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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We’ll start with some notes on the Baylor signees that might be on the market in the near future as a result of the recent scandal in Waco. As we mentioned in our notes thread on Thursday, all of this is dependent on if Baylor lets these players out of their LOI’s. Several signees have indicated that they plan to not enroll this week for the first summer session. We’ll give you an update on what we are hearing regarding some of the targets from the 2016 Baylor class.
Patrick Hudson – Reports are out that Hudson will not enroll this week, and he’s zeroing in on several in-state options (should he be released) including Texas, Texas A&M, and TCU. We’ve also been told that Georgia might be in the mix when all is said and done. Hudson visited Georgia late in the year, but the context clues in his recruitment say he’s most likely to stay in state. Texas put in a very strong recruitment of Hudson last year, and they almost closed him at the end of the cycle. Hudson was committed to A&M briefly during the beginning of his recruitment, so they could also factor in. The big man is pretty tough to get in contact with, but you have to think Texas holds the edge early in a potential race if his recruitment opens once again.
Parrish Cobb – We were told that Cobb started evaluating his options the moment the news was announced that Art Briles would be terminated. Texas probably could have had Cobb on signing day had they entered the race for him earlier. Cobb is down to Texas, TCU, and Oklahoma, where he was previously committed, and each school has something working in their favor. Clay Jennings is a Waco native, and he’s close with Cobb that bodes well for Texas in this race. Information we received today indicates that Oklahoma is the most likely destination for the former Sooner commit.
Brandon Bowen – Texas pursued Bowen throughout the recruiting season, but the ultra-athletic defensive end never showed much interest in the Longhorns before ultimately committing to Baylor. In checking with some sources, it seems Bowen still has no interest in Texas. While the Longhorns would love to have a brand new pass rusher in the fold, it appears Bowen will go in another direction.
Kam Martin – Martin indicated on twitter that he planned to pursue other options following the dismissal of Briles. Martin does have an interest in Texas, but it appears that the feeling is not mutual at this point. Martin will have to take his talents and his Baylor tattoo elsewhere.
Devin Duvernay – Duvernay would be a great weapon in the new Texas offense, but it would likely require taking on his brother to get the job done. Texas wasn’t willing to do that during the recruiting cycle, and it seems unlikely they’d be willing to do so now.
JP Urquidez – Information on this front is all over the place. We were told initially that Texas would not have interest in the big offensive lineman, but several Texas coaches recently started following him on twitter. We will see where this one ends up, but we think Texas would be in good shape if they re-enter the race for Urquidez.
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We checked in with a few sources for updates on a couple of Texas players who might be close calls when it comes to qualifying.
We’ll start with the good news.
Duncanville DT Marcel Southall might need a summer session, but it appears he’s just one class short and should be in good shape to make it in. Southall double signed at a JUCO to cover his bases, but we learned today that with a bit of work he should be able to qualify for enrollment in the second summer session.
On the bad (or mixed) news front, we’ve heard some things about Erick Fowler that don’t bode well for his chances. Early on we were told that Fowler had a bit of work to do, but he should be on target to finish up in the summer. Yesterday we were given some mixed signals on Fowler’s chances. One source indicated that Fowler was merely trying to up a test score against his GPA on a sliding scale. A second source indicated that Fowler’s situation was far more perilous than that. Frankly, the information is so scattered that we are having a hard time getting an accurate read on the situation. This will certainly be an interesting situation to watch, but the information we are receiving doesn’t look positive at this point.
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Texas sent an offer out last week to Elkins LB Kenneth Murray, and we were able to catch up with the versatile defender to get his thoughts on it. We have a good relationship with Murray, and it’s always a pleasure to speak with him. In his time at Elkins, Murray lined up at all three levels of the defense including safety, linebacker, and defensive end. At the Opening regional in Houston, Murray measured in at 6’2, 215 lbs. and ran 4.68 on the laser in the 40. He also showcased a 35 inch vertical, 4.34 in the shuttle, and a 42.5 foot power ball toss.
