HornSports Staff
HornSports.com
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- Oct 20, 2013
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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 checked in with Chris Hughes (the brother of former and current players, Camrhon and Naashon Hughes) to get the latest on his recruitment. The Harker Heights senior holds offers from nine schools, including Big 12 schools Kansas and Texas Tech, and is likely to receive more after his senior season gets underway.
Hughes is being recruited by most schools as an offensive tackle, but is comfortable playing both sides of the ball. In April, Hughes told HornSports that he prefers to play defense, because, “it’s really where it all started.â€
Hughes has family ties to the Longhorns but isn’t automatically planning to commit to UT should he receive an offer. He’s looking for a place that fits both him and his playing strengths, as well as a school that will help him become a better football player. Hughes said he hasn’t heard from the Texas coaching staff much recently.
Instead of recruiting, Hughes says he’s focusing on improving his technique and maintaining his quickness off the line. The 6-4, 260-pounder might have a shot at playing defense in college, as he says Texas Tech mentioned the possibility of playing on that side of the ball.
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Since arriving on the 40 Acres, assistant coach Jeff Traylor has hit the recruiting trail running. Traylor’s efforts are already paying dividends, as evidenced by the commitment of out-of-state tight end Peyton Aucoin (Brother Martin High School - New Orleans, LA). To no surprise, Traylor is also proving himself to be an asset in identifying and evaluating the goldmine of talent in east Texas.
HornSports was told by a source that Traylor is locked in on 2017 Tatum (TX) tight end Shay Rodgers. The 6’4, 240-pound prospect already looks like a full grown man as he prepares to start his Junior season. Rodgers is a tough blocker with great feet and athleticism, and has potential to grow into a true all-around threat.
We caught up with Rodgers to get his thoughts on Texas, and he confirmed that Texas and Oklahoma State are his top schools at this early stage in his recruitment. Rodgers camped at Texas in June and really enjoyed the experience:
“When I attended camp in June, I enjoyed seeing the facilities and working with the coaches and players.â€
Rodgers’ name is definitely one to file away as a person of interest over the next year and a half.
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One more quick hitter on Jeff Traylor…
Even though Mack Brown was widely praised for his relationship with Texas high school coaches, it stands to reason that there are significant differences between the Mack Brown and Charlie Strong regimes. According to a source close to the program, Traylor’s efforts to help smooth those differences cannot be praised enough:
“Coach Traylor is playing a major role in meshing high school coaches with the UT staff. UT needed to clean up some communication issues and Traylor is already a big help.â€
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2017 wide receiver James Robinson (Lakeland, FL) already holds offers from some of the top schools in the country like Ohio State, Auburn and Florida among others. Two in-state schools known for producing NFL-caliber wideouts, Baylor and Texas Tech, also extended scholarship offers to the 4-star athlete.
Despite interest from schools around the country, Robinson went on the record with HornSports, saying that Texas looks like an ideal place to play college football:
"The transition with Charlie Strong , I love the way everything is up there , it seems like a great atmosphere."
Just a rising junior, Robinson said he has no favorites yet despite all the early attention:
“I have no #1 school right now. My options are open - I'm still young."
When asked if an offer from Charlie Strong would make him think seriously about playing college ball in Austin, Robinson replied:
"It definitely would."
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As reported in Burnt Ends, after a dominant performance at UT’s Under the Lights camp in mid-July, wide receiver Cameron Buckley (Cedar Hill, TX) received a scholarship offer from the Longhorns. Sam Ehlinger and Kenneth Murray were two of the players at UTL that specifically cited Buckeley as the top playmaker at UTL.
Since Texas’ offer several weeks ago, the Red Raiders extended an offer to the 2017 wideout at the beginning of August. With several in-state schools pursuing him, Buckley talked ‘crootin with HornSports:
HS: Where does Texas currently stand compared to other offers?
Buckley: I'm blessed to have the offer but I do not have a list or anything of where every college stands.
HS: Sam Ehlinger is another player that got an offer at the same time you did and he recently committed to UT. Have you been in contact with Ehlinger since UTL?
