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Author: Cody Daniels

TEXAS-OU Preview

Written by Cody Daniels on . Posted in UT FOOTBALL.

Once again, the Red River Showdown is set to make for some can’t-miss football.  

This largely remains true each season, even as Texas wandered through the college football wilderness throughout much of the last decade. But what was once last has since been found — that much was beginning to become apparent last season, and the result was Texas taking home the Golden Hat following a 48-45 instant classic win over Oklahoma. 

Now that Texas has returned to the national stage, which the Sooners have never left,  it would be safe to expect much of the same this time around. 

On pace to meet with each program ranked among the top-15 for the first time since 2012, Texas and Oklahoma each boast high-octane offenses orchestrated by Heisman-caliber quarterbacks in Sam Ehlinger and Jalen Hurts. While the matter is purely one of opinion, one could argue that, for the first time since the Colt McCoy era, it’s the Longhorns who feature the more elite field general, though Ehlinger and Hurts each fit the description. 

To that end, going hand-in-hand with their elite talent behind center is a bevy of tremendous options at wideout. 

Oklahoma’s pass-catching corps is arguably the better of the two units, featuring a future NFL talent in CeeDee Lamb, sophomore Charleston Rambo, and Jadon Haselwood, the top-ranked wide receiver prospect in the 2019 class. But Texas, too, features much of the same in terms of skill and upside. Senior Collin Johnson, also a first-round NFL-caliber talent, leads the Longhorns in that regard, while speedy senior Devin Duvernay is enjoying a breakout season in the slot where Lil’Jordan Humphrey was last season. The notable addition to that bunch is sophomore Brennan Eagles, who’s emerged as a big-play threat on the outside. 

Beyond that, the offenses are rather different in regards to the offensive line and running back positions. After replacing four of five starters, the Sooners front five has looked the part early, but it is still early. Texas’ starting line, on the other hand, is expected to prove to be the most formidable the program has enjoyed in some time, led by left tackle Samuel Cosmi and center Zach Shackelford. Meanwhile, Oklahoma boasts a three-headed monster at running back in Trey Sermon, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Kennedy Brooks, while Texas is simply searching for health and quality depth after injuries forced the Horns to move two true freshmen — quarterback Roschon Johnson and linebacker David Gbenda — to the position at the front end of the season. 

This collection of talent considered — some proven and some still proving itself — much like last season’s showdown, which produced 93 total points between the two teams, it’s safe to expect some offensive fireworks at the Texas State Fair. 

That’s, of course, less than ideal news for the two defenses.

Unlike the offenses they’ll be tasked with at least attempted to limit — Oklahoma nor Texas will be stopped entirely — the defenses aren’t exactly among the nation’s upper echelon. 

Last season, the Sooners were among the worst in the entire country defensively, and actually ranked dead last (130th) in passing defense, but first-year coordinator Alex Grinch returns all five starters in the secondary and eight overall, including linebacker and Big 12 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, Kenneth Murray. 

Thus far, the early returns have been encouraging and indicate that Oklahoma’s defense will prove to be an improved bunch this season. 

Texas, on the other hand, lost eight of its starters after last season, and that inexperience has been evident throughout the early portion of the season, especially in the secondary, though the Horns do feature a tremendously talented tandem at safety in senior Brandon Jones and sophomore Caden Sterns. 

Both the Longhorns and Sooners do present a bit of experience at key positions and no shortage of sheer talent, whether raw or otherwise, but these two units are quite simply going to be overmatched on Oct. 12. 

If the season plays out as projected, what takes place in Dallas in mid-October may very well see the winner solidify itself as the team to beat in the Big 12. Of course, the Longhorns outlasted the Sooners last season before the two met again in Arlington, that time with a conference championship at stake, and Oklahoma got the upper hand the second time around. 

