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Hoops get a big win or North Caroina and Football ends the season with a win in Waco.
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JAVAN FELIX’S CLUTCH SHOOTING FUELS THE UPSET OF #3 NORTH CAROLINA
NEW OC HIRED
CAROLINA BLUE!
Sterlin Gilbert brings hishigh-octane offense to Austin
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Publishers -- Michael Pearle, Clendon Ross | Managing Editor--Clendon Ross | Editor-- Mike Blackwell InsideTexas.com Editor -- Justin Wells | Lead Writer -- Bill Frisbie | Contributor -- Ian Boyd
Designer/Photographer -- Will Gallagher | Recruiting Analyst -- Eric Nahlin To Subscribe/Customer Service -- Phone: 512-659-8167 | Email: [email protected]
6Huge Win Over UNC | Javan Felix’s last-second shot give Texas the win over #3 Tar Heels.
by bill Frisbie
16Sterlin Gilbert and Mike Mattox bring their high-octane offense to Austin.Sterlin Gilbert | by Chris hall
10Horns Take Down Bears |A hobbled Longhorn squad pulls off a big win over Baylor in Waco.
by Justin Wells
34Ridley Will Be Missed |A broken foot during practice cut short a promising season.
by Mike blaCkWell
28Sterlin Gilbert and Mike Mattox bring their high-octane offense to Austin.Texas Falls to UConn | by Mike blaCkWell
32Notes on the highlights of the month.December Hoops News & Notes | by tiM Preston
20Inside the Gameplan |Ian takes a look at the options for QB in 2016
by ian boyd
36Recruiting Notebook |This notebook focuses on prospects in the trenches.
by Justin Wells and ian boyd
4 insidetexas.com
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Bleed: 8.625 ” x 10.75” Trim: 8.375” x 10.5” Safety: 7.875” x 10”
THIS ADVERTISEMENT APPEARS IN:Inside Texas Magazine - August Issue
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HORNS TAKE DOWN TAR HEELS
AUSTIN - Texas played big late, capped off when Javan Felix drained an 18-foot, buzzer-beater to give Texas a thrilling 84-82 upset of No. 3 North Carolina at a sold out and and rocking Erwin Center.
7insidetexas.com
by bill Frisbie
HORNS TAKE DOWN TAR HEELS
8 insidetexas.com
The Tar Heels tied the game with sev-
en seconds left before Felix etched
his name into Longhorn hoops lore.
“It’s amazing what you can do when you
have to do it.” said Texas coach Shaka
Smart.
Officials studied the replay for three min-
utes before announcing the verdict on an
historic Longhorns win.
“You’re in limbo (during the officials’
review),” Smart said. “The coach in me
wanted to talk to our guys about what we
are going to do if we went into overtime.
I do believe in power of intention, and I
didn’t intend for that (OT) to happen.”
Lordy, did the Longhorn faithful need
something like this following a frazzled
week of football misadventures. Texas of-
ficially announced the hiring of offensive
coordinator Sterlin Gilbert just before
tip-off. And, so, when Charlie Strong
hugged the Texas hoops coach during
the postgame celebration, Smart asked:
“Did you get your guy?”
The man of the hour on a drizzly after-
noon was, of course, Felix. The senior led
all scorers with 25 points and collected
the loose rebound after Isaiah Taylor’s
attempt at a three-point, game-winner in
the final two seconds glanced off the iron.
“When I started to go get ball, I knew had
one-point-something something (left),”
Felix said, after being doused with water
in a jubilant, post-game locker room. “I
knew I had time to put a shot up. You
still got to go through your regular shot
routine to give you your best chance to
make the shot.”
You can also give Smart a sharpie. The
first-year Texas coach has a signature
win against the bluest of college hoops
blue bloods.
“We want our guys to play with no hesita-
tion,” Smart added. “Early in the year, for
a variety of reasons, we had some avoid-
ance. It’s hard to be good that way.”
Obviously, this is a ‘W’ that the NCAA Se-
lection Committee will still be discussing
in early March. The only question, now,
is whether this one ranks as Texas’ best
win ever at the Erwin Center. (Showing
my age, but I was in the stands when
Texas upended No. 3 Arkansas in Febru-
ary, 1978. For the record, Texas upset
Kansas in 2011, but that one was at
Lawrence).
The only other question is whether
these Horns can evolve from a mediocre
free throw shooting team into at least
average. The Horns were just 14-of-23
from the charity stripe (60.1 percent) but
drained them down the stretch.
The key stat, however, was the three-
point shooting on both ends of the court.
Texas was torrid outside the arc, nailing
12-of-24 three-balls. As important, the
Horns held UNC to just 2-of-8 shooting
from three-point range in the 2nd half.
“We need to make every friggin’ shot,” a
perturbed Carolina coach Roy Williams
said, “and not just at home when we’re
ahead by a dadgum 30 points.”
Williams saw his UNC record against
- TEXAS VS NORTH CAROLINA -
Javan Felix
9insidetexas.com
- TEXAS VS NORTH CAROLINA -
Texas fall to 1-6. (He extended Felix an
off-handed complement, referring to him
as an “old man, YMCA player.”
“Texas wanted the basketball game a lot
more than we did,” Williams said. “They
physically imposed their will on us.”
Texas played most of game with two
bigs (Cam Ridley, Connor Lammert) to
challenge UNC’s physical frontcourt. But
Smart has also emphasized offensive
rebounding during the early weeks of his
tenure after Texas got outmuscled and
out-motored in that key, hustle stat. On
Saturday, Texas dominated the offensive
glass to the tune of 16-to-4. Overall,
Texas outrebounded UNC 36-27.
