Posted November 28th, 2012 by Brian
Filed under: Football

Video of player introductions of the 2012 Texas seniors before the game against TCU. Nice getting to hear from each of the players’ parents.

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Posted November 3rd, 2010 by Ross
Filed under: Football

WTH?! (What the Heck?) moments are attempts to find the memorable and the off-beat perspective on Longhorns sports. Here are some interesting moments from the Texas’ game against the Bears.

Special Shout Out to Colt McCoy for having his number retired. Thanks #12 for 45 great wins!

1st Quarter (12:11) WTH Karate Kid?! Let’s not worry about the karate kick that Sam Acho delivered on QB Robert Griffin. The sack, fumble recovery and all out effort all game long proved to the 100,452 in attendance who is the defensive leader.

1st Quarter (9:23) WTH Matthews?! This play sums up the entire season for the Horns receivers. The right play was called but the concentration was not there. TE Barrett Matthews stone hands had a sure touchdown bounce off of them. On a positive note Garrett Gilbert played his best game of the year!

2nd Quarter (14:06) WTH Brown RD1?! The punt returners have been dismal. Thank God for the officials bailing out Curtis Brown trying to catch a punt inside his 10 yard line. Still cannot believe that the officials gave the Horns the ball on the twenty after all of that mess. Please make a change…

2nd Quarter (8:51) WTH Williams?! I hope the Longhorn receivers watched the excellent catch by Baylor’s Terrance Williams. The officials had to review it because they did not believe it. Now that is how you catch a bad pass! Great effort!

2nd Quarter (8:04) WTH Butter Fingers?! Both Alex Okafor and Keenan Robinson failed to recover a crucial fumble by Baylor. Both were trying hard to make a play but this team needs positive results.

2nd Quarter (:43) WTH Coach Blood?! Coach Muschamp calling a blitz on 3rd & 10 against the Bears when you have held them in check for most of the game? The play exposed Blake Gideon’s lack of tackling and the Bears had the first TD of the game which covered 59 yards.

3rd Quarter (10:05) WTH Defense?! Great job by Christian Scott for intercepting the ball and returning it to the Baylor 40 yard line. Too bad your defensive teammates were too eager to add two huge penalties to put the Horns back at their own 15 yard line.

3rd Quarter (1:18) WTH Briles?! I love the cool customer that is Baylor Coach Art Briles when he called two timeouts in a row to make sure he had the right 4th down call. Bears started the 4th quarter with the go ahead touchdown and all the momentum on their side.

4th Quarter (2:34) WTH Brown RD2?! Curtis Brown needs to be relieved of his punt return duties not because of his lack of skill. He was trying to make something happen when there was nothing to be had. His fumbled was recovered by Jordan Hicks but the subsequent unsportsmanlike penalty by Curtis put the Horns in a huge hole.

Next up for the Longhorn’s are the Wildcats of Kansas State in the “Little Apple” on November 6th.

Thanks for following my WTH articles throughout the season. I appreciate the opportunity to rant about the greatest University sports program in the country. You can continue to follow comments on all of UT sports on twitter at 40AcresSports or follow me at Horns1991. HOOK EM!!

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Posted September 7th, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Depth Chart, Feature, Football

Redshirt freshman [tag]DJ Monroe[/tag] may have had the most impressive and important debut Saturday night but nine true freshmen including quarterback [tag]Garrett Gilbert[/tag] burned their redshirts against Louisiana-Monroe. Here are notes on the nine youngsters who played:

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College coaches are not allowed by NCAA rules to talk about potential recruits or commits until National Signing Day. With signatures from all 20 commits this morning, Texas head coach [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] finally has a chance to talk about each of the future Longhorns and breaks down each one on film. Mack sits down in front of reporters and talks to reporters for nearly 30 minutes and it is definitely worth your time to sit down and watch.

Watch Mack talking about the class and discussing each of the recruits below:

Many thanks to Statesman.com for again providing embeddable video of Mack’s press conferences.

