 1430 yards, 21 touchdowns

The Texas staff will receive an official visit from 2025 Lovejoy (TX) wide receiver Daylan McCutcheon in the month of June. McCutcheon has sporadically been in contact with the Texas staff, though communication has begun to increase over the last month, and as a result, he will officially visit the Longhorns during June 14-16 weekend. The top-100 prospect per the 247Sports composite has four officials locked in at the moment: Ohio State May 31, USC June 7, Texas June 14 and Florida State on June 21. Winter workouts were a busy time for McCutcheon who received visits from Mike Norvell and Ryan Day in consecutive days. As a result, this to me has the makings of a Ohio State-Florida State battle at the moment. However, there has been plenty of interest in the Longhorns in the past and an official visit to Texas might be able to swing things a bit. Of course it certainly does not hurt Texas' chances having former Lovejoy teammate Parker Livingstone in the fold and on roster at the moment as well. View full news

Good for Malcolm Brown!

That stream would be mighty entertaining any time I get to the green. Turns into hockey from there.

I’ll be a bit out of pocket today until the livestream this afternoon. Bachelor party golf outing this AM. trying to figure out how to putt.

He really likes Sark’s offense and the way wide receivers were used last year and developed. Maybe a Ryan Williams situation a bit from a year ago, but the difference is Ffrench is getting to campus.