Burnt Ends (3-9)

[HornSports Staff]

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.

***DO NOT FORWARD***

Let’s start things off with everyone’s favorite topic…quarterbacks. Whether or not the Longhorns recruit another signal caller in the 2016 class depends on multiple factors. One of the biggest variables is Matthew Merrick.

The Cistercian Prep star committed to a greyshirt offer from UT, but did not sign a letter of intent on National Signing Day. Since then he was recruited by several other schools with full scholarship offers for 2015, but Merrick reaffirmed his intent to play at Texas.

Considering his importance on the depth chart and in recruiting, we caught up with Merrick to find out how he’s handling such a fluid situation. For starters, he confirmed:

“I feel good about Texas.”

With that out of the way, we asked if the coaching staff has talked to him about the possibility of enrolling for Fall 2015 instead of 2016. On enrolling this year, he said:

“I actually have no insight on 2015 vs 2016. I'm sorry! It's a numbers thing, so it depends on if there is any attrition on the team.”

2015 signees won’t have Spring semester grades for a few months, and any potential transfers by current team members aren’t likely to be announced until after Spring practice. With those factors in mind, the difficulty for Merrick is how to stay in football shape and be ready in the event a spot opens up on the roster.

“It is hard because I am planning to go in January, but also have to be ready for fall just in case. I am throwing multiple times a week with my quarterback coach Kevin Murray, so I'm ready.”

Even though there were so many unknowns during his recruitment, Murray convinced Merrick to skip playing basketball this season, and focus solely on football. Considering that he starred at shooting guard for the Texas Titans (AAU), we asked if he regretted the choice since he may not be enrolling until 2016:

“I didn't miss basketball because for the first time ever I had an off-season and was able to lift.”

Merrick has added 10-15 pounds in his off-season program, and is weighing in at just under 200 pounds. HornSports will have a feature article and full interview with Merrick before the Longhorns begin Spring practice.

+++++

From one piece of the quarterback puzzle to the next…Matt Merrick may not know exactly how or when he’ll join the program, but 2015 signee Kai Locksley does. The Baltimore, MD dual threat quarterback shared some plans with HornSports regarding when he’ll join the team:

“I planned to graduate a little earlier (in late April), so for the month of May I'll be down Austin a lot to get a jump.”

Locksley is making ambitious plans:

“I'll officially be moved in by June 7th or 8th. So I definitely will be doing 7 on 7’s.”

Locksley didn’t have much time, but did close with something that will have Texas smiling from ear to ear:

“Man I wish I could be down there now! I wanna play in the Spring game joint so bad.”

+++++

There may not be a position group that equals the high end talent that safety holds in 2016.  After 2015 produced a plethora of options at the cornerback position, 2016 matches that effort with three elite safety prospects. Our continuing spotlight on HornSports Top 50 members lands on Nacogdoches star Brandon Jones. 

Rated the state’s second best prospect on our initial ranking, there was a lot of discussion internally that Jones deserved the number one spot.  Of the three top safety prospects in the state, Jones certainly separates himself on film.  At 5’10, 185 pounds, Jones lacks the six foot-plus size of Deontay Anderson and Eric Monroe, but put on the film and you will see that it matters little in this case.

Jones has been a big time name in the state for a while now and boasts an impressive offer list including Arkansas, Baylor, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, Stanford, TCU, Texas A&M, and USC.   Early on Jones was thought to be leaning towards the Aggies, but has been more favorable towards the Longhorns recently.  LSU is another contender for Jones, as the Bayou Bengals are always a presence in east Texas and have recently tried to brand themselves “DBU”.

It’s worth noting that there seems to be some residual momentum left over from Malik Jefferson’s recruitment that is influencing some of the top 2016 talent. Jones has been to Austin a few times including a stop on the 40 Acres last fall where he got to spend some time with Charlie Strong.  As an athlete that also excels in track, Jones will have the opportunity to compete in the Texas Relays which could land the Longhorns more face time this Spring. 