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Garrett Gilbert and Paden Kelley sign their Letters of Intent (Image: Statesman.com)

Garrett Gilbert and Paden Kelley sign their Letters of Intent (Image: Statesman.com)

Wednesday is [tag]National Signing Day[/tag] and we’ll have frequent updates throughout the day on the 40 Acres. This is the first day high school senior recruits can sign a binding letter of intent to play college football. The Longhorns have 20 commits in the 2009 class with 8 already on campus and 12 expected to send in their LOI tomorrow. We’ll have updates when those letters come in as well as the important news on the two remaining targets, linebacker Jarvis Jones and corner Dre Kirkpatrick.

Follow @40AcresSports on Twitter (after the jump) and keep track of other #signingday news as well.

(more …)

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Posted January 4th, 2009 by Brian
Filed under: Feature, Football, Recruiting

Another day another high school all-star game full of future Texas Longhorns. Tonight five Texas commits will play in the Under Armour All-America Game live on ESPN at 7pm Central. Fans will be able to see a large chunk of the future Texas offensive unit as quarterback [tag]Garrett Gilbert[/tag] and tight end [tag]Barrett Matthews[/tag] will also have three big hogs blocking for them up front in linemen [tag]Mason Walters[/tag], [tag]Paden Kelley[/tag], and [tag]Thomas Ashcraft[/tag]. Gilbert, who won two state titles and broke Texas state passing records as the quarterback of Lake Travis High School, is ESPN’s number one ranked quarterback prospect.

The positions and numbers of the Texas commits and targets are listed below:

Name Number Position Commit? Ranking
[tag]Thomas Ashcraft[/tag] 75 Offensive Tackle Yes 1 star1 star1 star1 star
[tag]Garrett Gilbert[/tag] 7 Quarterback Yes 1 star1 star1 star1 star1 star
[tag]Paden Kelley[/tag] 70 Offensive Tackle Yes 1 star1 star1 star1 star
[tag]Barrett Matthews[/tag] 89 Tight End Yes 1 star1 star1 star1 star
[tag]Mason Walters[/tag] 72 Offensive Tackle Yes 1 star1 star1 star1 star

View the full Under Armour rosters.

We’ll have thoughts on players from both all-star games later this week.

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ESPN has posted several good videos and articles on the future Longhorns participating in this weekend’s Under Armour All-America Game. Players like [tag]Garrett Gilbert[/tag] and [tag]Mason Walters[/tag] are getting the chance to impress on a national stage and according to Bobby Burton of Rivals.com Gilbert in particular has done so. With five future Longhorns in the game they’re also getting an early opportunity to hang out together, something that will help the group hit the ground running once they get onto the 40 Acres.

ESPN got each of the guys to say a few things about the experience of playing in this game and about choosing to go to Texas. In the first few seconds of the video future [tag]LSU[/tag] athlete Russell Shepard (who seems like a really good kid) passes by and tells the interviewer that future Horn Gilbert is the best QB in the country. I guess the Texas coaches got it right at quarterback after all. Watch below:

The players seem to get along well, which is particularly key for the three offensive lineman. It’s also great to hear that they’ve already got their eyes on a national title:

Mason Walters is 6-foot-7 and nearly 300 pounds. Still, the physically imposing offensive tackle is dwarfed by the larger-than-life expectations that constantly surround the football team at the University of Texas.

As one of five Texas commits participating in Sunday’s Under Armour All-America Game (ESPN, 7 pm), Walters is a principal member of a Longhorns recruiting class that is tall on talent. He says despite each individual’s ability, the group puts a single goal — a collective goal — at the top of its New Year’s resolutions.

“We want a ring,” Walters said. “That’s not a question. We don’t care about awards and stuff individually. I think that the guys want the team to win a national championship in the future. It’s something you can say, but it’s a lot of hard work.”

Under Armour All-Americans Garrett Gilbert, [tag]Paden Kelley[/tag], [tag]Thomas Ashcraft[/tag] and [tag]Barrett Matthews[/tag] will be joining Walters in Austin next year. Together, they constitute the core of a class that has nine players in the ESPNU 150 and was ranked third in ESPN.com’s most recent breakdown of the top recruiting classes.

