Burnt Ends – 08/01/2016

The point on a brisket is typically the fattiest cut. Pitmasters often trim the point (and select edges) off a brisket and return those pieces to the smoker.

 

 

 

Are burnt ends tough, chewy worthless cuts of meat, or are they heavenly bites of smoky goodness? It depends on who you ask…

 

 

 

Rather than discard the trimmings and fat, we choose to savor all the information that flows through the site. So, sit down and help yourself to some burnt ends.

 

 

 

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This is a free site, so anyone can read this report. If you share it with someone, please take time to attribute the information to HornSports.

 

 

 

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We covered the recruitment and commitment of Nacogdoches DB Josh Thompson, but we wanted to bring you a little more in order for you to get to know the newest east Texas commit. We first noticed Thompson while viewing film for Brandon Jones last season. As a newcomer to the position, it was clear that Thompson was still trying to figure out the finer points of playing in coverage. While there were times he looked like he was making it up, his athleticism, size, and instincts really stood out. Our Mike Roach got to know Thompson early in the process before anyone was aware of him, and his desire to be the best was evident in talking to him. In a move reminiscent of professional soccer star Clint Dempsey (also of Nacogdoches), Thompson started traveling to Dallas in order to improve his game. While Dempsey sought out the better competition of the club soccer scene in the Metroplex, Thompson came to work with a private skills trainer.

 

 

 

The Flight Team is a group of DB/LB prospects run by Coach Flight. Flight is an up and comer in the private training world, and he’s quickly amassed a strong team that trains weekly in skill sessions. The first time Roach saw Thompson at a workout, he was just a big strong athlete trying to figure out how to cover some really skilled receivers. In that workout, Roach saw (Oklahoma commit) Charleston Rambo completely turn Thompson around with superior route running. While it seemed like a negative for Thompson, his instincts and closing ability along with his desire to continually challenge himself against the best were encouraging signs for his growth. Thompson’s skill has grown exponentially since that time, and he’s now blended his strong athletic traits with refined skills in the coverage game. Thompson competed at the Opening regional in Houston, and really impressed at the ETSN combine where he ran a sub 4.4 40. Once the word got out his recruitment blew up and the offers started rolling in. Jeff Traylor established a relationship with Thompson early, and he stayed in contact with him while he became more popular. TCU eventually won an early commitment from Thompson, and Texas started to turn their attention towards him.

 

 

 

Thompson is a loyal guy, and he was strong in his commitment to TCU, but Texas was a dream school for him and Brandon Jones is one of his best friends. Through training with the Flight Team, Thompson also became close with Texas commit Kobe Boyce. The two discussed playing together as they grew closer, and the stars aligned for Thompson to flip his commitment. Once he attended Under the Lights and received his offer, we were told that the TCU staff was not pleased. Gary Patterson and his staff are strong evaluators and recruiters, but they also have engaged in some pretty heavy negative recruiting towards Texas in the past. We were told that the reaction from Fort Worth might have sped the process up for Thompson, who was already considering making the flip. With their three secondary commitments, Texas now has an incredibly athletic secondary group consisting of Montrell Estell (Safety), Kobe Boyce (Corner), and Josh Thompson (Nickel/Corner/Safety). They will probably look to close on another corner before wrapping up a group with pretty high upside.

 

 

 

We talked to Coach Flight this week to get his assessment on Thompson, and this is what he had to tell us. “What makes Josh Thompson unique as a player is his versatility. He is fast enough to play corner, but physical enough to help out in run support as a safety. His best attributes are his speed and size. He has a very unique combo for a 17 year old athlete. He’s already 6’0 190 lbs., and he has a clocked 4.48 laser 40.” While Flight thinks he has grown a lot, he is by no means a finished product. “I think he needs to improve hip mobility and patience at the line in press coverage. He has come a long way this summer though.”

 

 

 

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Quick note on Temple DE Taquon Graham. Graham is a guy we’ve had on commit watch for quite a while, and we were told it could go down at Under the Lights. Texas is in good shape with the defensive end, and they are in great shape with his mother who loves what Texas has to offer. Taquon’s mother does not want him to commit and until the decision is final because she doesn’t want him to decommit. Graham visited Oklahoma this weekend, and from what we were told the Sooners made a major impression on him. Stoops and company rolled out the red carpet for Graham, and we were told Oklahoma made a move in his recruitment. We still feel that Texas holds an edge, but it was stressed to us that the visit to Norman was big for him. We’ll continue to monitor the situation, but what once looked like a slam dunk now appears to be more of a contested layup.

 

 

 

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As recruiting slows down and the season ramps up, we are a little short on news this week. Once the Longhorns start fall camp we will be reaching out to our sources to gather some intel on how workouts are going. In the meantime we will be putting together a projected depth chart going into the season you should look for later this week. To finish out Burnt Ends, we are going to do some recruiting forecasting complete with our percentages on each prospect.

 

 

 

Quarterback

 

 

 

Committed:

 

Sam Ehlinger – There is only one target at the position, and he’s as firm of a commit as one could imagine. Shop is closed up here.

 

 

 

Running Back

 

 

 

Committed:

 

None

 

 

 

Targets:

 

JK Dobbins – The La Grange runner is committed to Ohio State, but there’s a feeling that Texas is setting themselves up to make a strong stretch run in his recruitment. If Texas can put together a good season we feel they have a strong chance to swing him.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 3.5

 

 

 

Wide Receiver

 

 

 

Committed:

 

Damion Miller – After looking around early in his recruitment we hear that things are firm for the John Tyler receiver.