Freshman Eric Davis Jr. confidently
tallied 16 points and helped keep the
scoreboard close after Taylor struggled
with early foul trouble. He was one of five
Horns to score in double figures.
“I just want to contribute to the team
either with defense, or me scoring,” Davis
said. “It was one of those nights when I
hit some shots.”
The visitors jumped to an early seven-
point lead before Carolina’s Brice John-
son was whistled with his third personal
eight minutes into the contest. Davis
followed Felix’ three-ball with a trey of his
own to give Texas its first lead at 19-17.
UNC responded with a 9-3 run, but Rid-
ley’s putback pulled Texas within one.
A Taylor turnover led to an uncontested
layup and 37-32 Tar Heel advantage.
The visitors padded their lead by knock-
ing down four foul shots, but Davis kept
Texas in this one down the stretch. The
freshmen knocked down his third trey
after Carolina threatened to make it a
double-digit deficit. Davis’ buzzer-beating
layup mean Carolina took a slim 44-42
halftime lead into the locker room.
Taylor took a seat with his third personal
at the 16:29 mark and Texas trailing 53-
49. Felix was whistled for his third less
two minutes later. Davis followed his run-
ner in the lane with his fourth trey to keep
Texas within striking distance at 57-55.
It was a 64-59 Tar Heel lead before a
pair of Lammert FTs, and Felix’ fifth trey,
put Texas up 65-64 with 7:41 left. Taylor
knocked one from outside the arc to knot
the affair at 74 with 3:41 left. Ridley’s
three-point play gave the Horns a 79-76
lead with 1:59 on the game-clock. A
Taylor put-back broke an 80-80 deadlock
with 23 seconds left.
Taylor tallied 13 of his 18 points after
intermission and was poised to drain the
game-winner. That honor, of course, went
to Felix.
“We know how good we can put if we put
everything together,” Felix said.
10 insidetexas.com
BEAR HUNT SUCCESSFUL WITH A “W” IN WACOBEAR HUNT SUCCESSFUL WITH A “W” IN WACO
11insidetexas.com
BEAR HUNT SUCCESSFUL WITH A “W” IN WACOBEAR HUNT SUCCESSFUL WITH A “W” IN WACO
WACO — Texas arrived in Waco as 21-point underdogs. They left as 6-point victors. Barely.WACO — Texas arrived in Waco as 21-point underdogs. They left as 6-point victors. Barely.
by Justin Wellsby Justin Wells
12 insidetexas.com
Behind Tyrone Swoopes, more Chris Warren, and a nasty at-
titude, UT took down No. 12 Baylor, 23-17, in front of 48,093 fans at McLane Stadium.
Texas (5-7, 4-5) now has more Top 15 wins than Alabama, Ohio State, Iowa, and North Carolina. Combined. It shows the capability and potential to which this program holds. How-ever, it didn’t come without some tension. After building a 20-point halftime lead, Baylor installed a new offense at the half, and found points on its next three consecutive drives.
But Texas responded with a 12-play, 62-yard march, a drive where Andrew Beck caught two 3rd down conversions, and ended with a Nick Rose 37-yard FG, a 6-point margin with under four minutes to play, and visions of an upset in their eyes.
“I’m just so happy for our football team,” Strong said. “Happy for this whole program. It’s all about prepa-ration, and confidence, and team chemistry. You look at the really good teams, and they have great team chemistry. That’s what we told the team. ‘Go play for your team-mates. Play for the seniors.’”
Baylor (9-3, 6-3) took the ensuing drive to midfield, but a Poona Ford forced fumble and recovery all but sealed the Bears fate.
“I’m so glad for our seniors,” said Strong. “I said to the team before the game, ‘we need to go get this one; we need to go get it done for our seniors.’ To our young players I said, ‘just go out and play with confidence.’”
And they did.
Despite missing key starters in Malik Jefferson, D’Onta Foreman, and Hassan Ridgeway, the young pups played like dogs. From Anthony Wheeler, Breckyn Hager, and Con-nor Williams, these youthful Horns were all fight.
“Chris Warren grew up today,” said play-caller Jay Norvell. “We had guys grow up today. The truth is we are a very immature team. We have to take our football seriously. We have to grow up and care about football everyday.”
Warren, freshman, making his second career start performed much like his first with another 100-yard+ rushing performance. His 110 yards,
on 28 carries paced the Longhorns rushing attack. He has optimism for next year. He sees it almost every day.
“From what I see in practice,” said Warren. “I know we have a lot of potential in our room. I know we can go out there and make plays. That’s what we needed to do. This will be a
good springboard for next season.”
It was a first half for the ages. After a Duke Thomas interception, a brief skirmish broke out when the bench-es cleared thanks to some extracur-ricular activities. It was symbolic of the opening stanza. One in which Texas completely dominated. And it might’ve began earlier in the day.
“It started in warmups,” said Strong, on the melee. “(Baylor) was chirping a little and our guys got upset. And I was glad it happened.”
It provided a much-needed spark. When you provoke these young Horns, who forced four Baylor turn-overs, this how they respond.
Texas got on the scoreboard first at McLane, normally reserved for BU points. After holding the Bears on 4th down on their opening posses-sion – BU had scored a touchdown on its first possession of every game in 2015. It took statistically the worst defense in Texas history to stop them. A few plays later, Swoopes found Caleb Bluiett on a play-action
- TEXAS VS BAYLOR -
Tyrone Swoopes
13insidetexas.com
57-yard score, and a 7-0 lead.