Jones lost almost half of last season to a torn PCL injury, but had enough game footage to thoroughly display elite skill as an upper classman.  Jones plays mostly at the free safety position and can really do it all in deep coverage. 

A very smooth athlete, Jones is fluid in his backpedal with very little wasted motion.  He has fantastic range at safety to cover outside of the hash marks on either side of the field.  His straight line speed is very good, but he excels with an elite burst to close distance.  Jones can be a weapon on the blitz, against the run, and against short passes into the flats.  His read and reaction ability really jumps off the screen as he diagnoses quickly and takes excellent angles to the ball. 

For all of his physical skills, his mental ability and controlled style of play make him the bluest of blue chips.  Jones plays physically with his compact frame, shows excellent leaping ability, and has advanced ball skills.  With football steadily developing into a chess game exploiting mismatches, Jones is the type of player that can neutralize most offensive threats.  He will remind some recruiting fans of former Houston area product and LSU safety Craig Loston.

Jones will certainly be a candidate for both the Under Armour All American Game, and the US Army All American Game, and should be a mainstay on the camp circuits this spring.  He is currently being recruited by Chris Vaughn who has turned in some strong recruiting performances during his time in Austin.  It’s possible Vaughn could get an assist here from new Longhorn coach Jeff Traylor since Traylor has established east Texas roots.  Whatever the case, Jones will be a name fans watch all year because he’s a potential impact player from the moment he steps on any campus.

+++++

With the basketball program in the midst of a key string of games, HornSports caught up with shooting guard Kerwin Roach to get his take on the current state of affairs for UT hoops. All the bracketology experts agree that the Longhorns need to win at least one game in the Big 12 tournament in order to secure a bid to the NCAA championship field of 68, but that doesn’t take into account fans’ disapproval of Rick Barnes’ job this year. Regarding the Longhorns’ season, Roach said:

“It was up and down but now we're playing back as a unit and competing.”

Note the ‘we’ in his quote – that should set fans’ minds at ease. We also asked Roach how he thought Texas would do in the NCAA tournament if they get an invite:

“Possibilities are endless but they would make the round of 32 for sure.”

Beyond paying attention to college basketball, Roach says he’s gearing up for track season, where he competes in the triple jump for North Shore. Roach finished the 2014 season by winning the 5A state meet with a jump of 50’2.25”. His jump was the 6th best nationally in 2014.

Roach says the triple jump keeps him explosive for basketball.

+++++

In last week’s Burnt Ends, we talked with a former D1 player about Spring conditioning and the difference in an S&C program's second year. This week, we follow-up that conversation with more first-hand accounts about how Spring Break is a factor in any team’s Spring practice schedule.

Here are his thoughts:

“By the time Spring practice actually starts, the coaches know you're in shape because they've been the ones working you out. When you have spring break before spring practice it essentially is an unspoken warning from the coaching staff to not party during the break.

If you show up to practice and you're throwing up and getting winded easily the coaches automatically know you partied.  "Let's see who had fun over spring break!!" - coaches always say that shit...

If athletes do go out...one of them will get in trouble. I'm not saying that because of character issues on the team, rather it’s because they're 20 years old and in college. It's like my dad always used to say "You only do dumb shit when you're feeling good."

From the player’s perspective, it's always nice to have a break from conditioning, but if you don't run you'll pay for it. It took me three years to figure that out!

The end result of all the above is that a lot of players choose to stick around and workout. It's honestly the best choice to make – especially if you’re at a school like UT in March. Players don't have to go anywhere with SXSW and everything else fun to do in town. Another factor is that not every student-athlete can save up to go on a spring break trip.

On a personal note I hated Spring Camp. It's strictly for self-improvement…at the end of spring camp you might as well wipe your ass with the depth chart because whoever is performing in Fall Camp is going to play in the games. I always hated that because I wanted to see tangible rewards for productivity.

With that said if you have a clear starter he's going to be good in both the Spring and Fall, but for younger guys Spring practices are fairly important – it gives them a chance to remember what they're working out for. For example: How to take that Power Clean max and use it on the defensive line, or how to use rep’s with medicine ball throws to help with catching the football in traffic.”

