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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The Longhorns wrapped up fall camp on Saturday morning with a full squad scrimmage. All reports indicate the offense getting the best of the defense after being locked down earlier in the scrimmage earlier in the week.
This week the coaches will tweak the offense & defense installations, emphasizing the plays and formations that have been most successful during camp. Similarly, they’ll scrap things that were installed but not successful. After fine tuning things, the primary use of the next 11 days is to prepare for Notre Dame.
A source we spoke with thinks it will be tough to continue to build the team to a crescendo without having them over-amped too early:
“Two weeks is a long time considering most of the guys want to play tomorrow – especially the young ones…they don’t know how to prepare and build anticipation like an upperclassman. I know a couple of the position coaches are concerned about getting too specific, too soon.â€
With that in mind, we had the opportunity to chat with a coach about which players he expects to start or play significant minutes. This is how things stand two weeks before the team heads to South Bend:
Quarterback – Tyrone Swoopes is going to start. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. We also expect Jerrod Heard to see the field at a planned time (which is still TBD). It’s worth noting that there was no 1a & 1b vibe in our conversation – right now Swoopes is the starter and Heard is his backup.
Running back – Johnathan Gray is the obvious starter. D’Onta Foreman has an edge on Chris Warren, but both backs are likely to get carries. The X-factor is how well Gray heals over the next 10 days – he’s got several minor injuries, although none are considered serious. Regardless, Gray is a veteran so he will probably be held out of drills when possible.
Wide Receiver – The safe bets, depending on formation and personnel, are that Marcus Johnson and Armanti Foreman will line up out wide and Daje Johnson will line up in the slot. There’s a lot of discussion about the 4th receiver – if they want a big body outside we’re told John Burt has a slight lead on Dorian Leonard and Lorenzo Joe.
Tight End/H-back/Fullback – Andrew Beck will take the field for the first series. The coaches like Beck’s ability in tight on the line to block or sneak into the secondary. Beyond Beck, the names are Alex De La Torre and DeAndre McNeal. Both players give the offense loads of flexibility in terms of formations and motions (De La Torre in a fullback/H-back role; McNeal in a flexed TE/H-back role).
NOTE: According to our source, the playing time for a 4th receiver, TE, H-back, or fullback will be determined in these final two weeks. The coaches will consider formations, flexibility, and personnel groupings ahead of any specific player. In other words, Burt, Joe, Leonard, Newsome, Warrick, McNeal, and De La Torre are considered even enough that coaches will prioritize things like formation, and down/distance over any of them. It is worth noting that the coaches really feel good about all of the above players being able to contribute when their number is called.
Offensive line – The only surefire bets are Taylor Doyle at center, Sedrick Flowers at guard, and Kent Perkins at either guard or tackle. The final two spots are going to be filled by some combination of Connor Williams, Marcus Hutchins, and Patrick Vahe. Williams has a sizeable lead over the other two. Kent Perkins’ position will be determined by whether Hutchins or Vahe gets the nod.
NOTE: There will be a rotation, but it’s not expected to be heavy/frequent. Because the Irish’s line is above average, this will not be a game where the coaches sub to build depth. Rodriguez, Cuney, Hodges, and Nickelson are the top four reserves but all are considered to be behind the sixth man (above) that does not make the starting rotation.
Defensive Tackle – Despite missing a large part of the offseason, look for both Hasaan Ridgeway and Tank Jackson to play starter’s minutes. The top two tackles that will rotate in are Poona Ford and Paul Boyette – both are expected to play a considerable amount.
Defensive End – Shiro Davis and Bryce Cottrell will rotate, but regardless of alignment, look for one of those two to be on the field for almost every snap.
FOX End – Naashon Hughes is the starter and has impressed coaches with his ability to flow out into the flat in pass coverage. Caleb Bluiett will be used as a pure pass rusher. Derick Roberson was very impressive but his injury limited practice time, so he may not see as much of the field in South Bend as he will against Rice.
Linebacker – Dalton Santos’ injury kept him on the shelf longer than expected, and Peter Jinkens and Malik Jefferson have shined in his absence. The coaching staff believes they can play almost any personnel package or formation with those two ‘backers on the field. Chief reserves mentioned were Edwin Freeman, Tim Cole, and Anthony Wheeler.
Cornerback – Duke Thomas has one spot on lockdown. What we were told is that Bryson Echols, Antwuan Davis, and the three freshmen (Kris Boyd, Holton Hill, and Davante Davis) will continue to compete for the side opposite Thomas into next week. The coaches think CB will be one of the final roster decisions made. When pressed, our source named Boyd as his best guess to be named a starter.
Safety – Two things stand out: the coaches are very confident in Jason Hall and Dylan Haines as starters. The second point is that they lack that same confidence in the reserves.
NOTE: That’s 10 starters – similar to what we described above with the offense, the coaches feel like they have multiple players that can and will contribute as the 11th guy on the field. Unlike on offense, there is a hierarchy of positions based on the coaches’ confidence. On defense, the coaches like their options on DL and at Nickel over those at linebacker. (Reading between the lines, the players listed at FOX, and at CB plus John Bonney are going to see the field more than others.)
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In recruiting, the Longhorns still need to find skilled offensive linemen to improve one of the conference’s worst units. With that in mind, 2016 North Mesquite offensive lineman Jean Delance is one of the top priorities at this time.
Delance was committed to Oklahoma, but opened his recruitment up in the spring following the controversy surrounding a racially charged video of an Oklahoma fraternity that was leaked to media. The Longhorns offered Delance in late February, and the talented tackle told us he was very intrigued at the idea of working with Joe Wickline.
