IT Live: Everything We Saw From Day One of Texas Fall Camp

Summary

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Inside Texas Football - IT Live: Everything We Saw From Day One of Texas Fall Camp

Podcast: Inside Texas Football
Episode Date: August 6, 2026
Hosts/Analysts: Evan, Justin, Ian, Tyler Horca

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Episode Overview

Theme:
The crew delivers an in-depth, boots-on-the-ground breakdown of the Texas Longhorns’ first day of 2026 Fall Camp, discussing initial impressions, player development, competition across position groups, and the rising expectations for a program with national championship ambitions. The episode is rich with details from live camp observations and post-practice comments, especially from Steve Sarkisian and staff. Coverage centers on offensive improvements, new coaching dynamics, running back and wide receiver depth, the left guard situation, and the emergence of young talent.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Immediate Vibe and Energy at Camp

• Coaching Intensity:
  • The staff amplified the tempo and set a serious tone from the start. Will Muschamp and Jeff Banks especially stood out for their vocal, demanding styles.
    • Quote: "They did not ease these guys into this thing… this was a business meeting." — Tyler [02:00]
  • The atmosphere was more "urgency" and "maturity" than rah-rah energy.
    • Quote: “There was an urgency there. There wasn't a lot of hooping and hollering... business meetings happening.” — Justin [04:40]

2. Running Back Room Transformation

• Transfer Impact:
  • New faces like Relik Brown and Hollywood Smothers drew immediate praise for their athleticism and potential as lead backs. Both possess all-purpose skills (running and catching).
    • Quote: “He looks really similar… like the same guy.” — Tyler on Brown & Smothers [12:27]
• Emerging Depth:
  • Derek Cooper and Michael Terry offer different body types and potential roles, with Terry's unique versatility highlighted frequently.
    • Quote: “That's the guy that you go, oh, okay. That's what a running back one looks like… I get an Edgeron James vibe off this kid.” — Justin on Cooper [14:23]
    • Quote: “Michael Terry is a program guy… skill set like a little Jordan Humphrey.” — Justin [16:16]

3. Wide Receiver Room Analysis

• Star Power & Depth:
  • Top targets Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo are pegged as potential 1A/1B threats for Arch Manning, building excitement for the offense.
    • Quote: “If Coleman and Wingo are like 1A, 1B, holy cow. Arch Manning is going to be in heaven…” — Tyler [13:49]
• Youth Movement:
  • Freshmen like Emmett Mosley, Jermaine Bishop, and Dalen McCutcheon are already flashing in both special teams and offense.
• Special Teams Engagement:
  • Young receivers (Lockett, McCutcheon) are actively setting tones as top gunners.

4. Offensive Line and Left Guard Watch

• Depth and Competition:
  • The influx of transfers and young linemen, including the Coleman twins, Paris Patterson, and Lawrence Seymour, has deepened the group.
• Lingering Questions:
  • The starting left guard spot remains unsettled. Sark is “casual” about Cole Hudson’s situation; the battle is wide open with Seymour, Chapman, and Sikorski in the mix.
    • Quote: “The more names a coach has to list… the less likely anyone can actually do it.” — Ian [09:28]
  • Coaches are focused on building a defined "best five," and there are concerns that “if you have four, you don’t have one.” [09:25]

5. Tight End Group

• Emergent Roles:
  • Staff hoping for someone (likely Nick Townsend) to take firm command in all situations. Massunas stood out for catching with his hands rather than his body, but drops were noted among others.
    • Quote: “From an athletic standpoint… Nick Townsend just brings a different skill set.” — Justin [40:18]
• 12 Personnel Possibility:
  • Depth allows for bigger packages but desire is for one tight end to be an every-down player.

6. Arch Manning’s Ascendance

• Heisman Buzz:
  • High expectations for Arch’s development—now entering year four and showing command, calm, and elite arm talent.
    • Quote: “That ball comes out about as easy as putting butter on bread, dude. Like, it's just pop. It's a dot...I don't remember Texas having a guy like this.” — Justin [32:16]
• Connection with Coleman Critical:
  • Their chemistry is viewed as an X-factor; they spend extra reps together through camp warm-ups and it’s seen as vital for big-play potential.
    • Quote: “On any given play, Arch can… see they’re one on one with Coleman and know, we got a 50/50 shot at a touchdown…” — Ian [35:18]

7. Best/Worst-Case Camp Narratives

• What You Want to Hear:
  • Arch Manning dealing and looking like a title-level QB.
  • A clear-cut left guard emerges.
  • The pass-catching tight end takes charge.
• What You Don’t Want to Hear:
  • “We're shuffling guys at guard just trying to find the best five.”
  • “All four tight ends have a role”—implying no reliable starter.
• Coaching Take:
  • Simplicity and effectiveness should be the goal for Texas’ play-calling—don’t out-think, just let the high-end personnel work.

8. Defensive/Safety Depth and Young Talent

• Safety Standouts:
  • Kobe Black impresses at safety with natural movement and fluid hips, drawing attention alongside Derrick Williams (who is still rebounding from injury).
    • Quote: “Kobe looked like he was a starter back there… He's got a fluidity to him when he turns his hips.” — Justin [54:49]
  • Jordan Johnson Rebelle projects as an impact player in big nickel packages.
  • Notable mention: Blake Gideon and Will Muschamp’s impact on raising DB room standards.
• First-Year Players:
  • Cohen Brown, Richard Wesley, and others are mentioned as under-the-radar freshmen ready to contribute.
    • Quote: “Richard Wesley acts, thinks, works and operates like a 28-year-old man.” — Justin [48:00]

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Notable Quotes / Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the camp’s tone:

  • “Yesterday was a business meeting. Like, if there's a lot of maturity in this locker room…These guys know Natty or bus. They understand that.” — Justin [04:06]

• On the left guard battle:

  • “The more names a coach has to list… the less likely anyone can actually do it.” — Ian [09:28]

• On Arch Manning’s development:

  • “That ball comes out about as easy as putting butter on bread, dude. Like, it's just pop. It's a dot… I don't remember Texas having a guy like this.” — Justin [32:16]

• On Michael Terry’s role:

  • “Michael Terry is a program guy… you want guys that bring skill sets like a little Jordan Humphrey… it took a couple years to figure out what little Jordan can do. It's going to be the exact same thing with Michael Terry.” — Justin [16:16]

• On wide receiver upgrades:

  • “Notre Dame doesn’t have a Cam Coleman. Like, put it this way. Notre Dame is relying on two Ohio State transfers who have a combined nine catches in their college careers to be top three guys.” — Tyler [25:52]

• On new staff energy:

  • “PK was like never said a word. Now Muschamp is writing his own custom dictionary, which I will easily buy.” — Justin [05:57]

• On safety room talent:

  • “Kobe Black looked like he's played there for three years… Don't be surprised if we see a scenario where it's Jelani and Kobe back there at the both safeties.” — Justin [51:39]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:00] – First observations, camp energy and coaching urgency.
• [11:40] – Early breakdown of the revamped running back room.
• [13:49] – Analysis of wide receiver room and first impressions of true freshmen.
• [16:00] – Michael Terry versatility tangent.
• [21:50] – Deep dive on WRs 3–6 and the need for high-ceiling pass-catchers.
• [25:52] – Comparing Texas and Notre Dame’s receiver rooms.
• [32:16] – Arch Manning’s poise and physical readiness.
• [35:18] – Why the Manning-Coleman connection unlocks the offense.
• [38:52] – What camp rumors you don’t want to hear (OL/Tight End depth issues).
• [48:00] – Under-the-radar first-year contributors.
• [51:39] – Safety shuffling and the emergence of Kobe Black and Johnson Rebelle.