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To be filed under ‘One that got away’…

We talked with a source connected to the Minnesota football program and asked how Tyler Moore is doing. As a refresher, Moore was an on again/off again recruit for Joe Wickline last Fall that was expected to receive a greyshirt offer from Texas.

Inconsistent contact from UT led to Moore choosing the Golden Gophers where he received a full scholarship offer. Moore graduated from North Shore high school early and enrolled at Minnesota for the Spring semester.

From the sounds of things, it’s going really well for the Houston standout. Word we got is that “Tyler Moore is wrecking shop”. Specifically, he’s already running with the 2nd team at right guard, and is up to 312 pounds while whittling his body fat down around 18%.

“In the first day in pads, he [Moore] pancaked the best DL and got into a squabble with a DB. He’s making a statement for someone that should still be in high school. He’s not afraid of anything.”

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We caught up with Fort Worth All-Saints Episcopal defensive tackle Mike Williams to see where things stand in his recruitment.  Williams didn’t make the Texas Junior Day due to ice and snow, but he did tell us he’s planning on getting down to Austin sometime soon:

“I don’t know if it will be exactly spring, but I do plan on making a trip down there.”

Williams says Brian Jean-Mary is handling his recruitment, and while he’s familiar with Coach “BJ”, he’d like to learn more about new Texas defensive line coach Brick Haley. When we asked if he had any contact with Haley, Williams told us:

“I’ve heard of him, but we haven’t talked too much.”

At this point Williams hasn’t formulated a list of favorites but it sounds like the Longhorns will be high up when he does: 

“Texas is a good fit for me, and I like the things they can offer me so if I compare them to other schools they are better than most.” 

With the Oklahoma fraternity video going viral, we asked Williams if something like that would sway his decision about any school if it were to happen.  The always candid Williams replied:

“No because I realize you can’t run away from racism.  It’s always a few idiots in every college – it’s just a part of life.  You don’t overlook it, but it shouldn’t sway your decision too much.”

Williams is recovering from an injury so he won’t take part in ‘The Opening’ regional camp in DFW this weekend, but says he plans to travel to another regional once healthy.  

 

[java]

Nice job, as always, HS.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

With the Oklahoma fraternity video going viral, we asked Williams if something like that would sway his decision about any school if it were to happen.  The always candid Williams replied:

“No because I realize you can’t run away from racism.  It’s always a few idiots in every college – it’s just a part of life.  You don’t overlook it, but it shouldn’t sway your decision too much.â€

Mike Williams sounds like a mature, well-adjusted young man. Like to see him on the 40 next year. 

IMO, Boren's response was knee-jerk and over-the-top. Close the SAE house and ban the entire fraternity for the stupidity of a few drunken frat boys? Good grief.....the PC fascists really do rule academia. The punishment doesn't fit the crime.

It's a shame Boren and the OU administration don't feel the same way about violence against women. Joe Mixon can punch-out a female student, yet he's still on scholarship and on the football team. Bravo, Sooners

 

[Mike Roach]

Mike Williams is Mr. personality for this class

 

[Randolph Duke]

Mike Williams sounds like a mature, well-adjusted young man. Like to see him on the 40 next year.

IMO, Boren's response was knee-jerk and over-the-top. Close the SAE house and ban the entire fraternity for the stupidity of a few drunken frat boys? Good grief.....the PC fascists really do rule academia. The punishment doesn't fit the crime.

It's a shame Boren and the OU administration don't feel the same way about violence against women. Joe Mixon can punch-out a female student, yet he's still on scholarship and on the football team. Bravo, Sooners

Not to hijack the thread, but there are some instances where people don't have the right to sit back, do nothing and essentially by complicit. No one objected or intervened. There is a price to pay when you choose to not do the right thing. As for OU not doing the right thing when players use violence against women, the federal government is going to crush the schools that violate Title IX. They will get theirs.