After another BU stop, Texas drove 56 yards on seven plays, culminating in a Rose 23-yard field goal, and a 10-0, Texas advantage.
When freshman PJ Locke stripped BU’s Chris Johnson, fellow frosh Wheeler scooped up the free foot-ball. Swoopes found pay-dirt minutes later and the Horns built a 17-0 mark, with 1:11 remaining in the 1st quarter in front of a stunned Baptist crowd on an incredibly beautiful day. Moments later, Baylor went to its emergency QB – wide receiver Lynx Hawthorne – after third-stringer Johnson was helped off the field with a concussion. It was a big adjust-ment, for both teams, considering BU didn’t have another quarterback on its roster.
“We had to adjust,” said Paul Boy-ette. “They had their 3rd string QB in and we wanted to see who the next guy up was. We found that out today. We knew they’d run the ball. We just had to maintain our gaps. Moving forward next year, we have to keep building our confidence really. We need to know ourselves and be more confident in ourselves. I think that’s what it comes down to, being more confident.”
Rose connected from 40 yards with 2:01 left in the first half, giving Texas the most unusual 20-0 halftime lead.
Baylor got on the scoreboard when they opened the 2nd half with a steady dose of single wing, wildcat, or the play where the guy playing QB keeps it every snap. Running backs, Johnny Jefferson and Terence Wil-liams, all toted the rock during an 8-play, 69-yard drive. Jefferson’s
20-yard score got BU on the board – it was the first time Baylor had been held scoreless in the first half since October 29, 2011 at Oklahoma State.
On BU’s next possession, Chris Callahan connected on a 24-yard FG, cutting UT’s halftime lead in half, 20-10.
It was 17 unanswered points when BU’s Lynx Hawthorne hit the pylon on an 8-yard TD jaunt. It brought Baylor within three, 20-17, with 9:40 remaining in the contest. And made the Longhorn faithful anxious. It was a rerun of a movie they’d seen all too often in 2015.
Except this time, the good guy wins.
“This is a springboard for the Spring now,” said Strong. “Now we have something we can build on, and take into the offseason. I’m not pleased with the year we had. You go beat
Oklahoma, then go on the road and beat Baylor. (Strong laughs) I don’t have an answer for this team. I wish I did. I wish each week and every week could’ve been like this one. I don’t want to make any promises about next year, but we have a lot to look forward to.”
Texas senior DB Duke Thomas, who played all four secondary positions in
2015, including safety, said it best for the future Horns.
“Texas is built off tradition and pride,” said Thomas. “We showed that to-day. If you don’t want to come here, you don’t want to work. Working hard, that’s us. Coming here, you have to know there will be a grind. You have to know you have to beat somebody out. You have to be pas-sionate. When you step on the field, there’s only one way to work.”
The run for 2016 begins tomorrow. Buckle up.
- TEXAS VS BAYLOR -
14 insidetexas.com
WHAT THEY SAID...
“We’re very close. It’s like we’re right at the edge of being great. The players in the future are going to make that happen.”
DAJE JOHNSON
“Texas is built off tradition and pride. We showed that today. If you don’t want to come here, you don’t want to work. Working hard, that’s us. Coming here, you have to know there will be a grind. You have to know you have to beat somebody out. You have to be pas-sionate. When you step on the field, there’s only one way to work.”
DUKE THOMAS
“From what I see in practice, I know we have a lot of potential in our room. I know we can go out there and make plays. That’s what we needed to do. This will be a good springboard for next season.”
CHRIS WARREN III
23 - 17FIRST DOWNS
TIME OF POSSESSION
THIRD DOWNSPASSING YARDSRUSHING YARDS
15
27:38
151156
29
32:22
84395
4-163-14TURNOVERS0 2
- TEXAS VS BAYLOR -
16 insidetexas.com
TULSA DUO TAPPED TO RETOOL OFFENSETULSA DUO TAPPED TO RETOOL OFFENSE
I think Sterlin Gilbert is the most important recruit of Charlie Strong’s 2016 class.
He doesn’t have the size or speed (or eligibility) that the other signees have, but Texas’ new offensive coordinator will have more immediate impact than any other new arrival this offsea-son. Or at least, that’s what Longhorn Nation is hoping.
The second most important recruit of 2016: Matt Mattox. Yes, UT’s newest offensive line coach.
There’s much to be said for how UT’s offensive scheme will develop throughout the coming Spring. Last year’s squad fin-ished 94th in total offense and 85th in points per game. That effort only produced five wins.
The Longhorns will have to win nine games or so next season to keep the fanbase happy, and the staff employed. It’s fair to interject here Texas had many defensive woes as well. It’s true. This was, statistically, the worst defense in Longhorns
football history after they allowed 453 yards/game in 2015.
That sounds incredibly bad, and is bad. It’s about 50 yards more than defense of 2013 (407 yards/game) and no one wants to be remembered in the record books that way.
Keep in mind, though, that Texas plays in the Big 12 and faced four of the country’s top 10 offenses: Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU, and Oklahoma. It’s understandable for a young and developing defense. I don’t think anyone would say it’s acceptable, but understandable nonetheless.
That being said, if Texas was more mature offensively — or just able to efficiently pass the ball — the Horns would be preparing for a bowl game now. Three of UT’s six losses came by a field goal or less. Instead, they’re back in offsea-son before the 2016 calendar year begins.
Thus, the Mattox hire is crucial.