But that doesn’t mean that Texas and Oklahoma won’t each approach this year’s Red River Showdown as an absolute must-win. Along with bragging rights and the Golden Hat, pole position in the Big 12 will be at stake, and quite likely, only the winner’s College Football Playoff hopes will remain alive by that evening.  

Texas has options to replace Lil’Jordan Humphrey in slot

Written by Cody Daniels on . Posted in TEXAS SPORTS, UT FOOTBALL.

Lil’Jordan Humphrey wasn’t exactly expected to become a generational talent at Texas, though that’s essentially what he ultimately evolved into. In 2016, Humphrey stepped foot on the Forty Acres hardly ranked within the top 400 in his class. In 2018, Humphrey capped his tenure at Texas with 86 receptions for 1,176 yards, ranking as the fifth- and third-best single-season efforts in school history, respectively.

Humphrey rewarded himself accordingly, announcing his departure for the NFL after three seasons in Austin, which, in turn, leaves the Longhorns looking elsewhere in hopes of replacing even a notable portion of Humphrey’s substantial productivity.

Save for a considerable surprise, no single player is going to match Humphrey’s 2018 campaign in the slot. Rather, we’re almost certain to see contributions by committee and to that end, Texas isn’t without top-tier talent at slot receiver, albeit raw, tremendously inexperienced talent.

On paper, Texas will present one former high school All-American after another, but of the options the Longhorns are expected to have on hand, only one has semi-notable collegiate experience in the slot — Joshua Moore.

A former top 100 talent out of Yoakum, Moore saw action in six games last season before missing the Baylor game due to illness, and ultimately, suffering a shoulder sprain in practice that sidelined Moore for the remainder of his freshman season. Prior to that point, Moore hauled in just seven receptions for 53 yards and one score, but he boasts that kind of blazing speed and open-field shiftiness that’s typically preferred in the slot, which has helped him maintain the starting role throughout the spring.

As we learned last season, though, that speed isn’t an absolute requirement for the Longhorns, in particular, so the experience edge Moore owns may be his biggest benefit over an option such as early enrollee Bru McCoy.

The top-ranked athlete in the 2019 class, per the 247Sports Composite, and the recipient of prestigious honors such as the Maxwell Award and the MaxPreps National Player of the Year, McCoy originally inked his NLI with USC in early January, only to transfer to Texas weeks later in the aftermath of the tremendously short-lived Kliff Kingsbury era in Los Angeles. In doing so, McCoy suddenly provided Texas with a seemingly ideal replacement for the hybrid slot the Horns had in Humphrey last season, which is exactly the pitch Texas put forth throughout the recruiting process.

“That’s what we talked to him about (during the process), what role you can fill for us,” Texas receivers coach Drew Mehringer told 247Sports Steve Wiltfong. “They’re similar body types, LJ is a little taller, Bru a little faster, similar skill sets and I was like oh my god, LJ is in the draft I got a great role for you.”

Though the 6’3, 215-pound McCoy doesn’t fit the mold of your stereotypical slot on paper, the same could have been said of Humphrey — Texas simply found a role for him to ensure one of their top talents was on the field. As Texas aims to fill the void Humphrey left behind, expect the Longhorns to look to do much of the same with McCoy, who utilized his physical, yet shifty skill set to the tune of 1,428 yards and 18 touchdowns last season.

That is, of course, contingent upon McCoy’s pending eligibility appeal, as he’s technically a transfer and would be required to sit out next season without a waiver.

Fortunately for Texas, the Horns are set to have an embarrassment of riches at slot receiver, and maybe the most ideal fit is still yet to step foot on the Forty Acres.

One of the first members of Texas’ 2019 class, Scottsdale (Az.) Notre Dame Preparatory receiver Jake Smith, too, will arrive in Austin with some hardware, as the top 50 talent nationally took home honors as the Gatorade National Player of the Year. The recognition came after the four-star pass-catcher compiled 1,112 yards and 22 touchdowns through the air and another 741 yards and 15 scores out of the backfield — and Smith produced this in addition to his efforts as a punter, punt returner, kick returner, and defensive back.