On a thread related topic, since this is the lean period of the year, maybe we can get some insight from the behind the scenes staff members such as the trainers, notritionists and equipment people about what they do at this time of year. Maybe a talk with Randa Ryan about how academics are going and what she is doing to try to get another 1000 APR.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

On a thread related topic, since this is the lean period of the year, maybe we can get some insight from the behind the scenes staff members such as the trainers, notritionists and equipment people about what they do at this time of year. Maybe a talk with Randa Ryan about how academics are going and what she is doing to try to get another 1000 APR.

Good idea, thanks. That's part of the reason we've had some detail on S&C the past few weeks.

 

[streettopeschel]

Mike Williams sounds like a mature, well-adjusted young man. Like to see him on the 40 next year.

IMO, Boren's response was knee-jerk and over-the-top. Close the SAE house and ban the entire fraternity for the stupidity of a few drunken frat boys? Good grief.....the PC fascists really do rule academia. The punishment doesn't fit the crime.

It's a shame Boren and the OU administration don't feel the same way about violence against women. Joe Mixon can punch-out a female student, yet he's still on scholarship and on the football team. Bravo, Sooners

I agree with your take about ou's stance on violence against women. Accepting Beckham-Green was another example of looking the other way.
Don't agree about PC fascism though. You can't be singing about n•••••• swinging from trees.

I'd like to know what kind of code red was administered to the guy who recorded the episode and posted it.

 

[shotime73]

I agree with your take about ou's stance on violence against women. Accepting Beckham-Green was another example of looking the other way.

Don't agree about PC fascism though. You can't be singing about n•••••• swinging from trees.

I'd like to know what kind of code red was administered to the guy who recorded the episode and posted it.

im a black woman ( i know my ethnicity has nothing to do with it in here i just wanted to throw that out there..j/s on that but anyways)..and i really don't know how to express what i want to say about this at all...like so much i wanna say and so much i wanna lash out..but all i can do is just shake my head at this...it's just craziness

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

I agree with your take about ou's stance on violence against women. Accepting Beckham-Green was another example of looking the other way.

Don't agree about PC fascism though. You can't be singing about n•••••• swinging from trees.

I'd like to know what kind of code red was administered to the guy who recorded the episode and posted it.

The only scenario I see where Boren may be justified is if the SAEs flat refused to identify the culprits. Now you're dealing with OU student ethics committees - whatever their rules may be about that. The guilty students should be suspended - maybe expelled.

 

[streettopeschel]

The only scenario I see where Boren may be justified is if the SAEs flat refused to identify the culprits. Now you're dealing with OU student ethics committees - whatever their rules may be about that. The guilty students should be suspended - maybe expelled.

cowherd just said 2 were expelled. That had to have been a fun phone call to mom and dad.

 

[UTK66]

cowherd just said 2 were expelled. That had to have been a fun phone call to mom and dad.

Parker Rice is one of them. Went to Dallas Jesuit:

— Twitter API (@twitterapi) November 7, 2011

 

[killrjoe]

The only scenario I see where Boren may be justified is if the SAEs flat refused to identify the culprits. Now you're dealing with OU student ethics committees - whatever their rules may be about that. The guilty students should be suspended - maybe expelled.

Expell the idiots, not the fraternity.

 

[doc longhorn]

im a black woman ( i know my ethnicity has nothing to do with it in here i just wanted to throw that out there..j/s on that but anyways)..and i really don't know how to express what i want to say about this at all...like so much i wanna say and so much i wanna lash out..but all i can do is just shake my head at this...it's just craziness

What?  I thought you were a moose....oh, wait.  LOL - just kidding.

Williams has his head screwed on straight and has, like you, faced prejudice all of his life.  So do yellow and brown people.  So do fat and skinny people.  So do dwarfs and midgets.  So does the poor and the uneducated.  So do hippies and motorcycle gangs.  So does the very rich.

So does the wacky liberal left.

It's human nature to have prejudices and make judgments on others.  It is inherent in every culture.  Always will be.

Does anyone doubt the SAE fraternity will now be looked upon as racist - every chapter in the nation?  For that matter, won't all frats be blanket condemned now?