Off the field, Murray is an intelligent and charming man of deep faith. Each time he reported to us that he had a new offer out, he made it clear that it was God blessing him with these opportunities. We had to push back our initial interview because Murray was planning to be at Church on Wednesday night. To sum it up, Murray is a good sized athlete with positional versatility and incredible character. That sounds like the perfect Charlie Strong recruit based on what we’ve seen in his time here.
On top of all the things we just listed, Murray told us a year ago that Texas was a childhood favorite of his. When we talked to him after the Notre Dame loss last year he told us “I love Coach Strong and 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 on my list at all.â€
Expect this race to come down to three teams. Texas, Oklahoma, and to a lesser extent Texas A&M are in it for Murray among his other offers. Murray has legit interest in every team recruiting him, but in the end I think his overall love for Texas and the way he fits at the school will have him in Austin next year. Murray also intends to enroll during the spring, and he’s already spoken with the Texas coaches about that. When we spoke to Murray he was very excited about the offer. “Yeah it was [a dream]. I’m really thankful they offered.â€
Murray mainly deals with Texas defensive line coach Brick Haley, but when the offer came there was a full on effort from the defensive staff. “I received the offer from Coach Strong, and I talked to Coach Bedford, Coach BJ, and Coach Haley after talking to Coach Strong.†We talked earlier about Murray’s admiration for Strong, and it seems that the feeling might be mutual. “He was proud of me,†Murray said. “He just told me no matter how long it takes to decide I will always have a scholarship there. It was a good conversation.â€
Murray told us that Texas is recruiting him to play all of the linebacker positions, and they’ve spoken with him about the possibilities of lining up at the “Fox†position. Murray said he doesn’t have a timetable for a decision in mind at this time, but he did advise us to look for a list of top schools prior to that decision date. We will keep a close eye on Murray, but Texas sits in a very strong position for this recruitment.
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With all sorts of questions surrounding the kicking position this season, a name to know is Chris Naggar. We spoke with the Arlington High School kicker last week to catch up with the latest news surrounding his impending enrollment in Austin. “I’m currently a walk on, but I’m hoping to earn a preferred walk on,†Naggar said when we asked him for his current status.
Naggar earned All-State honors last year, and he actually got on the radar by tweeting to Charlie Strong. Someone in the football office took notice, and Jeff Traylor reached out to him after that. Naggar had scholarship offers to several FCS schools and a preferred walk on offer to Sam Houston State and Toledo. While he certainly entertained those possibilities, Naggar told us that Texas has always been a dream school for him. As an Arlington native, we asked him if he knew Shane Buechele. “I don’t talk to him, but I have played against him since junior high and he beat us every year.†Naggar went on to rave about the Texas quarterback. “He’s very good! I loved getting to play against him all these years.â€
Naggar estimated that his biggest strength is consistency from distance, and dealing with pressure. “I went to kicking camps over the summer, and being a finalist means you have to hit ‘pressure kicks’ where everyone stands around you and yells. That really helped me learn how to deal with it.†Naggar will be majoring in Architectural Engineering once he gets to Austin. What’s unclear is when Naggar will be able to enroll and begin his walk on career. While he’d gladly drop everything to get to campus for the summer session, it looks like he will be coming in the fall. “I was hoping to enroll in the summer to get acclimated to Austin, the team, and classes earlier rather than later. The coaches however said it would be best to enroll in the fall.â€
While Naggar sits in a holding pattern, he’s just working on his craft and trying to sort out his situation. “I’m still trying to figure things out. As of right now I am just a walk on, so I will have to go to a tryout. Hopefully I will get a preferred walk on so I can go straight to practicing.†While this could be viewed as a somewhat frustrating experience for anyone, Naggar is keeping a positive outlook on things. “I just can’t wait to be in Austin to meet the guys, and prove myself to the coaching staff.â€
We will keep you updated on the latest with Naggar as we enter the summer.
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Mike Roach spent some time at a skills clinic this weekend featuring Margin Hooks’ Sky’s the Limit (wide receivers), Kevin Murray’s Air 14 (Quarterbacks), and Flight Skills (Defensive Backs). Several impressive players were on hand, and we’ve got a report on the day.