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Final Thoughts

The Texas Fall Camp opened with a sense of professional urgency, fitting of a preseason national title contender. The running back and wide receiver positions look transformed with dynamic options, even as the left guard and tight end battles continue to play out. Arch Manning’s presence is as assured and essential as ever, and the coaching changes are already making their mark. The margins for error at Texas are slim, but the potential for greatness is evident. The crew stresses the critical importance of position clarity, player development, and keeping things straightforward—let talent shine rather than out-thinking themselves as the program shoots for a national title run.

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Transcript

[Justin]

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Luxe for a limited time only at a Sleep number store or sleepnumber.com welcome to the IT Morning Live on the Inside Texas YouTube channel. Guys, we're here as every Thursday with Ian. Justin, I'm taking over for you on these shows and Tyler is here to introduce you to Tyler Horca, newest member of the IT family. Before we get in, talk about what Justin, Tyler and I and hearing what Ian thinks of the first day of Fall Camp. Make sure you're going over to insidetexas.com checking out the best promo we've probably ever had. 75 off the first year for new members. It's a great deal to check out all the writing we've had about Fall camp and continuing on through August. And of course Paul Wadlington's thinking Texas football, the 2026 Longhorn football prospectus. Go buy that. Go check it out. This show is sponsored by Academy Sports and Outdoors. Big thanks to them over at Academy. Guys, let's get right into it. Tyler, we'll start off with you first Fall Camp I assume in a while the Texas Longhorns got a chance to see what was going on with Arch and Co Steve Sarkeesian's Team 2026 roster's got a lot going for it, but what were your first impressions? What was standing out to you the most on your first day?

[Tyler]

Well, I'm glad Sark said what he did in his post practice media availability because that's the first thing that stuck out to me was just the energy from the coaches. They did not ease these guys into this thing. August can be grueling, especially in Austin, Texas. I think it was close to 100 degrees yesterday. That's the norm. But that adds up over time. But you heard Jeff Banks, Evan, I think you posted a. A nice video of Will Muschamp there. He was not letting these guys off the hook easily. And I think that was great because when you have a team with as many, as much expectations as Texas, you've got to let the guys know that that's what this is all about. Like, Texas is going into this thing, and this is a marathon from August until January, hopefully for the Longhorns. But if you're a fast marathon runner, you're not going to pace yourself at the start. Like you have the gall to go out there and really attack it from the start. So that's what I noticed first thing. And then like you were mentioning, with the talent of the personnel as well, I was really impressed with the running back room. Obviously the two transfers kind of taking the lead there. But Derek Cooper looks like he's ready to play right now. Michael Terry got a shout out from Sark in the post practice media availability. He looks different than any of the guys in his unit, which was impressive. And then, you know, I think we'll talk a lot about the wide receivers during this show as well. But I was impressed by those guys, particularly Ryan Wingo.

[Evan]

Yeah, I shouted out Cohen Brown a second ago on my Twitter just because he had a really good day. And I wasn't super observant of the wide receivers, but just positive after positive of the player, like him in that freshman class. But, you know, Justin, you were there as well, feet on the ground and. And I think you also felt that. Felt it resonate what he was saying about what Sark was saying. Excuse me, about the coaching staff. Right. Like, he gave them a specific shout out in the press conference, just about how well they've done and kind of instilling that culture and. And bringing it that first day. Did. Did it feel different than years past for you? Did it seem like the staff is kind of routing into a form that's needed for a national championship team?

[Justin]

I don't think it felt that different. Honestly.

[Tyler]

I felt it.

[Justin]

Felt it was more urgency. It was more, hey, we. We know what's in front of us. I mean, in the past, we've seen guys, you know, pooping and hollering maybe a little bit more, doing jumping jacks, things of that sort. But this is. Yesterday was a bus, was a business meeting. Like, if there's a lot of maturity in this locker room and there's a lot of expectations this season. These guys know Natty or bus. They. They understand that. And the fact that the players embrace it, the coaches obviously know it.

[Tyler]

That.

[Ian]

That.

[Justin]

That's what kind of stood out to me. There's an urgency there. There wasn't a lot of hooping and hollering. There was a lot of people going to work. There was a lot of. There was a lot of business meetings happening. I got to watch the O line. We didn't talk enough in the off season about all the offensive linemen they brought in. Like, I. I know everyone wanted to. To.

[Tyler]

To.

[Justin]

To get the big portal guy at left guard. They brought in like five or six guys. They have a completely new second. Second depth chart now. Like, some of these guys look like college football players. They don't look like freshmen coming in that you have to develop. The Coleman twins, they're going to play football at Texas probably in the next year or two. They look great. Paris Patterson from smu, no one ever talked about him. Lawrence Seymour was probably the smallest guy of the whole group. Sikorski can play different spots. I thought the vibe was. Was pretty much the same kind of urgency, kind of a. Kind of a business meeting, kind of a, hey, this is the beginning of. Of something big this year. Let's just keep the main thing. The main thing. But hey, the coaches. The coaches brought it. Banks always brings it. Must Champ, that was that we haven't had. We had polar opposite. PK was like never said a word. Now mush. Champ is.

[Tyler]

Is.

[Justin]

Is. Is writing his own custom dictionary, which I will. I will. I will easily buy. And so it wasn't that much different to me. I just think everyone understands what's in front of him. And it's like, hey, let's have some fun, but let's go to work.

[Evan]

Well, and you're not even mentioning Jabbar Jaluk, who. That's another guy you can hear from across the field. A new running back coach. Just a lot of volume from these guys on the staff. And yeah, I definitely felt that for must Champ, you know, it was that business meeting idea. But it felt like right as we were kind of getting kicked off the field that he was really amping it up with the coaching style. Like, you know, some of the nickel drills when the guys were cutting you, doing covers on the inside, talking about the way they need to flip their hips, just screaming at these players, like, man, he's been raring to go for this fall camp for a while. Ian, you're a guy who loves to. You know, talk about. And you just posted a great article on Inside Texas that we'll probably get to in depth a little more later on. But just the things that you want to hear from a coach and the things that maybe you have to parse through what's kind of the. The BS and the nothing and actually figure out what's important for. For what we're hearing from the staffs. Did you hear anything from Sark, either in the positive or the negative that stood out to you from his first press conference that really resonated?

[Ian]

You know, honestly, I need to go and parse some of his words about Cole Hudson. I know he's been asked about that. I know that that has not been something that they've been able to offer resolution on, but I think the way he talks about Cole Hudson is going to be pretty enlightening in terms of like, is this a guy where he's like, we need. We needed this guy to come back. Or we. We're not gonna. We weren't gonna get this right? Or is it more casual? Like, I think we're good. I mean, this is great. This helps, but I think we're actually going to be okay either way.

[Tyler]

Casual.

[Justin]

It's casual.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Ian]

If that. If the. The more casual he is about it, assuming it's not affected at like a. At a poker table, then the better that is. Is a sign for him thinking that Seymour Chapman can be the answer. And yeah, as we get into no big surprise, that left guard spot is like number one for fans right now. And for us is okay. You guys had a whole year knowing this was this. This was the thing. How's it look?

