Burnt Ends – 09/07/15

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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After an embarrassing 38-3 season opening loss at the hands of Notre Dame, we caught up with some of the prominent Texas recruits to gauge their reaction to the Longhorns:'”

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[*]Gilmer LB/RB DeMarco Boyd told us “It’s only the beginning,” and showed faith in the rebuilding process ahead. He also spoke highly of the play from the true freshmen including Malik Jefferson and his brother Kris Boyd.

 

[*]Tope Imade said he fell asleep after the first half, but he wasn’t discouraged by the Texas performance and pointed out some positives he saw: “Malik Jefferson was a beast.” Imade also said, “I was watching Patrick Vahe a lot. He missed a couple blocks but he’s still a beast of a true freshman. He took the job from sophomores, juniors and seniors, so he deserves respect. Him and Connor Williams.” Imade is still locked in with his commitment to Texas.

 

[*]Brother Martin (LA) Tight End Peyton Aucoin didn’t seem troubled. “It’s all about bouncing back, that’s really are there is. This is a test and we’ll just have to respond to adversity.”

 

[*]WR Reggie Hemphill was quick and to the point: “Just gotta get better.”

 

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We spoke with two highly rated 2017 prospects who indicated they hadn’t watched the game.

 

 

 

We also talked to 2017 Elkins defender Kenneth Murray who has always been vocal about his love for the Texas program. His attachment became evident when he said, “I watched some of it until they started making me mad.” Murray went on to elaborate that as a recruit you can’t take a narrow look at these types of things and have to keep an eye on the big picture. “I love Coach Strong”, Murray said when asked if a game like this downgrades Texas in his eyes. “My family loves Coach Strong, so it doesn’t knock them down. I’ve talked with Coach Strong personally about his rebuilding of the program so it doesn’t hurt them at all.”

 

 

 

Longhorn fans can take comfort in the fact that within the small group of recruits we talked with, none of them expressed anything negative towards the program.

 

 

 

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Barometer Check

 

 

 

We spoke with several former Texas players on Sunday to get a feel for where they stood after the loss in South Bend.

 

 

 

One tells us he “wasn’t really shocked, but watching the game all the way through was tough to stomach.”

 

 

 

Another was a little more vocal and cited what he saw as an “obvious lack of competitiveness on the field.” He furthered this statement by saying he felt horrible for the guys out there because “they are playing their hearts out knowing they still have a ways to go to be truly competitive. There’s no shame in that.”

 

 

 

The last of the comments from former player #3 on Saturday’s performance were a bit more scathing in nature. “I don’t see us winning four games this year. Rice is licking their chops right now.” “We have digressed. I love ’em and I always will but right now Texas looks like a startup program – we are years away.”

 

 

 

As expected – an array of thoughts and emotions.

 

 

 

Texas opens as 16 point favorites against Rice on Saturday.

 

 

 

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We reported last week that we were given indications Southlake (TX) Carroll cornerback Obi Eboh could be close to committing to Texas after receiving his offer. Eboh did just that on Saturday before the game. We were also told that the commitment of Eboh put the Longhorns in great position with 2016 Southlake athlete Lil’Jordan Humphrey. We’ll continue to keep our finger on the pulse of this one, but all signs are pointing in the right direction for the Longhorns at this point.

 

 

 

Tope Imade has seen a lot change in the past year. The Texas commit went from a prospect that was unheralded, to seeing interest from some of the biggest programs in the country.

 

 

 

Imade’s season at Bowie got off to a rough start following a 35-0 loss to Dallas Jesuit and a 28-17 loss to Cedar Hill. Bowie played well against Cedar Hill, threatening the defending state champions all night.

 

 

 

For Imade’s part, he’s taken the responsibility of his position seriously and vowed to become more of a leader. In the spring, Imade was quiet and reserved, keeping mostly to himself off the field while other teammates gathered together to joke around or pump each other up. Last weekend Imade had transformed – he was loud and vocal on the sideline and urging the team along when the game was slipping through their fingers.

 

 

 

Imade isn’t just a vocal leader, he prefers to lead by example. After the Jesuit loss, Imade exhibited that leadership when he deleted his twitter app and vowed to focus on Cedar Hill instead of outside distractions like the popular social networking app.

 

 

 

Imade also leads with his play on the field. The big guard is routinely the lineman who is farthest down field trying to finish off two or more guys in one play. His relentless ability is one of the best facets of his game.

 

 

 

Imade wasn’t in the mood to talk after the loss to Cedar Hill, but we were able to speak with Bowie head coach Danny DeArman after the game. Even though he was disappointed in the result you could tell he was happy to see the growth in his young team. DeArman spoke about what the coaching staff is doing to mold young leaders:

 

 

 

“Many times we put guys in the position to be leaders, but we don’t actually teach them how to lead. We’ve started a leadership class for those guys so they can learn the tools they need to be leaders on and off the field.”

 

 

 

DeArman confirmed the positive strides in Imade’s growing leadership role, and couldn’t be happier with his star lineman. When Imade gets to the 40 Acres, it’s safe to say the tools have been put in place for him to grow into a polished leader.

 

 

 

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This week’s high school coverage will include our recruiting analyst Mike Roach taking in the contest between Southlake and Midland Lee. The Carroll program has logged a ton of miles after opening the season with a close loss to Westlake high in Austin, and a comeback victory over Oklahoma powerhouse Tulsa Union. Southlake returns to Dragon Stadium for the first time this season to face Midland Lee. HornSports was originally scheduled to cover another contest this week, but we called a quick audible to cover the Southlake game last week when word of Obi Eboh’s upcoming commitment leaked.

 

 

 

On Saturday, two of the state’s top private schools will square off at DeSoto’s stadium. Bishop Dunne is led by the state’s top corner in 2017, Chevin Calloway. Calloway ranks 13 on the initial HornSports 2017 Top 50, and faces little opposition for the top spot at this point. Bellaire Episcopal features two outstanding talents in defensive tackle Marvin Wilson and offensive tackle Walker Little. Wilson ranks #2 on the overall top 50 and is considered by some sites to be the best player in the nation. Little is a massive offensive tackle with an outstanding list of offers. All three prospects mentioned have Texas offers, and this should be a great opportunity to see some serious talent on the field.