Aaron Carrara
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By Daniel Seahorn
Camps like Under The Lights can be a little overwhelming for those trying to take in as much as possible, but there is no doubt Saturday's camp was a success for Charlie Strong and his staff. Summertime in Austin (and Texas in general) can be absolutely brutal, but that didn’t stop recruits from the 2017 and 2018 classes from showing up early and staying late in some cases.
At camps like this, inevitably players who were supposed to attend couldn't make it for one reason or another, and despite that happening there was still a great turnout in Austin for Texas’ premier camp. Not only did the coaching staff have the opportunity to roll out the red carpet for elite prospects like Baron Browning and Anthony Hines, but the camp was productive in the sense that they were able extend almost a handful of offers to 2018 kids that showed up and performed extremely well.
Players like Cibolo Steele’s Caden Sterns and South Grand Prairie’s Atanza Vongor already hold several big time FBS offers, but it was under the radar guys like Marshall’s Chasen Hines and San Antonio Marshall’s Stanley Lambert who will probably see their stock skyrocket after netting offers from Texas yesterday.
While we were all there to watch the newest batch of prospects, it was equally worthwhile to see the 2016 Texas signees and other current players already on the roster. They stole the show just by being present for the camp and helping out. It wasn’t only about them being there hanging out with recruits and assisting with drills, but it was how great the players looked physically across the board.
Just about every player I saw wondering around the field last night looked to be in phenomenal shape and ready to go for the season. There were no guts or flabby bodies on any of the lineman I saw, and I had to pick my jaw off the floor after being able to see Patrick Hudson in person for the first time. If Hudson can grasp things from a mental standpoint, then there is no way they are keeping him out of the two deep; he looks like an NFL player right now. Chris Warren has the look of a full grown man, and someone who has been in the program for years. Warren looks like he could line up at linebacker or defensive end. I feel bad for the Big 12 defenders who are going to have to tackle him.
Jordan Elliott looks every bit as good as I thought he would after seeing how hard he was working prior to arriving in Austin, and he looks like a guy who is going compete for snaps from day one. The weight room has been kind to guys like Charles Omenihu and Anthony Wheeler (who was rocking a tank top that reminded me of Freddy Krueger) and both look primed to have big years this fall. Devin Duvernay was also another one who caught my eye and it caught me off guard how well built he is to be a slot receiver. He looks more like a running back than a slot receiver, so I can’t imagine he is going to be much fun to try to tackle in space in the screen game this year.
After seeing all these guys in person yesterday, there is no doubt that Pat Moorer has been earning every dime of his pay check (and probably deserves a raise for how he is getting these guys prepared for the upcoming season).
Texas fans should be excited to see how the team is going to look this fall. While many are not high on the Longhorns, it wouldn’t be a shock to me if they end up surprising a lot of people. It is clear that the nucleus of talent on the roster is headed in the right direction, and if he is afforded the time, it appears Charlie Strong will escalate Texas football back to an elite level.
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