Sterlin Gilbert - photo courtesy of UT Athletics
BY CHRIS HALLBY CHRIS HALL
17insidetexas.comD’Onta Foreman busts loose for 81 yards
Gilbert has one year to turn the offense around, and he needs as much buy-in from the program as is possible. Having Mat-tox, a like-minded person in the coaches’ “war room,” will help Gilbert make practical the vision he’s casting for offensive side of the ball.
Tulsa On Film
I don’t know Matt from Adam. So I decided to familiarize my-self with his offensive line at Tulsa. I wasn’t evaluating them, the players, so much as I was trying to get a feel for how Mat-tox had coached them.
I watched the first half of Tulsa’s games against OU and Memphis, came away with a few impressions and how those hopefully translate to the Texas offensive line in the fall.
Good Movement on Inside Zone
Tulsa ran the ball impressively against OU, all things consid-ered. With sub-par talent at the running back position, Tulsa had 100-yard rusher against the Sooners while averaging 4.4 yards/carry.
Several times the running back simply missed the hole or open lane. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see the offen-sive line get consistently good movement.
Don’t think that isn’t a big deal.
It’s true, Texas had an impressive day running the ball against Oklahoma—but for very different reasons. It wasn’t because the offensive line was mauling people (see the film review). It was because of rivalry, WRs blocking downfield, and the horses in the backfield. Tulsa ran the ball on Oklahoma because of scheme, yes, but also with consistent movement along the line of scrimmage. That happens with technique, aggression, and cohesive team play on the offensive line.
I was impressed, honestly.
Fastest Offense in the Country
Midway through the season, Tulsa was the fastest offense in the country. By the time they played Memphis, they averaged a play every 18.8 seconds. If you’ve never played major col-lege football — especially as a 300-pound lineman — that’s really fast.
Mike Mattox - photo courtesy of UT Athletics
18 insidetexas.com
My junior year at Texas we installed what we called our “Jet Package,” inspired by what Oklahoma was doing at the time. It was set of five plays or so, and every player knew the sig-nals. They were to be ran as fast as possible, with little to no communication needed on the offensive line, and meant as a change up to catch the defense off guard.
I hated it.
I knew it was a good thing and very productive at times. But my goodness, it sure could make a fat man tired. Sometimes while we were running it and getting closer to the goal line, the thought running through my head was that I just had to outlast the defensive lineman in front of me. The pace was hard on a defense (and hard on the offensive line as well).
Being the fastest offense in the country means your linemen can’t be out of shape. That’s a good thing. It means they have
to be disciplined when they’re tired, if nothing else, and able to endure more than their opponent.
The Sum is Greater Than It’s Parts
Oklahoma is headed to the College Football Playoff, which means they’re one of the top four teams in the country. The fact that Tulsa could hang with them offensively is impressive.
The final score was 52 – 38.
When a team plays well collectively, against better talent
individually, it means they must be well coached. That, and possibly they’re genuinely a team. In Ian Boyd’s recent evalu-ation, Tulsa’s offensive line was “basically a rag tag bunch of Okies (with a single Texan)” that had “little size or meaningful experience except at guard.”
While frank, methinks he’s right.
Their line was composed of two returning starters at left and right guard, a former walk-on, and a converted DT at the tack-les, and a redshirt freshmen at center. All of which, I’m pretty sure Mattox didn’t recruit out of high school. He was only at Tulsa one season.
That being said, what their offensive line accomplished is impressive. Currently in 2015, Tulsa has the 16th ranked offense in the country. They’ve averaged 35.9 points/game, and are now on their way to playing Frank Beamer’s Virginia
Tech in the Independence Bowl. Not bad, and Mattox surely deserves his fair share of the credit. Far better to make much with little, than to make very little with much.
Mattox will have more returning starters at Texas (3) than he did at Tulsa in 2015. It’s safe to say he’ll have better talent to work with overall as well, including Freshman All American Connor Williams and first-year starter Patrick Vahe.
In 2016, look for a Longhorn of-fensive line that consistently moves people off the line of scrimmage. Mattox was quoted in his introduc-
tory press conference: “Our power running game…will always be our base.”
Look for a Texas offensive line that’s in shape and plays fast. Slow-footed, fat boys won’t be able to keep up the pace. And look for an offensive line that cohesively plays together. It’s the only way to beat teams that are bigger, stronger, and faster. But it’s possible.
If Mattox can get Tulsa-type production out of Texas’ offen-sive line — never thought I’d say that — the Longhorns (and Strong) will be sitting pretty at the end of the 2016 season.
Connor Williams
- GILBERT AND MADDOX -
20
The process of Charlie Strong choosing and successfully hiring Sterlin Gilbert to be the new OC at Texas raised all kinds of questions about the climate in Belmont and whether Charlie has the ability or support necessary to stick around for the long haul.
But now that an OC is hired, we can discuss this in terms of pure football talk, because whether Charlie survives a tough 2016 schedule depends almost entirely on whether his new offensive coordinator is able to field a good QB.
While the new offense is built on the running game it also puts a higher premium on throwing the ball than most any other run-centric offense in football history. There is no getting around the need for a QB that can punish defenses for how they play the run game. The “shoot” part of the “veer ‘n’ shoot” offense is what makes this offense special.
The process of Charlie Strong choosing and successfully hiring Sterlin Gilbert to be the new OC at Texas raised all kinds of questions about the climate in Belmont and whether Charlie has the ability or support necessary to stick around for the long haul.
But now that an OC is hired, we can discuss this in terms of pure football talk, because whether Charlie survives a tough 2016 schedule depends almost entirely on whether his new offensive coordinator is able to field a good QB.