[Evan]

Yeah, his exact quote was, they do

[Justin]

numbers at that spot. That was the op. That was the most obvious thing about yesterday. They threw numbers at it. Hey, we need numbers. All right, guys, step it up. I don't like that

[Tyler]

with Hudson is like, you don't want Seymour or Chapman or any of those guys thinking, well, is this guy going to come in and start over us right away just because he's done that over the last few years? Or what do our practices like, what are we practicing for if we're those guys? If this guy's just going to show up and start. Which Cole, he's played a lot of football for Texas over the years, but Seymour was brought in to do the same this year, and Chapman thinks he can do the same this year. So to Ian's point, I think the left guard situation is really intriguing because you have so many moving parts there.

[Evan]

Yeah, well, and Ian, in that article, what do I not want to hear? The second bullet. They're shuffling a few guys around at guard, just trying to find the best five. And that's. And we. We've talked about this at nauseam. Like, you don't want to hear your coach saying, we've got guys. We don't have a guy, but we've got guys in the spot.

[Justin]

If you have one. If you have four, you don't have one.

[Ian]

That's a good way to put it. The way I always like to put it is the more names a coach has to list to offer a possible answer in a position, the less likely it is that anyone can actually do it.

[Evan]

Well, and I think you're a little happier. It's not, you know, the Power 4 programs who have to list six Edge rushers to try to find an answer for the number one edge rusher. That's where their alarm bells are really sounding. Wide receiver, too. Which probably won't be Texas's problem this year. We know the pecking order there, but it's still not what you'd want to hear at guard, tight end, as you put it. So just things to observe. But, yeah, Sarkeesian's exact quote on it was, I think there's some positive signs to that coming to fruition, but we'll see what happens. Which was kind of just what it was with. With Cole Hudson there. So not a lot of urgency in bringing Hudson back. Doesn't sound like it will probably learn a little bit more of these next one or two days and definitely into the next week as Kendall Weaver just committed to Houston on the basketball side of things. But you know Tyler. Yeah, he did. Which great fit for him, you know?

[Justin]

Oh, my gosh. That's an incredible fit. Kelvin Sampson lives and breathes defense.

[Evan]

Y.

[Justin]

You don't. You can't even walk in the gym and watch practice if you haven't been working on defense in your driveway. He won't even let you come hang out. That is huge. Holy crap. I'm sorry. I'm happy for Kendall. And of course, I've got family at Houston. Man, that's a. Oh, God. Man, that kid can defend.

[Ian]

He's gonna get him in the weight room, too.

[Evan]

Yeah, they do. Well, that's good. Transition us into our first AD break. We'll hear from Academy of Sports and outdoors and talk a little bit more after about fall camp.

[Justin]

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[Evan]

Yeah, fun fact. Saw Weaver's car at the Texas parking lot two days ago, so I guess that's going down to Houston. But Tyler, you. You spent a lot of time looking at the offense. We've already talked about the left guard position, skill, running back, wide receiver. What stood out to you? I know you mentioned a little about Michael Terry, but maybe, maybe at that top of that RB room with Brown and Smothers, first impressions of the two. As someone who's only really got a chance to see them on tape instead of just in person.

[Tyler]

I did watch Hollywood Smothers play a game at Notre Dame last year. So experience.

[Ian]

Good point.

[Evan]

That is a good point.

[Tyler]

Notre Dame shut him down pretty good though. But Notre Dame had a really good defense last year and I think it said more about NC State's team than it did about Smothers, the way that he fared in that game. But heck, if the quarterback, I think C.J. bailey is his name, if he didn't miss Smothers down the sideline, he would have had a heck of like a 50 yard gain, maybe turned it into a touchdown. So yeah, that was my impression. Watching him yesterday too was like top of the depth chart type of athlete, can do all of the things. But then you look at Relik Brown and you're like, man, he looks really similar. He almost looks like the same guy.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Tyler]

So the way I see it for Texas is give those guys the ball 20, 25, 30 times a game, averages out to like 15 carries a game for both. They both can catch the ball out of the backfield too. That's why I think the number goes all the way up to 30. But then you have different bodies behind him. I mentioned Michael Terry. What is he, six, three, almost 230. Like he looks different. Derek Cooper looks different. He's a guy that just got here. Like Stark said, like we have the time to mold that guy into an RB1 type of player. So you have four to five guys at the running back spot, but then I think you have four to five, even more than that at the wide receiver spot too. And I want to mention this because I mentioned Ryan Wingo earlier. We had some people on our Inside Texas message board saying, is this a bad thing that we didn't hear from Cam Coleman? And I know that Ian mentioned Cam Coleman in his piece this morning. I don't think so because it's the first camp Practice. Yeah, there was a lot of stuff over the middle from what we saw for Cam Coleman, that's not the sexy highlight reel tape stuff. Ryan Wingo caught the deep ball and a great pass from Manning, but he also caught a lot of other passes from Manning as well. That had me thinking, and I think Ian even mentioned this in his piece as well. I'm gonna keep giving that a bunch of praise there. Like, if Wingo is a do it all can catch all of the routes type of player for Texas, then that just transforms the offense because I'm not worried about Cam Coleman. I'm not worried about Cam Coleman in the slightest. He's gonna do his thing. If Coleman and wingo are like 1A, 1B, holy cow. Arch Manning is going to be in heaven this season. And I think it could trend that way over the next month of fall camp.

[Evan]

Yeah, I, I mean, I, I just, I think about one of the biggest changes in, in the roster and mostly just on the looks, whether it be like, how they're playing on the field and also just their size. That running back room is just so different. Like, it's a different. With Terry officially being there, Cooper being there, I feel like Justin 2021 all over again, right?

[Justin]

2022 all over again. That room needed a jolt. They got the most out of what they had last year. That's not saying a ton. This year it looks different. And I'm with Tyler. Like, they, I swear, Smothers and Brown almost cancel each other out. Like, I think they're, they're, they're, they're, they're carbon copies of each other now. I don't, I think there'll be 30 carries in that room. I don't think they're going to split them. I think they're going to be Derek. A little bit of Derek Cooper. Maybe some, some James Simon. You never know. Maybe some Ryan Niblet we saw him running with, with the early group as well. But, but he's right. Derek. That's the guy that you go, oh, okay. That's what a running back one looks like. Like, I was, I was telling Eric, I said, I get, I get an Edgeron James vibe off this kid. Like this body and the way he runs and kind of his attitude and just that South Miami demeanor. Tyler nailed it. The running back room is, is, is different. Evan covered that joker last year. He sees there's an explosiveness where there was no explosiveness.

[Evan]

Ian, the Chat's talking a lot about Michael Terry here, and he's kind of a He's a fan favorite, you know, five star athlete, but he's always gonna be. People love talking about Michael Terry.

[Justin]

Hey, he needs to play D line.

[Evan]

That's right here.

[Tyler]

Linebacker or a tight end too. Justin, like he looks like a lot of things, a lot of good things.

[Evan]

Yeah, Sailor Joe, that's his TED talk. Terry needs to be the last hours tight, tight end. Clearly this is someone who either this year or next, whatever it may be, ball in his hands. But what is the best role for him, right? Like should he be that third down guy? Should he be an H back, tight end type? Where should he be?

[Justin]

It's not running back, but, but, but I'm, we're not here to make that decision. We're not here to make that call. Michael Terry is a program guy. You just, you need him in your program.

[Evan]

He is.

[Ian]

Why?