Paulson Adebo (http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3938142/saiid-adebo) – The Mansfield athlete holds a Texas offer, and he is incredibly impressive. In our opinion, Adebo is the most underrated player in the state. With high end talent at both the wide receiver and defensive back position, Adebo’s future looks brightest at corner. Adebo showed great coverage ability and elite athleticism. Notre Dame stands out currently for Adebo, while Texas is in the mix due to their academic reputation. We were told that a Stanford offer would be a game changer for him. While Texas has a good chance to chip away at the lead Notre Dame currently holds, they have some work to do. Adebo might camp at Texas this summer, and getting him on campus could help them out in this recruitment.
Mohamed Sanogo (http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2861736/mohamed-sanogo) – Plano West’s big inside linebacker looks great in person, and although he wasn’t able to compete due to having his wisdom teeth out, he was out observing. Sanogo’s lack of offers at this point is quite frankly puzzling, and we expect him to pick up steam over the summer. Texas had Sanogo on campus several times during the spring, but they seem to be waiting out Anthony Hines for the inside linebacker position.
LD Cox (http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4675295/ld-cox) – Dallas Carter’s senior receiver showed fluid athleticism and strong hands on the day. Cox isn’t receiving a ton of attention at this time, but his natural ability should show up on the field this fall. If Cox can put together a strong camp season in the summer, he could be a breakout player in the state.
Javon McInnis (http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4443437/javon-mcinnis) – Carrolton Ranchview’s do it all prospect is impressive to look at in a camp setting. McInnis has linebacker size with defensive back speed. He plays multiple positions for his team, and his best future outlook might be at the running back position. Whatever the case, McInnis is a true hidden gem in the state.
Tanner McCalister (http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4129553/tanner-mccalister) – Rockwall Heath’s 2018 corner plays a physical brand of ball, and he’s one of the hardest workers I’ve seen. Tanner was first in line to take every rep he could, and he held his own against some of the best competition at the camp. McCalister is close with Texas safety DeShon Elliott, and he’s told us that Texas is his dream offer. McCalister will camp with Texas this summer, and he has the size and athleticism that Texas loves in their defensive backs. Keep an eye on McCalister as the year progresses.
Cole Reeves (http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3760108/cole-reeves) – The 2018 Dallas Shelton passer has great size and a big arm. Reeves plans to camp at Texas in the summer, and he could emerge as a 2018 option at quarterback. Reeves told us that Texas is one of his dream offers, but he planned to take the process slowly.
Camron Buckley (http://www.hudl.com/athlete/5301337/camron-buckley) – Buckley dominates in camp settings, and his physical style and sure hands were on display today. Buckley was once high on Texas, but it appears they are evaluating other options at this point. Ole Miss might hold the lead at this point for the Cedar Hill receiver, but he did tell us he plans to attend a Texas camp this summer.
Charleston Rambo (http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4049970/charleston-rambo) – Cedar Hill’s dynamic deep threat is as smooth as they come. Rambo carved up the secondary once again, and the sooner commit told us he planned to attend a Texas camp with Buckley over the summer.
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After a 20 year coaching tenure at the University of Texas, head baseball coach Augie Garrido stepped down today and accepted a position as Special Assistant to the Athletics Director. Garrido, college baseball’s all-time wins leader (1,975) won two national titles with the Longhorns. Garrido guided squads to National Championships in four different decades, and is one of only three coaches in history to win five or more NCAA titles (1979, 1984, 1995, 2002, 2005).
The University takes its baseball seriously and is searching for a suitable replacement for Garrido (which is easier said than done).
Many potential names have popped up on the search list but the top four to keep an eye on are as follows:
Pat Casey (Oregon State), Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt), Brian O’Connor (Virginia) and Kevin O’Sullivan (Florida).
Three of these four coaches are currently coaching in Regionals, so we won’t delve too much into specifics as to what we’re hearing. We’ll only say that one particular coach in this list has a bullseye on his back – and the Longhorns want to bring him to the 40 Acres because they are confident he can replicate the success he has has brought to his current program (while complimenting the long-standing baseball tradition at the University of Texas).
More on this as the College World Series winds down….