While the new offense is built on the running game it also puts a higher premium on throwing the ball than most any other run-centric offense in football history. There is no getting around the need for a QB that can punish defenses for how they play the run game. The “shoot” part of the “veer ‘n’ shoot” offense is what makes this offense special.
21Jerrod Heard
INSIDE THE TEXAS GAMEPLANINSIDE THE TEXAS GAMEPLANOptions at QuarterbackOptions at Quarterback By Ian BoydBy Ian Boyd
22 insidetexas.com
- InsIde the GAmepLAn - QB OptIOns fOR 2016 -
Gilbert is going to have probably five or six real options to sort
through in finding his QB for 2016. What he’s looking for in
particular is a QB that can handle the RPOs (run/pass options) that
make up the bulk of the standard down play-calls, make quick reads
and throw accurate strikes outside the hash marks, and connect on the
frequent vertical option routes that set this system apart.
Arm strength, ability to make quick (and easy) reads from the pocket,
and overall grasp of how the system attacks defenses are the most
important tools for a QB to have. There’s also often some QB run-
game mixed in so literal quickness and physical toughness are also
valuable skills. Here are the options
THE RETURNING VETERANS
There isn’t just a ton of hope for what these guys will offer given that their
inability to wield effective passing attacks is the reason that Texas is going to
have three different play-callers in three different seasons.
TYRONE SWOOPES
If Swoopes had been redshirted and brought up in this system, there’d be
good hope for him eventually realizing his awesome physical tools and
leading the Texas offense. As it happens, without taking a redshirt season
that would then exclude him from the competition, this will be Swoopes’
final year as a Longhorn and there probably just isn’t enough time to repair
the damage.
Swoopes does look the part for this system, his strength in the Watson days
was always making the quick and easy reads on the outside and zipping
passes with placement and velocity that made them exceptionally difficult to
defend. However, Tyrone has never been consistent on deep throws, rarely
hitting receivers downfield at all, much less in stride.
Without John Harris around and facing greater expectations, he regressed
even further in confidence and simply doesn’t seem comfortable as the
starting QB for the University of Texas. Where he does seem comfortable
and confident is as a role player in the “18-wheeler” wildcat package where
he can focus on simple run reads and using his superior physical ability to
dominate people in short-yardage situations.
The smart money is on Swoopes focusing his practice time around the
18-wheeler package and possibly even moving to a new position.
Tyrone Swoopes
23insidetexas.com
JERROD HEARD
My thinking at this point is that Jerrod Heard is actually a WR who has been
able to get by at QB thanks to the possibilities of the spread-option.
The first alarms went off for me when watching his HS championship
victories for a feature on him that we printed over a year ago. What really
stood out was that he really won those games with his legs and not with his
arm. In fact, when Georgetown was able to bottle up his running for a brief
period in his junior year showdown with Jake Hubenak, Heard started to
panic and wasn’t sure what to do until they adjusted the run game to get him
going again.
Another alarm went off when it was reported that Denton Guyer’s head
coach emphasized to Wickline and Watson that the key to his success in high
school was simplicity on offense that simply allowed him to run wild. He’s
now the “returning starter” for an offense that will ask him to do the exact
opposite and regularly make reads and throws from the pocket.
If you look at the skill sets of history’s greatest wide receivers, you’ll often
find similar traits that we see in Heard. Such as a front-running confidence
that feeds off beating people with open field moves, great vision and
instincts for running with the ball, and superior explosiveness in his move-
ments.
While Heard’s ridiculous ability to dart laterally and forward with sudden-
ness that most other athletes can’t match will occasionally find usage at QB,
it’d be all that he’s ever asked to do as a WR. Assuming he has the hands for
the position, I think his skills could translate into becoming a special player
out wide, especially in this offense where special athletes at WR are set up
to do extraordinary things.
If Gilbert doesn’t move Heard down the depth chart and eventually out wide
to receiver, I’ll be concerned about the level of freedom the new coach has
in regards to personnel decisions because quite frankly I can’t see Heard
winning the job in this particular system.
THE WATSON ADDITIONS
Watson’s QB recruiting was somewhat frustrating since he generally went
after raw clay, even going out-of-state to get it, rather than selecting any of
the numerous Texas HS QBs that had already been trained and developed
to execute modern passing systems. Whether or not Texas makes it through
2016 may well depend on whether one of Watson’s two signings in the 2015
class are able to take the reins.
KAI LOCKSLEY
Because his father is a prominent offensive coach in the college ranks, it’s
generally assumed that Locksley has a QB’s mindset and it’s simply waiting
for the chance to come out. Unfortunately, there is little to no evidence on
film that such is the case.
To begin with, Locksley has never executed an offense built around the
passing game before and didn’t receive the valuable snaps and instruction as
a young man that most college QBs today have already received. There’s a
huge difference between a freshman who has already read and thrown some-
thing like a curl-flat hundreds of times in game situations and a freshman
who’s done it a few times in a controlled setting. To think that he’s going to
be ready as a RS freshman to lead this offense is not being realistic.
Jerrod Heard
- InsIde the GAmepLAn - QB OptIOns fOR 2016 -
25insidetexas.com
Secondly, Locksley has really struggled with accuracy and basic mechan-
ics and is currently 4th on the depth chart. When you are running an RPO
offense where the QB needs to stick the ball in the RB’s gut and then make
a decision to pull it and throw open a receiver, whether they are running a
short route or a deeper combination, accuracy is important and so is the abil-
ity to throw a football without a great deal of wind-up or effort.