[Justin]

Because, because in the day and age in 2026, he's a very, very young, focused, hard working kid. Very. You want to hear about guys that are freshmen coming in that are outworking the older guys, that's Michael Terry. You want guys that bring skill sets like a little Jordan Humphrey. It took a couple years to figure out what little Jordan can do. It's going to be the exact same thing with Michael Terry. Yes, Ian, I know you want it all wrapped in a box and in a category and get David Williams off of my, I don't have enough big red in the cooler for him. But Ian, no, you, I know you want that like perfectly evaluated. This is his position. This is what he, well, it, it doesn't work in, in this, this is not a one size fits only, okay? Give him some time. You know what he's gonna wind up being? He's gonna wind up being a little Jordan Humphrey type kid. I think he's gonna wind up playing some slot, some tight end. I just think that's who he is. It's just not established just yet. I, I, I want to make one quick thing. I got to talk to Scott McConnell yesterday. He's the basketball SID, always love catching up with Scott. One of the best in the game. I said, man, what's what, what's the one thing about Goose being Marcus Spears? It's kind of standing out to you right now. The two five star recruits that came in, you know what he said, Ian? They love to work. When you hear the work ethic because it doesn't always come with college. It doesn't always move from your parents house when these kids are busting their tail and they're great for the program and they're infectious and they're doing, they're bringing positivity, man. With 110 kids, you need as many Michael Terry's as you can find.

[Ian]

I'll tell you what, I'm. I'm mostly sold. I really like the idea of him as another LJ Humphrey guy. So we need to make sure he's around next season in case Sark leaves and Rhett Lashley takes over as head coach. And they actually, if they actually use a little Jordan Humphrey type player with a different kind of offensive coach, boy, he sure could be valuable.

[Evan]

Well, Michael Terry, huh?

[Justin]

I love Ian. I love Ian so much. That was so backhanded and that's why he's so great,

[Ian]

a great athlete, but he doesn't play a position that exists on this team.

[Tyler]

Yeah, and along those lines, along those lines. Everyone keeps saying short yardage, goal line stuff. You hear too big, you hear 230 and you think, okay, yeah, that works for that. But guys, he is tall man. Like he. You can't get into those small spaces and, and find the yardage that you need when you're as lengthy as he is. So the LJ Humphrey, that's a better comp.

[Evan]

Savion Red, anyone?

[Ian]

Wildcat, maybe.

[Tyler]

That could work, I think.

[Ian]

I believe he's that physical of an inside runner. Yeah, he wasn't really that physical an inside runner in high school. He's smooth Terry. He's like, he's. I mean, Humphrey is the perfect cop because Humphrey played running back 6 foot 4 at South Lake Carol. And then he was just unbelievable as a slot in Herman's spread.

[Justin]

Honestly, Lil Jordan was a lot more fluid. I'm not, I'm not trying to paint him in that, in that picture because Lil Jordan was like a really fluid athlete. Like kid was really good at running back in high school. Kid was really good at basketball. Michael Terry is bigger and stronger.

[Evan]

Yeah, no, I mean there's, there's ways to use him in this offense. It's just harder with especially Niblets. Right. You know, year four, as a guy, I know he's not the most popular offensive weapon, but that's another wide receiver type of running back who they will get on the field at some points and gadgets play styles. But yeah, it's just. I mean there's right. There's three guys ahead of you that are true running backs and then a guy like Niblett who might come in. So it probably just won't be this year for Terry if they're going to utilize him in these kind of ways.

[Tyler]

And then you want weapons.

[Justin]

Right now, he just needs to buy his time. Go ahead, Tyler.

[Tyler]

And then you want to talk about using him in the LJ role. But it's like, well, Texas has so many other receivers that they want to get involved. So it all circles back to, where does this kid fit right now? Just make sure he's around next year because it might open up for him.

[Evan]

Yeah, it's so much champagne problems. And kind of on that topic before

[Ian]

we move off that the longer he's around under must champs eye, maybe the longer the must champ is like, give me that kid.

[Justin]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. I'm telling you. I can see this kid coming off the edge. He's got a first step. Now Michael Terry Senior or Michael Terry Jr. Might be thinking, what do you all talk about my son like this for? We love Michael. We love Michael iii. This kid can do a lot of different things. Drew Andrew.

[Evan]

All right, let's.

[Justin]

Andrew came in here and chose violence, and he is the most peaceful person on our staff.

[Evan]

That's hilarious. Let's talk about some of these. You know, we mentioned Coleman Wingo. Let's talk about wide receivers three through six in that area because, you know, not every team cares all that much about it. But when you're Texas and it's Emmett Mosley, Jermaine Bishop, Dalen McCutcheon, Kali Glockett, those kind of players, I mean, these are the kind of dudes that. That could be starting a lot of Power 4 programs. Tyler, what was your first impressions of those guys in day one of camp who stood out? Brett Bishop's, of course, the guy that people are going to want to hear about.

[Tyler]

Yeah. I didn't watch Bishop as much, But Lockett and McCutcheon definitely caught my eye just as guys who like day one of camp. And I'll go back to something Sark said again. He kept saying day one of camp. Literally, with every answer that he gave, he said, now it's day one. It's day one. But when you do go out there for the first time, you can kind of look at especially the younger kids. Like, the old guys know how to move out there. We were talking about that with Brown and Smothers. Right. But you look at the younger guys, like, do they look like they're getting from point A to point B with a purpose? They know what they're doing. Like, Cam Coleman's gonna do that. Ryan Wingo, at this point, you hope is going to do that. Are Lockett and McCutcheon doing that? And I thought, yes, like special teams. We saw a lot of that at the beginning yesterday. They're the first two gunners out there.

[Justin]

Yeah.

[Tyler]

You know, special teams coaches are like, hey, you guys set the example for. I love that Ryan Wingo went after them. So, you know, in the same spot. So it wasn't just the pass catching, the route running that we could talk about that too, because I think those guys are fluid and like Texas is recruiting certain athletes and I, I say this all the time. And I think I even wrote about this earlier in the week for Inside Texas is like, you have to have the top end wide receivers to win national championships. Look at Indiana last year. Those guys made Fernando Mendoza better. Look at Ohio State two years ago. Like games on the line. Who do you throw it up to? It's Jeremiah Smith. Now the guys we're talking about here, they're not Jeremiah Smith. There's only one of those in the country. But if you can accumulate as many guys that are as close to that as you can get, then you're talking about a really good passing offense. And I mentioned it earlier, like, if Cam Coleman and ryan Wingo are 1A, 1B and then you have a bunch of young, talented kids underneath that who are giving you big catches in big games, then I think Texas is on its way with these guys. And yeah, I was impressed by the way that the Whiteouts were moving yesterday. Now, there were some drops and there was some, some sloppiness too. You have to point that out. But again, what did I say at the beginning of this long spiel? Day one, you're gonna get that clean that stuff up by September.

[Ian]

Tyler, can you compare and contrast watching Texas and their receivers and their passing drills versus what it looked like at Notre Dame for the last however long you were there?

[Tyler]

Well, it got better at Notre Dame. I was there for five years. If you go back to 2021, you would have been like, these guys aren't going to beat Ohio State in a shootout. Like, are. Are you kidding me? They lost to Cincinnati at home in 2021 because they couldn't throw the ball. And quarterback was a little bit a part of that. And they figured that out too. I think C.J. carr is one of the best, you know, five quarterbacks in the country, as I do. I agree with Arch Manning, but from the receiver spot specifically, yeah, it got better. But that's because Marcus Freeman's a smart head coach. He can recruit. Steve Sarkeesian knows how to recruit offensive talent. And it's the same thing. I'm saying, you.