Walters also shared his quick personal New Year’s resolutions which include his Halo 3 rank and getting fellow future UT linemate Paden Kelly to cut his hair. Mason certainly looks and sounds like a man already. Watch Mason below:

Love to see the kids bonding as this group of guys along with the players at the US Army All-American Game will make up the core of future Texas teams. You can catch Under Armour practices on ESPNU this week and the game will air live Sunday night at 7pm.

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Posted April 21st, 2008 by Brian
Filed under: Football, Recruiting

It’s still a year away, but already five 2009 Texas commitments have received the honor of being named to the Under Armour All-America Game roster. The Longhorns currently lead the way with players in the game, with quarterback Garrett Gilbert. tight end Barrett Matthews, and offensive linemen Thomas Ashcraft, Paden Kelley, and Mason Walters on the roster. The 2008 Under Armour game featured five Longhorns as well.

The list of players is impressive but still not 100% complete, I’m sure there will be some additions and subtractions between now and January 4, 2009. Maybe a few more Texas commits can earn their way onto the team, or maybe the coaching staff can convince Florida stud running back Trent Richardson to come play for the good guys.

Here are the Scouts, Inc. profiles on the five Texas players:

Garrett Gilbert

Garrett GilbertQuarterback
Lake Travis (Texas)
6-3, 186 pounds

Junior accolades: Set Texas records with 359 completions, 555 attempts and 4,826 passing yards. Also threw for 52 touchdowns and named First Team All-State by The Associated Press.

On goals for his senior season: “Hopefully to win another state championship.”

Favorite movie: “Wedding Crashers.”

Scouts Inc. says: The more you watch Gilbert, the more you realize how heady and savvy he is. He is similar to Aaron Corp from the 2007 class in terms of size and athleticism, only Gilbert is much further along at this stage and has a bigger arm. He has prototypical drop-back passer size but is a sneaky athlete who will surprise you and hurt you with his feet if you don’t respect that aspect of his game.

Barrett Matthews

Barrett MatthewsTight End
North Shore (Texas)
6-2, 225 pounds

Junior accolades: Caught 13 passes for 395 yards and seven touchdowns. Named to 22-5A First Team All-District and Houston Chronicle Second Team All-Area.

On why he chose Texas: “The coaching staff reminds me of our coaching staff [at North Shore] and Coach [Mack] Brown reminds me a little bit of Coach [David] Aymond. The facilities are amazing and I get to work with one of the best [strength] trainers in the nation.”

Favorite movie: “‘Any Given Sunday.’ I love the ‘piece with inches’ speech by Al Pacino’s character.”

Scouts Inc. says: An exciting prospect with the tools to be well-rounded at the college level. He’s a sound, tenacious blocker while also a weapon as a receiver. Has the ability to stay on the field in all situations and be a factor, making him a player to watch.

Thomas Ashcraft

Thomas AshcraftOffensive Lineman
Cedar Hill (Texas)
6-5, 280 pounds

Junior accolades: First Team All-District, Honorable Mention All-State.

On why he chose Texas: “I felt at home at Texas. The coaches were real, they didn’t feel fake like they were putting on a show or it was rehearsed — they were real comfortable and natural. My parents liked it and my major [mechanical engineering] is a top major there.”

Favorite TV show: “The Boondocks.”

Scouts Inc. says: A gifted lineman with the size college coaches seek. He has shown the foot agility to both pull and trap from the offensive tackle position and also get back from a three-point stance and set before a defensive lineman gets into his frame. Ashcraft has the tools to develop into one of college football’s best, most athletic offensive linemen.

Paden Kelley

Paden KelleyOffensive Lineman
Lake Travis (Texas)
6-6, 270 pounds

Junior accolades: Named to Texas 4A first team by Texas Sportswriters Association. Also named to First Team All-District.

On goals for his senior season: “I have hopes of leading my team to a back-to-back state championship and being awarded First Team All-State.”

Favorite band: Rage Against the Machine.