Have you ever played a game of pick-up basketball where you notice the
guy who had a long wind-up for his set shot and nailed all of his jumpers in
pre-game shooting is easily silenced during the actual game? Why does that
happen? Because the circumstances he requires to execute a shot never exist
in an actual game where people are trying to stop him.
I’m afraid that’s Locksley as a passer, and maybe Swoopes and Heard to a
lesser extent. If his feet are set properly he can throw a pretty impressive
ball.
What’s more, Locksley has always shown a high aptitude for the receiver
position and was a near-lock to end up at that position in Tallahassee had he
remained there. There can be little doubt that Texas’ success in stealing him
away from Jimbo Fisher was largely related to the Horns offered a better
chance at getting developed at QB rather than quickly moved out wide. Now
it’s time to pay the piper.
MATTHEW MERRICK
The veer ‘n’ shoot was designed to unleash guys like Merrick. As a high
school player Merrick flashed a lot of the tools that you love to see in a QB
including arm strength, the ability to keep plays alive and make something
happen if things broke down, and confidence to throw the ball. Sometimes
he seemed to have too much confidence and threw a lot of picks trying to
buy time and get the ball out under duress or trying to rely on his arm to beat
coverage.
However, this offense’s spacing is designed to clear up the reads and
minimize the risk by isolating the receivers, allowing them to run into
open grass, getting the ball out quickly or else offering max protection, and
eliminating the likelihood of a safety being in position to pick off an errant
or tipped pass.
On his senior tape, Merrick showed the ability to make the kinds of reads
and throws that are a big part of this offense as well as the ability to run and
allow a little bit of QB run-game to be a part of the offense.
His two most encouraging abilities are how he reads stretch concepts and
how well he leads receivers on deep routes, particularly “7” routes that are
basically post routes that go out towards the sideline rather than inside. He’s
also capable of throwing comeback routes with anticipation, which is likely
to come in handy in Gilbert’s vertical pass concepts.
He has no hesitation when firing a throw into a narrow window, even when
throwing something like a curl route to the field as he does at 2:32 on his
Matthew Merrick
Kai Locksley
- InsIde the GAmepLAn - QB OptIOns fOR 2016 -
26 insidetexas.com
film. The ability to punish a defense with deep lobs off play-action and with
throws outside on isolated coverage are what can make this offense come
alive. Merrick is probably the best man for the job currently on campus.
but a QB in this system needs to be able to deliver the ball almost subcon-
sciously while being mindful of other factors on the field.
SPRING ADVENT
There’s at least one option coming in for Texas in the spring and possibly
another that could also prove competitive in a battle for starting QB that
currently only has one major contender.
SHANE BUECHELE
Shane Buechele is the veer ’n’ shoot’s answer for Baker Mayfield. He has
great lateral quickness that makes him hard to tackle in the backfield and
very effective on zone read plays where he can take the edge or cut back
inside if he faces over-pursuit. Those abilities are great, but Texas has plenty
of guys at QB that can scoot and all of them (save maybe for Merrick) are
probably better at it than Buechele, as talented a runner as he is.
What makes Shane special is his release and how easily he can throw a ball
with velocity and placement without needing the perfect footwork or setting
to throw a strike. I’m beginning to suspect that the QBs who also play base-
ball are perhaps best equipped to handle the rigors of throwing passes while
large and violent people are trying to hurt them. Hot corner, imo.
Over and over again on his tape you’ll find Buechele seeing the defense lose
leverage to open a window or give his WR a favorable matchup and then
you’ll see him be able to deliver an accurate ball in a millisecond thanks to
the ease and speed with which he winds up and throws. You can see what
I’m talking about at 2:20 on his tape where he sees the boundary safety get
sucked in and immediately throws a perfect go route to the boundary side
receiver.
This is a skill that would get a lot of play in the veer ‘n’ shoot as he’ll
regularly be looking to pick out weak spots and then make throws down the
field, possibly while getting flushed out of the pocket. That exact ability won
RG3 the Heisman in this system.
His ease in releasing the ball also makes him effective on traditional con-
cepts, like curl-flat, which seems to have been his offense’s favorite passing
concept. At 3:35 you see him read the flat defender and then throw a strike
to the curl route in an instant.
Buechele curl-flat
As soon as the strong safety turned and chased the flat route, Buechele
was zipping in the middle of the field a curl route to the Y receiver. This is
a great concept for a QB in this system to be good at for the occasions in
which opponents try to play man coverage outside but it’s also indicative of
Buechele’s aptitude for reading defenders and then making them pay within
the window of opportunity.
It’s easy to see Buechele mastering enough of the passing game to allow the
2016 Texas run-game to get going before eventually becoming an outstand-
ing QB in this system.
What say you? Do you think one of these potential signal-callers could get
Texas to eight or more wins and save Charlie’s job? Or is this a lost cause?
Shane Buechele
- InsIde the GAmepLAn - QB OptIOns fOR 2016 -
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28 insidetexas.com
Game One A.C. (After Cam) came Tuesday night at the Erwin Center, a contest that ended with Texas losing
to the University of Connecticut, 71-66.
Ironically, the game was iced by former Texas guard Sterling Gibbs, who made four free throws in the final 26 seconds as Texas efforted to pull out the win. Another Husky with a Texas connection, Daniel Hamilton, added a pair of free throws with 14 seconds left to UConn as well. Hamilton is the brother of former Longhorn Jordan Hamilton.
Isaiah Taylor's free throw with 57 seconds remaining cut the
UConn lead to 65-61, and the UT guard made one of two free throws with 33 seconds to slice the lead to 65-63 before the Husky tandem clinched the win for Kevin Ollie's team. Javan Felix's three-pointer with seven seconds left proved to be too little, too late.