Does anyone doubt the dipshits in that video are getting ready to find out what REAL prejudice is?  Maybe for the rest of their lives?

 

[shotime73]

What?  I thought you were a moose....oh, wait.  LOL - just kidding.

Williams has his head screwed on straight and has, like you, faced prejudice all of his life.  So do yellow and brown people.  So do fat and skinny people.  So do dwarfs and midgets.  So does the poor and the uneducated.  So do hippies and motorcycle gangs.  So does the very rich.

So does the wacky liberal left.

It's human nature to have prejudice and make judgments on others.  It is inherent in every culture.  Always will be.

Does anyone doubt the SAE fraternity will now be looked upon as racist - every chapter in the nation?  For that matter, won't all frats be blanket condemned now?

Does anyone doubt the dipshits in that video are getting ready to find out what REAL prejudice is?  Maybe for the rest of their lives?

lol shhhhh that's our secret lol... :lol: :lol:  :lol:  i was thinking long those lines of everything you said there..i just didnt know how to put it in words

 

[primal defense]

Mike Williams sounds like a mature, well-adjusted young man. Like to see him on the 40 next year. 

IMO, Boren's response was knee-jerk and over-the-top. Close the SAE house and ban the entire fraternity for the stupidity of a few drunken frat boys? Good grief.....the PC fascists really do rule academia. The punishment doesn't fit the crime.

It's a shame Boren and the OU administration don't feel the same way about violence against women. Joe Mixon can punch-out a female student, yet he's still on scholarship and on the football team. Bravo, Sooners

I agree and disagree with your post. I disagree that the punishment doesn't fit the crime. Boren had to use extreme punishment since that video could cost OU football and basketball programs millions of dollars. The Oklahoman already quotes an OU football and basketball player saying they probably wouldn't have come to OU if that video had been out. OU is also number one in National Merit Scholarships which if damaged would cost OU even more money.

I agree that OU should have kicked Mixon off the team, but Boren is consistent in that Mixon has the ability to help OU win football games in the future and make the OU brand money.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Boren seems to adorn his condemnation of racism with extras that might assist him legally in the future. He claims that the students created a “threatening†atmosphere and “hostile learning environment.†Now, I’m not a lawyer, but this seems like a difficult thing to prove, and the sort of retroactive accusation that would allow public university presidents to expel nearly anyone who makes controversial statements.

http://thefederalist.com/2015/03/10/oklahoma-universitys-expulsion-of-racist-students-sets-a-dangerous-precedent/

 

[doc longhorn]

http://thefederalist.com/2015/03/10/oklahoma-universitys-expulsion-of-racist-students-sets-a-dangerous-precedent/

Interesting.  I'm no lawyer either, but I wonder if there is a case for litigation involved here?

Racism is reprehensible, but so are Nazi marches in D.C. or the KKK. 

Their and our freedoms were protected by the constitution and by the first amendment.

The president of OU took the proper actions regarding the SAE on campus frat, but his comments smack of knee jerking.  They could come back to bite him, and OU, every bit as much as the SAE video did to those dumbasses.

You better believe the lawyers are circling like buzzards, right now.

 

[shotime73]

smh oh my oh my..what has this world come to lately?

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Interesting.  I'm no lawyer either, but I wonder if there is a case for litigation involved here?

Racism is reprehensible, but so are Nazi marches in D.C. or the KKK. 

Their and our freedoms were protected by the constitution and by the first amendment.

The president of OU took the proper actions regarding the SAE on campus frat, but his comments smack of knee jerking.  They could come back to bite him, and OU, every bit as much as the SAE video did to those dumbasses.

You better believe the lawyers are circling like buzzards, right now.

I find it interesting that drunken frat boys chanting racist nonsense is worthy of expulsion, but Cal-Berkeley students advocating the murder of Jews is "free speech". Now, which act is really creating a "hostile learning environment"? Hypocrisy in mainstream media coverage, as usual. More selective indignation from the left.

http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/uc-berkeley-students-call-murdering-jews-we-support-intifada