The Longhorns’ lone offensive line pledge, Tope Imade has been doing some work on Delance along with a few other recruits and even some current players. Mesquite area freshmen DeAndre McNeal and Malik Jefferson have both spoken with Delance, while other freshmen have reached out to him on twitter. Reports earlier in the summer had Delance favoring the Aggies, but our sources tell us that things have changed in his recruitment.
Delance is also considering Alabama along with Texas and A&M, but we were told it would be a surprise if he went too far from home. Most people in touch with this recruitment believe it will come down to an in-state battle between Texas and the A&M. We spoke with a source this week who told us Texas has taken the lead and could possibly be opening up some ground.
We were told Delance’s mother will play a big role in this recruitment. The good news is that she is in favor of the Longhorns. Also in the Horns’ favor, Delance has been less than pleased with the Aggie recruiting effort (which he described to another site as frustrating). We spoke to a source from the A&M side of things who thinks Delance is headed to Texas.
Put all of these ingredients together and things look pretty good for Joe Wickline and company, but with the season starting things can change quickly. Texas is sitting pretty now, but continue making Delance a priority all the way to signing day.
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With the Texas high school football season cranking up this week, we thought we’d give you a preview of the game that will be covered by staff. Mike Roach will see a ‘game of the year’ candidate as Mansfield Timberview looks to avenge last season’s loss to the eventual state champion, Ennis.
Timberview has a 2016 Top 50 prospect in quarterback Devin Williams. Williams is currently committed to Texas State, and even though he is small in stature (5’ 9â€), he’s big on electric talent. Williams dazzles in the open field, and is also quite an accomplished passer. He drew rave reviews from Trent Dilfer at The Opening regionals in Arlington this spring, and was very impressive in all drills. Williams won’t be on the Texas radar, but any fan of high school football will absolutely love watching him play.
Ennis has a tough road ahead of them on their quest to defend their state title – the Lions, who lost a lot of key players to graduation, play in one of the toughest districts in the state. With games against Timberview, Nacogdoches, John Tyler, Denton Guyer, and Lufkin ahead, Ennis will get an opportunity to show what they are made of. The Lions have some relatively unknown talent, including a pair of junior tackles who earned All-State honors last season, including left tackle Trindon Rolen. The 2017 HornSports Top 50 member is our top ranked lineman in the state. Though he hasn’t seen much recruiting attention to this point we are buying stock on Rolen early and can’t wait to see him again live.
As a celebration of football returning this week, HornSports will release an updated 2016 Top 50 later in the week.
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Former UT golfer Jordan Spieth quickly became a household name in the golf world this year by winning two major championships and finishing 2nd & 4th in the other two majors. A successful season on the PGA tour has vaulted Spieth to the World’s #1 ranking.
While it would be extremely premature to call University of Texas golfer Beau Hossler the next Jordan Spieth, Hossler continues to move his game forward while receiving national attention.
In June, Hossler finished playing in his 3rd US Open as an amateur – all before the age of 21. That feat is incredible in itself. Equally impressive is the company he joined by doing so: Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones, Ben Crenshaw and Bobby Clampett.
Earlier this month, Hossler was selected to the 2015 Walker Cup team by the USGA. He will join nine teammates to compete against England and Ireland at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England.
The last Texan to be selected to the Walker Cup team? Jordan Spieth in 2011.
Beau told HornSports he leaves for the Walker Cup on Thursday and that he’s excited to be a part of the competition.
And while Jordan Spieth is winning on the tour, according to Hossler his success carries over to the morale of UT’s golf team:
“He’s setting a great standard for us to follow, coming up in these next few years.â€
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As the 2016 recruiting class embarks on their senior season, we want to give you some names that could see their stock rise this season. Several of these players are on the Texas radar, but have been after thoughts or backup plans. As always, new names emerge during the fall, and we know from last year that Charlie Strong really doesn’t get cooking until the weather gets cold.
Kofi Boateng – The Arlington Lamar receiver made news by committing to Arkansas over the weekend. Shane Buechele’s top target has always been on the radar for Texas, but numbers at the wide receiver position kept him without an offer. Boateng will have the benefit of playing in one of the state’s best offenses, so he should see a ton of production. Lamar’s wideout is in a group of prospects Texas would target if they chose to expand their wide receiver numbers. As a recent commit he would be tough to flip, but the Longhorns would have an ally on their side in the form of Buechele.
Obi Eboh – The Southlake Carroll corner has one of the most underrated games in the state. Eboh is a very good player who stood out during Carroll’s playoff run last season. Although Eboh has been to Austin a few times, it looks like Texas has him behind a group of defensive backs they are currently pursuing. Right now it looks like Eboh is dialed in to Oklahoma and Stanford, but there is still time for Texas to get into this battle.
Michael Johnson – The pass rusher from Hightower was part of the initial surge of the “H-Town Takeover†that UH had working in the summer. That momentum has all but disappeared as Johnson is the latest to defect from the Cougars. Texas has never shown much interest in Johnson, but he is a classic example of a guy that could really see his stock rise throughout his senior season and attract plenty of Power 5 interest.
Darius Anderson – Johnson’s Hightower teammate has been deemed too short to play the defensive tackle position by many pundits. In his defense, Anderson is a tenacious tackle who uses his low center of gravity to surprise opposing linemen and drive them back on their heels. Hightower’s defense might be among the best in the state, and Anderson will be a big reason why. Anderson keeps in contact with defensive line coach Brick Haley, and has visited Austin multiple times.
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