[Ian]

What's up now? How does it. How do they. How does it look now?

[Tyler]

Right now, it's tough to, like, really say what Notre Dame has because so many of their guys are young. I mean, a lot of them are true freshmen. Many of them are. Red shirt.

[Ian]

We got it, guys. It's Texas. Yeah.

[Justin]

Jaden Greathouse is still the best athlete in that room. Texas is looking fantastic.

[Tyler]

And I don't think he is, Justin.

[Justin]

I know he's not.

[Tyler]

And I love Jaden Greathouse. They've already invited me to dinner at some point while I'm here, so I can't wait to get out and see them.

[Justin]

But great people.

[Tyler]

No, they've. They've recruited past Jaden Greathouse being a number one.

[Justin]

Yeah.

[Tyler]

And you have to. That's what I'm saying. Like, Texas is doing it the right way.

[Justin]

It.

[Tyler]

Ian, to answer your question, if I had to take one of the two wide receiver rooms, I would take Texas's, because Notre Dame doesn't have a Cam Coleman. Like, put it this way. Notre Dame is relying on two Ohio State transfers who have a combined nine catches in their college careers.

[Justin]

Wow.

[Tyler]

To be top three guys. And Jordan Faison is their number one guy. And he's 5 10, buck 85. He looks like me in this polo right now. Like, he's a great player, but he. Like, he's not a Cam Coleman. He's not a Ryan Wingo. He doesn't look like those guys. So, yeah, I think. I think Texas has a better wide receiver room overall.

[Evan]

Speaking. Speaking Ian's language there, am I correct, Tyler? And saying that Lorenzo Styles, who ended up being Ohio State's nickel, was a leading receiver at one point.

[Tyler]

Yeah, he was their guy. He was like, this is gonna. This is the guy. That's gonna be the Will Fuller and the Chase Claypool.

[Ian]

And.

[Tyler]

No, it didn't. It didn't happen that way. Like you said at a wide receiver

[Justin]

factory, you just threw me 2015.

[Ian]

No, let's not go back there.

[Justin]

Will Fuller and Josh Adams.

[Evan]

Chase Claypool. Ian. That's a name for some. That's the name for Steelers guys.

[Ian]

Lorenzo became a great nickel at Ohio State last year, though. He really. He really put it together.

[Tyler]

I mean, look at his brother.

[Justin]

That.

[Tyler]

That's a football family, man.

[Evan]

Those.

[Tyler]

Those are good football players.

[Justin]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Well, Tyler, man, thanks so much. You gotta. You gotta go dictate police that board. So we're gonna say goodbye to you right here. But man, it's been great having you on. We'll hear more from you as we get through Fall camp today. We've got more coming today and then, of course, Friday, I believe we have some availability, so thanks so much, Tyler. We're gonna hear from Andre the Lawyer and then jump back in with Ian and Justin for the last half hour. Texans know when you're injured, there's one name that gets results. Andre the Lawyer. Trust the team that has secured millions for their clients and helped thousands of Texans win their injury cases. Car wrecks, slip and falls, 18 wheeler. Accidents on the job injuries, wrongful deaths. Don't let the insurance companies tell you what your claim is worth. Andre the Lawyer will fight for you. His principal office is in Dallas, but they serve Texans throughout the state, so don't wait. Call 214-444-8808. That's 214-444-8808. Contact info is in the description. Real quick, Ian, before we get into a little more about your article, talk more about Fall Camp Indiana or Texas wide receivers this year. Just. Just gut feeling. Who you think's gonna be better this year? This year?

[Justin]

That's not even close. This year, they lost guys.

[Evan]

I mean, Nick Marsh I forgot about. They brought in.

[Justin]

Yeah, I forgot about they brought in.

[Evan]

Becker was their best guy. Cooper was very good, though. And I think it's more easy than I thought.

[Ian]

Yeah, it should be Texas, but

[Justin]

it's

[Ian]

not a sure thing. I mean, what does Becker look like when he's the actual number one versus playing off those other two killers? And my concern is that Becker is good, that Marsh is a better version of what we want Wingo to be. Unlike slants and screens and unders, they have another slot that looks pretty good, too. But I think. I think it'll be Texas. I think Texas. The Texas dudes should be more skilled and polished this year. And then what Texas has that those guys don't? Except maybe Becker is. The Texas dudes are not just fast and athletic. They're all huge.

[Justin]

Yeah. Mayan Wingo. Plus, it's significantly bigger.

[Ian]

Yeah, that's why. That's part of what they had last year is that Cooper and Surratt were pretty big guys.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Ian]

Not like they weren't like Megatron, but they. They had good size. They had, like, Mosley type size at least.

[Justin]

Gives me, like, an old and David Boston vibes.

[Evan]

David Boston. There you go.

[Justin]

It's just. He's just big.

[Tyler]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Those pictures we got from. From the photographer, Justin, right at the start, I was like, man, this is, this makes him look real. He look, he is football ready. He could go today and play a full, you know, four quarters of football, which, I mean that's what you're hoping for at fall camp. But pretty impressive stuff I think that they're seeing. You know, it's always a cliche. If you aren't seeing any improvement snc from, from your team that you're covering, then it's big bad news. But you're seeing it this year at Texas. Let's go into Ian's article and talk about what we do, what we don't want to hear about the offense for, for fall camp, what's kind of going through. We, we'll probably hear a little bit more actual stuff from Sark as it goes on as it's not. He can't just say it's day one of camp anymore. But first off, I mean the main man, Arch Manning. Arch Manning is lighting things up and is ready for a Heisman level campaign. Ian, pretty self explanatory here. We don't just want to hear he's good. We want to hear this is the best version we've seen of Arch Manning.

[Ian]

Yeah, he should be, he should be putting together a Heisman type season. We need to see this guy finally put it all together and be just like the Texas quarterback Rushmore dude that we've seen glimpses of. I don't want to hear another like slow going in camp or you know, still working to connect with his receivers or like it should, it should. He's at the point now where it should really be starting to come together in an obvious way regardless of the other variables.

[Evan]

Yeah, we're in year four. This was a five star recruit and it's also, we know it's there. We saw it being there and, and there was not reports from camp from us and you know, Sark would admit this. Archer, admit this. The, the mesh problems weren't that well documented because they weren't really around last year and then that was a big thing that held him back. But I do think we just need to hear Justin a little bit higher of a, of a point of view from, from Archbanning than maybe we've previously heard. Like let's not beat around the bush here. This is going to be a national title lover level quarterback.

[Justin]

It is, it is. And the craziest thing about Arch Manning is that it's always been that expectation that winning the national championship as a quarterback has always been wrapped around Arch Manning. Why? Because that family is synonymous with winning at the quarterback position. It just kind of comes with the territory. Crystal Conte got emotional talking about this kid last weekend at an event we were speaking at.

[Ian]

He.