The Felix three was the only non-Tevin Mack three pointer made by the Longhorns in the game. Mack, who led the team with 20 points, was five of nine from beyond the stripe; the rest of the Longhorns were one of 14. Ouch.
Rodney Purvis paced UConn with 16 points, while Hamilton
TEXAS FALLS JUST SHORT IN TIGHT LOSS TO UCONNTEXAS FALLS JUST SHORT IN TIGHT LOSS TO UCONN
29
and Shonn Miller each had 13. Gibbs, who has also played for Seton Hall in a much-traveled career, scored 12 points.
The game was played on the same day Texas center Cam-eron Ridley underwent surgery on his foot, which suffered a break at practice as Texas prepared for the Huskies. Prog-nosis for Ridley indicates that he will - at the earliest and if at all - return to action in "8-10 weeks, but potentially longer" according to Texas coach Shaka Smart, so Tuesday's game marked the first look at the Longhorns post-Ridley.
Reviews were cautiously optimistic.
Prince Ibeh and Connor Lammert were the bigs who started Tuesday night in the Cam-less lineup, along with Javan Felix, Isaiah Taylor and Eric Davis. Ibeh finished the game three points and four rebounds. Lammert's box score read seven points scored, along with eight rebounds.
Minutes-wise, Lammert played 27, Ibeh 18 and the other frontcourt player who figures to get some of Ridley's time, Shaq Cleare, played 12 minutes. Cleare finished the game with five points (he made both of his shot attempts) and grabbed six rebounds.
TEXAS FALLS JUST SHORT IN TIGHT LOSS TO UCONNTEXAS FALLS JUST SHORT IN TIGHT LOSS TO UCONNby Mike Blackwellby Mike Blackwell
30 insidetexas.com
- Texas vs UConn -
Blocked shots? Ridley was averaging 3.4 per game; Ibeh had five, while Lammert and Cleare were shut out in that category.
"This is a tough one, because I thought we had a good level of enthusiasm for the majority of the game," said Smart. "We just didn't get the stops we needed to in the second half. And we had a few possessions in the second half where we lacked poise and took a couple of bad shots."
As for missing Ridley, Smart said, "Obviously we were not able to throw it inside as much as we did the first 11 games. But I thought (the other bigs) did some good things, Shaq rebounded the ball really well."
Smart said Ridley's surgery went "well" and added that the senior was in good spirits after the procedure.
The first half was back-and-forth, ending with the Huskies ahead, 34-33. Mack came out blistering for the Longhorns, scoring a dozen points on four of eight shooting from the field, three of six from beyond the three-point line.
After starting the game with an 8-2 lead, UConn cooled and Texas surged ahead 16-10 after a Mack three-pointer with 12:05 left to play. The two teams continued trading buckets: a Purvis three-pointer gave the Huskies a 25-24 advantage with 6:51 left, and a Lammert three-point play pushed UT back in front, 27-25 just 30 seconds later.
Felix canned a couple of free throws to give the Longhorns a 29-25 advantage, but Gibbs drained a three-pointer to cut the UT lead to 29-28 with 4:41 remaining. After a pair of UConn buckets, the Longhorns scored their final points
of the half with 2:03 left to play, giving Texas a 33-32 lead before a Purvis layout gave UConn the halftime advantage.
Ollie said he was particularly impressed with Gibbs.
“That’s what fifth-year seniors are supposed to do,” Ollie said. “At the end of the game, I know I can count on him to make big plays for us.”
Join the Conversation
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Tevin Mack
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32 insidetexas.com
H PSDECEMBERNEWS AND NOTES
FRESHMEN PROGRESSIONThe much-ballyhooed freshman class for the Longhorns
(Eric Davis, Kerwin Roach and Tevin Mack) started their
UT careers in pretty weak fashion in China against Wash-
ington (4-32 from the field qualifies as weak, right?). It
didn’t get much better from there on.
Until the team headed to the Bahamas for the Battle 4
Atlantis where they played, surprise!, Washington again.
This time against the A&M Aggies (remember them?)
Davis went for 19. Then against those same UW Huskies,
Davis scored 15 and Roach went for eight. A few weeks
later, against #3 North Carolina, Davis and Roach would
combine for 22 points and the freshmen progression was
on. It’s not always going to be a smooth ride, but these
young guns aren’t shy about shooting, playmaking, talking
or, well, really anything.
Tevin MackEric Davis
Kerwin Roach
EASTERN EXPOSURELonghorns Basketball started out their
season with a 7,000+ mile trip to China
(thanks, Steve!) to play Washington in
Shanghai to play the Washington Huskies.
Yao Ming was there. Bill Walton was
there. The president of some company
called Alibaba Group was there (oh, he’s
worth $25 Billion? Okay. Yeah, he was
there, too). It was great.
Except for the game. That was not so good. The Longhorns
missed 54 shots from the floor, got outrebounded 11 and missed
16 free throws in a six point loss. That’s a long ways to travel to
lay an egg on the floor in front of a multi-billionaire from Shang-
hai. Coach Smart’s maiden voyage as a Longhorn left plenty to be
desired, but an entire season was left to play.
Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai
By Tim Preston
33insidetexas.com
JAVAN’S ICY VEINSAfter a 2-3 start, Texas had won three in a
row before welcoming the Tar Heels to Austin
in mid-December. UNC, a common favorite
to cut down the nets in April, had had their
struggles against UT when Rick Barnes was
the coach but this year was different, right?