 

 

 

Targets:

 

Omar Manning – The Lancaster receiver is the top prospect on the board, and it looks like a battle between Texas and TCU. We continue to hear good things regarding Texas, but TCU is the long time leader and not likely to go away easily.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 3

 

 

 

Tyrell Shavers – Committed to Alabama and not likely to leave.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 0.5

 

 

 

Jalen Reagor – See Tyrell Shavers and switch Alabama to Oklahoma

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 0.5

 

 

 

Mannie Netherly – Committed to LSU, not sure how hard Texas is on him anymore

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 1

 

 

 

What to look for:

 

We think Texas is looking to take 3-4 guys this cycle, so there could be some additional evaluations and offers in the fall. Keep an eye on Charleston Rambo, RJ Sneed, and Sam Crawford as possible options.

 

 

 

Tight End

 

 

 

Committed:

 

None

 

 

 

Targets:

 

Major Tennison – Even though he decommitted from Texas I wouldn’t count him out. Kedrick James committing to Bama means Major might have lost his spot there. I think he could end up back at Texas sometime during the fall.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 2.5

 

 

 

Offensive Line

 

 

 

Committed:

 

Xavier Newman – Newman may have lost his spot at Oklahoma, and he could find himself fin a bit of limbo. I’d bet on him settling things down sticking with Texas for the time being.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 3.5

 

 

 

Targets:

 

Walker Little – Things have been good on this front for a while, but they will have to hold off Stanford and Ole Miss. A good season (8-9 wins) locks this up IMO.

 

 

 

 

 

Grayson Reed – Texas is still chasing the Aggie commit, and he plans to take his official visits. If he makes it to Austin things could get interesting.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 1.5

 

 

 

Chuck Filliaga – Not much is known about Filliaga at this point, but we should know more once the season starts for him at Aledo.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): no clue

 

 

 

Adrian Ealy – The Louisiana tackle mentions Texas frequently enough to garner a place on the list. Texas has a shot, but they need some things to go their way.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 2

 

 

 

Defensive Line

 

 

 

Commits:

 

LaGaryonn Carson – Not much to say here. Carson is committed strongly and on the right path at his high school. He’s the defensive Ehlinger.

 

 

 

Targets:

 

Taquon Graham – We talked about the Temple defensive end above. Honestly this one should have been wrapped up already. Things could get dicey from here on out.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 3

 

 

 

K’Lavon Chaisson – The North Shore pass rusher would be perfect for this class, but he’s keeping everyone guessing so far. This has the looks of something Charlie could win down the stretch, but for now we don’t have much to go on.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 2

 

 

 

Marvin Wilson – One of the biggest targets on the Texas board is trending in the right direction. There’s some momentum in their corner coming from the Wilson family, and a good season could lock up a monster tackle prospect.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 3.5

 

 

 

Damion Daniels – The Bishop Dunne interior player is pretty quiet. He’s been to Austin a few times, but no one seems to know where his head is at.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 2

 

 

 

Ondario Robinson – I’m not sure how hard Texas is recruiting the Hutto prospect, and he seems pretty open in telling people that A&M is his leader.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 2

 

 

 

Linebacker

 

 

 

Commits:

 

None

 

 

 

Targets:

 

Baron Browning – The top player in the state loves Texas, and this one could get wrapped up early if Texas shows some promise early in the year.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 4

 

 

 

Anthony Hines – Texas is in the race, but it seems they lose ground to Oklahoma every time Hines visits Norman.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 3

 

 

 

Dylan Moses – I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. It’s going to take some great fortune to win this one.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 2

 

 

 

Levi Jones – I’ve been told in pretty plain terms that Jones won’t end up in Austin

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 1

 

 

 

Kenneth Murray – Murray has a decision coming soon, and it’s going to be a tight race between Texas and A&M.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 2.5

 

 

 

Defensive Back

 

 

 

Commits:

 

Kobe Boyce – After wavering a bit, Boyce is back in the fold and strongly committed to Texas.

 

 

 

Montrell Estell – The Hooks athlete has been quiet since committing, but he was in Austin for Under the Lights and had a great time.

 

 

 

Josh Thompson – The newest Longhorn commit has been waiting on this offer and won’t be looking elsewhere.

 

 

 

Targets:

 

Kary Vincent – Committed to LSU. I don’t see anything happening here.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 1

 

 

 

Chevin Calloway – Committed to Iowa and doesn’t seem to be looking around

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 1

 

 

 

Paulson Adebo – If Texas offered earlier they would be in the thick of things, but Adebo seems strongly committed to Notre Dame

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 1

 

 

 

Justin Broiles – Briefly discussed defecting from Oklahoma, but his commitment seems stronger than ever.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 1

 

 

 

Jeff Okudah – Left Texas out of his top 6 and seems destined to leave the state.

 

Confidence Rating (1-5 scale): 1

 

 

 

What to look for:

 

Texas will make some evaluations during the season, and I think we could see a corner emerge during the season. Keep an eye on Langston Frederick, Donovan Stiner, and Kieston Roach.

 

 

 

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We will leave you with a few bits on the hot topic of Big 12 expansion. A source we consider to have intimate knowledge of the expansion discussion tells us the Big 12 will most definitely expand by two and “it’s not unlikely that it could be four.”

 

 

 

Speculation as to which teams would join the new Big 12 runs rampant, but our source tells us the two front-runners are Cincinnati and Houston. If the conference were to expand by four , BYU would be the likely third selection and Memphis is being discussed as the fourth team. BYU is an attractive candidate and would be in the likely first two schools selected, but according to our source, football on Sundays and the recent rape allegations are playing into the cards.

 

 

 

Just a note – we were told expansion teams have already been decided but things are on “lockdown mode” until the official release.