[Justin]

He's like, he's never seen so much vitriol towards one young man just because of the name on the back of his jersey. Like, it was. It was brutal. And he said. He said what happened was he wound up coming out a better, stronger quarterback, but the team. The team just will run through a wall. They. They've seen what he's done, and he never threw anybody under the bus. He always took accountability and responsibility. And then I'm watching him yesterday, that ball comes out about as easy as putting bread. Putting butter on bread, dude. Like, it's just pop. It's a dot. And we've seen Quinn Ewers, we've seen Hudson Card, we've seen Sam Ellinger, we've seen guys that can throw the ball relatively well. I don't remember Texas having a guy like this. Like, he's just. He was dotting dudes up massunas in. In the triangle, in the cone, Wingo, like. And he doesn't take himself too serious. I think that's the biggest thing of all this. Arch Manning keeps the main thing. The main thing as good as anybody in the program. And considering his stature, his expectations, all the things. He can't even walk to the store without getting mobbed for photos and autographs. I. You expect him to fail, and yet he keeps swinging, he keeps jumping up out of the pile, throwing. Throwing hands with you. This is a dude. This is a dude. If you're going to win a national championship, Arch Manning is the type of quarterback you're going to do it with.

[Tyler]

With.

[Evan]

Yeah. And it. It really just has been set up this way for. For Manning for some time. But you make a good point. It. It did feel pretty effortless, like such a day on the job. I'm used to this kind of environment for Manning, and there's not much concern for me from the mechanic standpoint. I know people are gonna. I know people are gonna do that.

[Justin]

Are bunion free since 2026. Okay. There's no more biscuits. He had bunions the size of biscuits on his feet in those last games where he was running the football. He looks great. You know what he looks like? He looks like a kid that doesn't have a bunch of giant marks on his feet right now. He looked like he was happy to go.

[Evan]

Yeah, that. That pedicure place must have loved him there. Let's move on man. And Coleman have a terrific connection and you know as we're I saw Manning sell one out route.

[Justin]

I mean I think he almost hit somebody on the sideline and I thought oh I'm not going to post that video.

[Evan]

You know it's one thing that it could be a nothing, it could not matter but I wonder if it's sort of underrated is you know when the team splits into special teams drills right at the start of practice there's only three guys and two groups that don't do special teams. It's you know, part of the O line, part of the D line and then Archman and Colin Simmons, Cam Coleman, those only three people who aren't really doing anything. Special teams of course the rest of the quarterbacks but you know Coleman's the one that's taking a lot of the shagging from the quarterbacks.

[Ian]

Right.

[Evan]

Like we're just doing warm ups throwing to Coleman. We're doing this. Coleman's hands are the ones we're throwing it to. I wonder if that matters. Like I wonder how and that's something I'd like to hear from Arch, like if that helps him build the connection with Coleman because it does seem like this is, this is the key factor of this Texas team. Archman to Cam Coleman Ian, if that doesn't work then then what can with Texas in 2026?

[Ian]

Yeah, I should have explained this in the article but the way this offense hits its highest level is if on any given play Arch can look over see that they're one on one with Coleman and no, we got a 50, 50 shot at a touchdown or a throw to the midfield on this play and it's just automatic boom boom connection. When you can do that it puts stress on the end zone that the other team has to address and then they, it just changes how teams can play you every the run game it becomes easier. Scheming Wingo open gets easier. You can get screen pass, whatever. Everything becomes super easy when the other team has to worry on every single play. Hey Manning could just peek over and find Coleman and throw it deep and hit it and score a touchdown on us. So that this is the most important thing.

[Evan]

Yeah we've talked about it like you know it felt excruciating when sometimes Texas had to make third and two creative as Ian's popping out. Like sometimes it was just too hard for Texas last year even if it did work, even if the success rate was good for that specific game. Justin I, I think both of these bullet points from Justin are saying like it just has to be easier for Manning with the receivers that are on the field.

[Justin]

And, and it will. These things have to grow organically. Okay. And it takes time, it takes reps, it. And in this day and age where it feels like every, every season, half the teams in college football have a brand new starting quarterback. Because of the way the portal works, we are seeing brand new quarterbacks virtually everywhere, in every conference, every, you know, every year now. And so the fact that you have a guy that's been there, that, that he understands that look, the fact that he understands the system as well as he does, I think is as valuable as his passing ability. Like, he, he. There's so many things, I think Sark, you know, if we wondered why Sark is so confident. He's, he's had an air of confidence this summer and when he talks and in, in interviews, it's because he knows he doesn't have to overthink his plays with his quarterback. I think he can just give his quarterback a handful of looks. Arch, Ball, go do your thing, man. And so the fact that he's been there, the fact that he's got experience, the fact that he did tinker with his mechanics, every quarterback needs to be fine tuned. Arch got a good dose of that in the middle of last season. He's been able to carry that over. It, it, I think it just, it, it's the timing, it's the, it's the experience, it's being within the system. And plus I think Sark calling plays with this guy. I think it's going to be a lot easier for Sark because I, I really do think some of this stuff is going to be more simple than people are making it.

[Evan]

Yeah, I think so. A lot of it's just gonna be. You gotta see on the field at the end of the day, like we have to be theoretical until it's around and then when it's there, it's gonna be really nice to see. Let's talk about some things you don't want to hear. And we've already mentioned a few of them, but it kind of two position groups in one because it's a similar idea. All four of these Titans can play and they'll have a big role for each of them. And they're shuffling a few guys around a guard trying to find the best five. We mentioned it earlier, but just, you know, if it's, if it's four, then it's not one. And you do maybe with this tight end room you do hope for two to emerge specifically with the 12 personnel. And we have a good feeling these guys will be able to block. But we also need to see some positive trends about their pass catching abilities as well.

[Ian]

Yeah, I really need to see that Townsend. I mean, what we're wanting here is that Townsend is figured it out and that he's versatile enough to be a starter in 11 personnel. That's what we want to hear. Shannon Massunas are great for like there is a place for having roles where you get big on the field and you run the dang ball. Right. Shannon and Massunas can be inline blockers. We know Massunas can, can bring that punch and size in the line. But you really want to hear there's a dude that you trust for like any situation to be a good supporting player. I don't even need to hear that Townsend is going to catch 50 balls. I just want to hear the Townsend has enough command of the playbook and the offense to be like a reliable blocker in a million different roles and like 11 personnel.

[Evan]

Yeah. Do a lot of different things.

[Ian]

If not him, that Shannon can do that and not like gut the passing game, you know, which I don't think he will. I'm not super worried about this one, but I'm a little bit worried. I just want to hear. I just want to hear that there's like a clear Shannon or Townsend is like can be an every down dude and be really solid at everything.

[Evan]

Well, Justin, you said Massunas had quite a good day.

[Justin]

He did well. He. He catches the ball.

[Ian]

He does.

[Justin]

You know, a lot of tight ends catch it in the body. They just do naturally. It seems like he didn't. Kind of stood out to me. He was, he was away from the hands. Top body type guy. I thought he looked pretty good. We saw some drops. Spencer Shannon had a couple drops and Mari Winston had a couple drops. But honestly, I think it's Nick Townsend and everyone else. Like from an athletic standpoint, from an upside standpoint, from a versatility standpoint, Nick Townsend just brings a different skill set than the rest of these guys.

[Ian]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Moving on to that O line. Just want to hear a left guard. We want there to be a left guard. Whether it could be Cole Hudson for all we know, but you know, Sikorsky, Chapman, there's. There is a good group to be competing for. I think a better group than what ended up being last year's left guard. Yes, very important. And, and you, you mentioned it earlier in the show, Justin. I think like that second line of the offensive line just Completely revamped in a positive way. And at least the size of these players is really standing out. But, you know, Ian, we just want to hear that. Probably, preferably Seymour, but someone has solidified that left guard role.