“Jake Smith, the numbers speak for themselves. He’s a Gatorade National Offensive Player of the Year,” Herman said during his early signing day press conference. “He can do everything: run it, catch it, return it, play DB, I’m sure he could drive the bus to the away games if you needed him to. Multi-sport athlete. Excels at lacrosse, as well. Just excited about his versatility.”

In terms of skill set, the 6’1 Smith boasts elite burst, notable cut-and-go ability, more than his share of shiftiness in space, and the kind jaw-dropping speed that may be unparalleled by any receiver on the roster. In one word, Smith is dynamic, which is something that could prove to be an ideal complement to an otherwise largely big-bodied receiving cast featuring talents such as Collin Johnson (6’6), Malcolm Epps (6’6), Brennan Eagles (6’4), Al’Vonte Woodard (6’3), and McCoy (6’3), just to name a select few.

The issue at hand for Smith, of course, is that he’s a summer arrival aiming to vie for reps in a receiver room that will already feature the two aforementioned elite prospects in Moore and McCoy.

That said, Smith presents plenty of elite potential in his own right, providing Texas with yet another option at a position that will almost certainly see contributions by committee, as opposed to an outright feature slot as Texas has last season in Humphrey.

Hard work didn’t pay off for 4-seeded Houston entering playoffs

Written by Cody Daniels on . Posted in NBA.

At some point in life, you’ve likely heard the encouraging phrase, “Hard work pays off.” Try telling that to the Houston Rockets, though, and your positive preaching will fall on deaf ears. The hard work the James Harden-led Rockets put forth throughout the previous handful of weeks quite literally produced the best post-All-Star-break record in the entire NBA, with Houston boasting a 20-5 effort since Feb. 21; a stretch that featured a nine-game winning streak and a mind-boggling 10.7 net rating.

What rewards did that hard work reap?

Just a handful of days ago, it appeared the answer to that end would be a 2 Seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, and thus, a homecourt edge through at least the first two rounds, should Houston continue to advance. Then, of course, a last-second loss to Oklahoma City in Houston’s regular-season finale ripped the Rockets’ destiny from their own hands. Nevertheless, entering the final evening the regular season, last Wednesday, Houston needed just one domino to fall in its favor for all to remain well — for either Portland or better yet, Denver, to lose to Sacramento and Minnesota, respectively.

Had Denver dropped its regular-season finale, the Rockets would have solidified the 2 Seed from home. The Nuggets went on to sneak past the Timberwolves, 99-95. Portland still remained, though, and a Trailblazers loss would have still seen Houston secure a 3 Seed. Portland, too, outlasting the Kings, 136-135, forcing Houston to watch helplessly as it fell from the 2 Seed to the 4 Seed within a matter of hours.

What now awaits is a 5-seeded Utah Jazz squad that enters the postseason nearly as hot as Houston, owning the third-best post-All-Star-break record (18-7) after winning 13 of their last 16 games.

Houston Rockets’ James Harden (13) drives past New York Knicks’ Noah Vonleh (32) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The less than ideal matchup doesn’t mark the end of the world for Houston, as the Rockets, of course, cruised past the Jazz in the second round of the playoffs last season, 4-1. This Jazz team, however, is better than last year’s edition, bolstered by the second-most efficient defense in the NBA with a rating of 105.2.

Even beyond the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert-led Jazz, though, should Houston once again advance beyond Utah, what will quite likely await given that Houston fell to the 4 seed is the back-to-back defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors. As last season revealed, the Rockets can certainly stand toe-to-toe with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and the rest of Golden State’s collection of All-Star-caliber talents, as Houston fell just one quarter short of upsetting the Warriors in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.

But nevertheless, even with MVP candidate James Harden spearheading a potent offense, it’s a potential matchup Houston would have loved to avoid; and that’s if the Rockets top a 50-win Utah squad.

Hard work pays off, huh?