Buckley: I talked to him the day of the camp but not since then.
HS: You were just at Quick Twitch with WR guru David Robinson. Are you expecting any more offers soon? Are there other schools that have hinted an offer may be forthcoming?
Buckley: Texas A&M interest have picked up and I'm suppose to get in contact with Kansas but all colleges should have an eye out this year.
HS: David Beaty is certainly a hell of a guy. I had the pleasure of talking to him one-on-one at Big XII media days. Dude is funny.
Buckley: Yes sir 😂
HS: You and Jaylon Jackson are friends – are y’all looking to continue to play on the same team, or is that not too big a concern?
Buckley: Jaylon is like my brother and I been playing with him since we were 10. He is actually with me right now and if we were to go the same school would be a blessing for any program because one thing we both know how and love to do is win.
HS: Tell Jaylon we hope his ACL heals fast. Do you have any plans to make it down to Austin for the season or before football starts up again?
Buckley: I planned on going for a game to check out the atmosphere.
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Manvel safety Deontay Anderson released his top 5 schools over the weekend. Texas made the cut along with Ole Miss, LSU, Texas A&M and USC. Anderson spoke with Gerry Hamilton of ESPN to give his thoughts on the list, and things sound very good for Texas. Anderson is quoted in Hamilton’s article: “I love Coach Strong. My mom loves Coach Strong. I like Coach Vaughn and Coach Bedford too, but I love Coach Strong. He’s turning it around at Texas.â€
The Longhorns were one of the first schools to offer Anderson and have an ace in the hole with Anderson’s teammate Reggie Hemphill already committed. Reading into the situation, there is a sense that LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas will eventually outdistance the other two schools…if they haven’t already.
Anderson’s decision will be tied to how many times Texas gets him on campus this fall, and how well the defense performs. At the moment Texas is in a good position, but there is still plenty of work to be done. Anderson will take all five visits and most likely announce his decision closer to signing day.
The Longhorns are also in pursuit of Nacogdoches safety Brandon Jones who currently ranks as the number one player in the state in the HornSports 2016 Top 50. Jones and Anderson are good friends with one another so there might be some interest in playing together at the next level. In addition to Anderson and Jones, Texas is pursuing Elsik safety Chris Brown and Sealy defensive back Christian Wallace (who could play at either corner or safety).
Last season’s haul in the defensive backfield featured quantity and quality, and is allowing Texas to be selective. The Horns are afforded a chance to target high end talent in this cycle without the need to pad the depth chart. If Jones and Anderson are inclined to play together, Texas would absolutely accept commitments from both players.
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2017 Wylie East running back Eno Benjamin was one of the standouts at the Texas Under the Lights camp. After turning in a dominant performance, Benjamin thought he might be in line for an offer.
Following the camp Benjamin was told to contact Charlie Strong, and when he did, he didn’t hear the news he was hoping for:
“I really remember him saying ‘We are going to be on you now’.â€
Benjamin showed a hint of disappointment when telling us that he thought his performance at the camp would be enough to merit a scholarship offer. Despite the initial disappointment, Benjamin is a level headed young man who understands the way recruiting works. Benjamin has big plans for the upcoming season and is ready to take the next step as a player and prospect.
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The 2015 season is just over a month away and Texas players report to the 40 at the end of this week. Practice starts at 7:30AM on Friday morning.
As Burnt Ends has detailed over the last month, there is a sense of confidence coming from the players, and the coaches are ready to get in the trenches with this group. Last season being the first of the Charlie Strong era, there were definitely some disconnects in terms of expectations between players and coaches.
There’s no hiding the fact that the prime story that Texas fans will be following this month is the quarterback competition. Players and coaches need to focus on the entire team and every position, but fans have the luxury of honing in on one spot…quarterback.
With that level of focus in mind and with camp only days away, we caught up with a player who’s been catching passes from UT’s signal callers all Summer. We only asked two simple questions and got answers that will fire up the debate that is looming:
HS: Who throws the best ball - Swoopes, Heard, or Locksley?
“Heard.â€
HS: Do you think Locksley will shirt?
“I don’t think so.â€
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