[Ian]

Yeah. Yeah, I guess we want it to be Seymour, right?

[Evan]

I think so.

[Ian]

Chapman, maybe.

[Evan]

I gotta tell you, Seymour is small, not skinny.

[Justin]

Seymour is, like, short.

[Ian]

Yeah, I know.

[Justin]

Like Ian Boyd short.

[Ian]

I don't think it's that bad.

[Justin]

Okay. I was just checking.

[Ian]

Yeah.

[Justin]

I'm telling you, Dylan Sikorski is going to be. Gonna be the guy that I think surprises you.

[Ian]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Evan]

Center, too.

[Tyler]

I think he's versatile.

[Justin]

He's big.

[Ian]

I need to see how he moves. After the summer with Tory Beckton, I think he's like. When they got him, I was like, this guy's good fit. I wish he was a little older and more developed, but, yeah, sneaky depth. But he was. He was a good fit. And you could tell he's a guy that could probably play for us eventually. But year one, I just. Because here's the thing. Everybody else in the line, like, if y' all watch that Landon Tingwall video or the interview that me and Connor did with him, he noted that everyone on the Texas line is, like, athletic and super mobile. So you can just build your scheme and all your blocking stuff around. Hey, we're going to ask all our guys to be really mobile and athletic, and we won't have necessarily a ton of punch or push at the point of attack, but we'll just build around being fast and that kind of. I don't. I worry that that goes out the window if you have Sikorsky in there, because everybody else is, like, fast and kind of lean even. And then you get this one dude that's just like a fire hydrant, right? Who. And if he doesn't move super well, then all of a sudden, your plan to be, like, super mobile to either side of the line could go out the window. Unless he's gained some speed from working with Becton.

[Evan]

Some color analysis in the background there.

[Justin]

Hey, yeah, she's dropping knowledge, man. The Boyd family, they rolled deep in. In the word.

[Evan]

No, I mean, I think that's part of it, is that it was good that they took the shots that they did on the O line just to have this many options. And, you know, and Chapman's entering year four, I think Kojo's probably a tackle right now's a tackle.

[Justin]

He played some left and some right tackle.

[Ian]

Guys, guys, what if it's halfway through the year, they've already taken on a bunch of water, and then they're like, oh, fine, maybe we'll put Kojo at guard. And then the team takes off. I can't do this again, Ian. I can't do this again. Y' all better figure this out. Kyle.

[Justin]

We're moving on.

[Evan]

They just need to clean up. Negative place. Not something that maybe it will see very much.

[Justin]

There she is.

[Evan]

Something that maybe we won't be able to see much of in day one. And even there's some overthrows might have shown that in a bad way, but. Yeah, I'm just. We can't be hearing Sark talking about it in. About the negatives either being penalties or turnovers the way it kind of was last year.

[Justin]

You can't see Nick Brooks and Connor Strode jog out there at that spot. You can't send Nick Brooks the left guard and. And the left tackle look at him and go, what are you doing here? You can't have that again. No. No way.

[Ian]

No, dude. I think if they had played Brooks there the whole time he'd been in Texas.

[Justin]

No, no.

[Ian]

It might have been okay. No, no, he was the best. I mean, he was a way better athlete. He was a way better athlete than the other guys.

[Justin]

He's an incredible athlete. Nick Brooks is a great athlete, and he's a guard. It's funny. Now everybody sees him as a guard. And I told you all, for two years, this guy was a guard. Oh, he's a tackle. Oh, he's playing some left tackle in practice and looking good. No, he's not a tackle. I told you jokers for two years, he's not a tackle. You finally learning, Kid didn't have a kickstep to save his life. He was off sides. It was illegal procedure every snap in high school because he couldn't even bend down. They have five guys on the line.

[Ian]

You know, I'll tell you what, I. I watched Brooks against Florida, and I was like, I get why they did this, though.

[Justin]

Right. Right. His tenacity is different, and he just

[Ian]

moves and the other guys couldn't move.

[Justin]

Yeah.

[Ian]

And then I'll tell you what. He didn't stick at left guard, but he did play there for one of the biggest wins of the season the next week. It worked. They made it work for that next week and against Oklahoma. And he did not kill them against Oklahoma.

[Justin]

How did Venables not destroy that?

[Ian]

Because they. Well, he blocked. He ran. He run blocked pretty well.

[Justin]

Right?

[Ian]

And then, like, I I was talking with our buddy Shane and he was like, yeah, we kind of made Venables disappear in their shootout and, and I, and I was like, well, they called one deep play action pass the entire game in the Red River Shootout last year and Manning almost immediately got obliterated.

[Evan]

Obliterated.

[Justin]

Yeah.

[Ian]

What, what they did was they just ran the ding ball and threw it short all day long. And that was, and they, and they, and Manning was controlled the clock, controlled

[Justin]

the time, controlled the tempo, controlled the ball game. Sark knows how to beat Oklahoma. He, he, he, he's, I think he's got BV figured out.

[Ian]

He should do that more often, especially with Manning. You can let Manning, dink and dunk teams and they were too slow to.

[Justin]

Ian is preaching. This is so much truth. This is where I think Sark gets a little too greedy. He gets a little too creative. Oh, let's try this. And I'm, I'm for that. But man, the simple stuff, Arch Manning, he, he didn't just drain the deep three like Steph Curry, he finishes at the rim too. It's okay to get the layups in the free throws. And over the course of a 15 or 16 game season, I think some of those games would be refreshing for this team.

[Ian]

Yeah.

[Evan]

All right, we're gonna, we had some questions from earlier in the show as we wrap it up here.

[Justin]

Go get her, Ian.

[Evan]

Dkw, which true freshman this season you think could go under the radar but be one of the best players to see them, whether it's on the field or scout practice? I think it could be Cohen Brown, which I think is a great shout because Richard Wesley. Yeah, that's another good one.

[Justin]

Richard Wesley acts, thinks, works and operates like a 28 year old man.

[Evan]

Yeah. And guess what?

[Justin]

We saw one reclassified true freshman, Evan yesterday. He didn't look ready for practice.

[Evan]

I was just about, I was literally

[Justin]

ready and we were like, he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready. He's just. It's going to take time. It's going to take time.

[Evan]

Yeah. It's just not.

[Justin]

Wesley is in the same exact boat. Yes, I know he got there earlier. Wesley started this process two years ago. But just because you're reclassified doesn't mean you can't show up ready to get after it. Richard Wesley. That's the guy. That's the guy. As soon as Colin goes to the NFL, Richard Wesley is going to be the edge guy on this team.

[Evan]

I think Brown's a great point. Rocky Cummings too, as like a practice Squad winner throughout the season.

[Ian]

Let me say something though, this is kind of not a thing anymore.

[Tyler]

What's that?

[Ian]

We're all used to like the freshmen that come in and have a big role immediately. I think we'll see that now and again at Texas because Texas recruits that high level of athlete where it's like. But I'll tell you what, one of my tricks every year that I've developed when I'm evaluating teams in the off season is I go and I look in their like secondary in particular and quarterback and I see who's got veterans and who doesn't. And it's like a cheat code to knowing which teams are going to be good. But now when I do it, everyone has figured it out and everyone is loading their quarterback room and their secondary with veteran transfers. So it's just not really like even in the sec. The SEC used to be all about recruiting and now these SEC teams have figured out like, you know, what is better than a four star freshman safety is a former two star sixth year safety that we've seen knows how to do the job.