Scouts Inc. says: Kelley’s a very athletic offensive tackle with the versatility to also play guard. Tall and rangy, he looks the part, carrying his weight extremely well. Biggest strength may be his reach-blocking skills.

Mason Walters

Mason WaltersOffensive Lineman
Frenship (Texas)
6-7, 285 pounds

Junior accolades: Named All-District, All-Area, All-South Plains, All-City and 4A Second Team All-State.

On what he’s looking for in a school: “Coaches you get along with for five years, a winning tradition and a bunch of good talent that is going to be there when you are there to give yourself a chance to win the national championship.”

Favorite food: Buffalo wings with ranch sauce.

Scouts Inc. says: A max-effort player with exceptional ability, he’s a self-starter who clearly loves the game. He goes after opponents like a heat-seeking missile. Comes off the ball aggressively and has the skills to reach, block back and even get to the second level with little trouble. Shows outstanding hustle by frequently getting a second block after executing his initial assignment.

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Posted March 8th, 2008 by Brian
Filed under: Football, Recruiting

It’s barely March but it looks like [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] is close to wrapping up his 2009 recruiting class already. After starting out strong with Garrett Gilbert and six other commits at the team’s first junior day, the Horns have since added eight more of the state’s top football players to bring the total tally up to fifteen.

Two of the biggest commits were at linebacker, where Irving’s Tariq Allen and Grand Prairie’s Patrick Nkwopara made their pledge to play for defensive coordinator [tag]Will Muschamp[/tag]’s defense. Both players were top targets of the Texas defensive coaching staff and appear to fit their mold perfectly for a linebacker, speed guys who aren’t afraid to knock your head off. If you’re a Rivals subscriber, watch Allen’s videos and you’ll be very excited about our future middle linebacker.

The team also got help in the defensive backfield by picking up commits from cornerbacks Eryon Barnett from Euless and Kenny Vaccaro out of Brownwood. Vaccaro is one of the state’s most heavily recruited DB’s and held offers from the likes of Florida, Oklahoma, and Stanford when chose the Longhorns. Barnett was a virtual unknown before committing to the Horns but Texas offered quickly and he certainly passes the eyeball test so he looks like a player who will shoot up the rankings once the scouting services get film of him.

Texas also did an excellent job filling needs from the top in-state options. Defensive end and tight end were both positions the Horns needed to fill holes at in this class. At defensive end the two big fish are still out there, Alex Okafor and five-star Devon Kennard, but the Horns added two very capable prospects in Dominique Jones and Kyle Kriegel. The tight end commits look like the two best in the state in Trey Graham and Barrett Matthews. I’m particularly excited about Matthews, whose versatility, athleticism, and toughness allow him to play an H-back role or maybe even end up on defense. It doesn’t hurt that he plays for Galena Park North Shore, a school that has now put out three top Division I tight ends in a row.

The fifteen current commits are listed below:

Name Position Rating* LSR** Hometown
Tariq Allen LB starstarstarstar 65 Irving
Thomas Ashcraft OL starstarstarstar 13 Cedar Hill
Eryon Barnett DB starstarstarstar NR Euless
Marcus Davis DB starstarstarstar 15 League City
Garrett Gilbert QB starstarstarstarstar 2 Austin
Trey Graham TE starstarstar NR Waco
Dominique Jones DE starstarstar NR Kilgore
Paden Kelley OL starstarstarstar 31 Austin
Kyle Kriegel DE starstarstar 64 Elysian Fields
Barrett Matthews TE starstarstar 59 Galena Park
Patrick Nkwopara LB starstarstarstar NR Grand Prairie
Garrett Porter OL starstarstarstar 30 Odessa
Greg Timmons WR starstarstarstar 10 Aldine
Kenny Vaccaro DB starstarstarstar 53 Brownwood
Chris Whaley RB starstarstarstar 8 Madisonville

*Note: Most of the star ratings are just estimates based on the video I’ve seen of the recruits and Orangebloods.com’s state rankings.

**Note: LSR is Geoff Ketchum’s Lone Star Recruiting Top 100. The numbers represent the player’s ranking as of 2/13/2008.

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