[Justin]

Or like a Justin Cryer, a fifth year linebacker that is already a damn good college football player and understands everything that's going on around him already.

[Ian]

There's a lot. Yep. Linebackers, safeties, interior lineman, quarterbacks, tight ends, even if they're not stars, if they're just like solid veterans that know what to do, you're going to be a lot better. And so it's really, it's really hard for freshmen to break out now because it's, it's become a veterans game. That's, I mean that's why the Big Ten keeps their top teams keep winning now because they're old.

[Justin]

Yeah.

[Evan]

This brings up a great comment from earlier on Derrick Williams, you know.

[Tyler]

Yeah.

[Evan]

I was looking at the safeties a lot and I think because Williams didn't, it's not that he didn't stand out, but he was just kind of going as business as usual as we've talked about, like it's, it's clear that the top two in the safety room are McDonald and Williams. And you don't hear Gideon or must Champ having to get on him too much. And I think it's just Justin this

[Justin]

month who looked the best? Who was the best looking safety yesterday? It wasn't the guys you just mentioned.

[Evan]

I was just, I was just gonna get there. You know, Justin, I do think that Williams is the starter and we've kind of brush past these, you know, is that going to be A, you know, room that, that we'll have to see competition. But Kobe Black look damn natural as a safety there. And I thought Jordan Johnson Rebelle looks ready to play football. I mean, that's a guy who looks like he's going to be able, you know, it's a specific role.

[Justin]

He's going to need to be in

[Evan]

the box, big nickel type, you know, kind of secondary linebacker even. But, you know, speaking of fire hydrant, I mean, that dude is just built to tackle in the hole. And I think they're going to have some good depth at safety that maybe he's been a little underrated or even kind of worried about. I'm not sure I'm at that point here. Yeah.

[Justin]

So Kobe Black looked like he's played there for three years. He looks good. Don't be surprised if we see a scenario where it's Jelani and Kobe back there at the both safeties. And there's a couple reasons. One, they've done it before. They did that in high school. These kids were good friends in high school.

[Ian]

They. That.

[Justin]

That's what they did in high school. Like, they understand each other very, very well. They're on a string. And Kobe being so getting so adjusted at such a small window, I think is. Says a lot. Jordan Johnson Rebelle is a one size fits all. That guy can do a little bit of everything. I love the fact that he's got some star reps because now he's got linebacker concepts and now Gideon will trust him more and trying different things.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Justin]

And then Jonah Williams, that's the biggest. I, I don't. I don't have any expectations for Jonah Williams this year. Like, I. My expectation is that he's healthy, that he contributes on the football field. We've talked a lot about this guy for 18 months. So it. I want to see what he does on the field, but he's going to have to knock Jelani and Derek, Kobe, Jordan and Xavier. Like, there's. There's dudes back there. Okay. There are guys back there. And so it's. It's not going to be easy. But that's. That's why you're at Texas and that's why. Listen, we. We talk about the player editions. Blake, Gideon might have been the best acquisition of the entire program. Yeah. And I think now that Gideon.

[Ian]

Gideon,

[Justin]

he know he's got a point.

[Ian]

But I will say must champ. Also let them. Help them get Gideon.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Justin]

Yes. You're right. You're right.

[Evan]

I'm just.

[Justin]

I know. I've seen so Much of what I know, so much of what Gideon's done in the last six or seven months, not just from a developmental standpoint, but a recruiting standpoint. Man, that guy's hire was. We talked about him a lot at the Texas exit Saturday. Like he was. That was a very big hire. That room. And Ian will agree with this. That room needed it badly.

[Evan]

I was. I was pretty close to the. The safety room a lot of yesterday, and Jonah was right there. I think Jonah felt the heat a lot. He was one of the players that was probably struggling most with exhaustion and hydration. So that I just think he's. He's ramping up. Right. Like, he didn't really get a spring camp. He was recovering from injury. I wouldn't write out the idea of him playing these kind of dime packages, especially later on in the year, but I think the room is better than people were giving it credit for, deeper than people were giving it credit for, which he could be that safety three by the end of the year. But I don't think they need him to be that. And it might not.

[Justin]

They don't need him to be Evan.

[Evan]

It might not be the best. Look, if it ends that way.

[Justin]

They need to see him as a heat seeking missile on special teams. If I see him coming down the field laying hat, that's what I want to see from Jonah Williams right now on special teams. Let me disassemble somebody.

[Ian]

Are y' all saying you think Kobe Black looks better than Derrick Williams? Is that. Was that the. What y' all were hinting at a minute ago?

[Justin]

I'm not saying better.

[Ian]

Uhhuh.

[Evan]

Stood out.

[Justin]

Kobe looked like he was a starter back there.

[Ian]

What. How did. In what ways did he stand out?

[Evan]

His feet, Speed, move. Yeah.

[Justin]

Like he. He's got a fluidity to him when he turns his hips. That's just very, very natural. Now, Derek has.

[Ian]

He was playing high level a minute

[Justin]

ago, but we're trying to get that explosiveness back with Williams. I think that's still. Because he did have a bad injury. So I think that's. And I don't think he's necessarily taking a step back, but I think in that time, Kobe has been able to catch up more. And here's another thing. A lot of times, it's just when the kid turns the page. The best player on the field yesterday was Justice Terry. Why? Because he turned the page. He's been on one for the last month and a half during summer workouts, and he looks incredible. That's just. It's just the timing of it. Kobe Black's going into, what, his third season. This is the year that Kobe Black would turn the page. It just. He looked really good. I. Hey, it's a great problem to have, Ian. If Derrick Williams brings back some of that explosiveness and Jonah Williams gives you something in dime, the safety room is going to be really, really impressive.

[Evan]

Any final thoughts, Ian?

[Ian]

No, I'm curious to see. I mean, Kobe Black being the most athletic, smoothest looking safety. That makes sense. He was. I thought he looked really good at corner in the spring.

[Justin]

I think they're trying to figure out a way they saw something in the spring, in the summer, and they're like, on the field, we gotta get him on the field.

[Ian]

The only thing with safety is just that you have to learn to process multiple things at the same time.

[Justin]

Right, right, right. There's a lot more to it, but. And in traditional values, you're a corner until you're a safety.

[Ian]

Yep, yep. So, yeah, I mean, I'm a big believer in this. If, if it works immediately where he's able to start this fall over Derrick Williams, then, wow, they must have really hit the jackpot. I. I think I'm a little slow to think that he's actually going to beat out Williams for that job, though.

[Justin]

I think they're waiting on Williams to kind of take it, to kind of like jump up and go, hey, be the freshman that took it from Andrew Makubo. I think they're waiting for him to come up and go, hey, this is my job. This is my spot. Because, you know, Jelani's done that.

[Evan]

Yeah, fair. Great discussion, guys. And make sure for all of what we've talked about and then way, way more, you're going over inside Texas and checking out this awesome deal. 75% off your first year for new members fall camp sale. Just the best you're going to get in the Longhorn space to learn all about this Texas team and even more in depth than what we're talking about with these position groups. Of course. Check out Paul's book, Thinking Texas Football by Paul Wadlington. You can buy it now. Ian, Justin, Tyler from earlier back. Back there.

[Justin]

Great job, Evan. Hey, Beef. Way to bring it.

[Evan]

Thank you, Justin. Thank you all so much for listening, chatting on really good chat we had today. We'll have a. Have a good one. We'll see you next time.