Shaka’s team was outmatched, outhorsed, out-
whatever-you-want-to-put-here, right?
Wrong. Texas came out fast and on fire from
three against North Carolina, taking the action
to the Tar Heels like Coach Smart has wanted
from the day he took the job. Texas kept on
fighting even after UNC got up big in the first
half and they didn’t quit as the Tar Heels an-
swered shot for shot down the stretch. Then,
with time running out and the Longhorns star-
ing overtime in the face, a rebound caromed
off to Javan Felix. He caught the ball, sized
up the shot, sized it up some more, did a bit
more sizing, still more sizing and then, finally,
released the ball, with :01 remaining to beat
top-five UNC. It was awesome.
THE ENSUING WINNING STREAK
After the big win over the Light Blue Nation, Texas extended
their win streak all the way out to six games. The Longhorns
were playing with confidence, poise and excitement. The
winning streak included wins over three teams with postsea-
son aspirations in UT-Arlington, UNC and Stanford. It was a
special time for the team as the vision and commitment from
Coach Smart appeared to be paying off for a team that needed
belief and excitement.
Made more positive was the fact that Texas received the com-
mitment from five-star guard Andrew Jones (combo guard out
of Irving MacArthur) to go along with the signings of four-star
players Jacob Young (guard from Houston Yates) and 6’11”
center James Banks. Things were rolling for the Horns. They
were really rolling. What could go wrong?
A CRASH BACK TO EARTH
Then, in late December, the Longhorns got some terrible news.
Cam Ridley, averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks per
game through the early parts of the season, had broken his foot
during a layup drill in a practice session at Cooley Pavilion,
rendering him out for, at least, the conference schedule and,
possibly, the rest of the season.
Texas would lose the next two games (home against UConn
and at Texas Tech) by single digits and the question remained,
“What would Texas be without their star center?” Now Coach
Smart is left attempting to reinvent his team as they enter the
league play in the toughest conference in the country.
No problem…hopefully...
34 insidetexas.com
The impact of Cameron Ridley’s broken foot could prove to be as big as the center himself.
Averaging a double-double through 11 games, the 6-10, 290-pound Texas center suffered the injury in a practice prior to the Longhorns’ recent game with UConn, and might very well have played his last game in burnt orange.
And that’s too bad.
It’s too bad for Texas coach Shaka Smart, who was cruising with an 8-3 record in his first year primarily because of Ridley, the Houston native who averaged 12.7 points, 10 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game.
It’s too bad for Texas guards Isaiah Taylor and Javan Felix, who benefitted greatly from Ridley’s considerable presence in the paint. It’s too bad for Texas interior players Connor Lammert, Pince Ibeh and Shaq Cleare, who now must not only replace Rid-ley’s minutes, but also at least try to make up for Ridley’s impact on both ends of the floor.
In short, the remaining bigs must do things they aren’t accustomed to doing.
Mostly, it’s too bad for Ridley, a good kid who embraced the new-found freedom he found in Smart’s scheme. He had worked hard, lost weight and greatly increased his leadership role. Heck, he even blocked a school record nine shots in a game a couple of weeks ago.
And now, this.
Surgery “went well” according to reports, but extremely optimis-tic early speculation indicated that Ridley would return in late-February at the very earliest. But realistically, knowing the history of big men and their feet, would it benefit Ridley to return that quickly for a handful of games at the end of his collegiate career, possibly jeopardizing a shot at professional basketball?
Probably not. But that’s not a decision that has to be made now; for now, Ridley must heal. And wait.
However, Smart and the Longhorns have no choice but to live in the now; the games don’t stop when someone gets hurt, a fact of which Smart is keenly aware. The Longhorns start conference play less than a week after Ridley’s surgery, which happened on December 29.
“We’re not the only team in America that has to deal with a curveball like that,” Smart said bravely. “I told our guys, we’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves. They don’t need to reinvent the wheel. They just need to do the things that we’ve asked them to do all along a little bit better.”
Or alot better. Lammert, Ebeh and Cleare - combined - do not equal Ridley’s production. Lammert is about 60 pounds lighter. Ebeh is effective defensively, but is nothing more than a scaven-ger on the offensive end of the court. Cleare is shorter, far less polished, raw and unproven, though talented.
Smart came to Texas with an up-tempo reputation, and now will certainly be the time for that reputation to flourish. The Longhorns will also have to shift from what was fast becoming a Ridley-centric offensive attack.
MANBIGTHE
WILL BE MISSED
35insidetexas.com
by Mike Blackwell
36 insidetexas.com
“Cam was really getting to the point where he was demanding the basketball,” Smart said. “And there was an impetus from the coaching staff and everywhere that the ball needed to go in there to him. Now we’ve got to continue to build that with our other bigs.”
Texas’ first game, post-Ridley, came against Connecticut, and Smart seemed to like what he saw of his Lammert-Ibeh-Cleare trio in the paint.
“I thought those guys did some really good things,” Smart said. “If you look at Shaq and Prince, between the two of them they played 30 minutes. I’d like to keep increasing that if we can. Shaq rebounded the ball really, really well. I thought Prince was active on defense, getting his hands on the basketball.”
Though he was cautiously optimistic, Smart realizes that Ridley’s absence effects more than just the interior of his team; the ripple
effect of Ridley’s break is - and will be - signifi-cant.
“ Obviously we weren’t able to throw the ball inside as much as we had the first 11 games,” Smart said after losing to UConn, 71-66. “We were still figuring out how we want to play, even when Cam was playing. I think we were still kind of getting into some kind of groove, at least on the offensive end, in terms of what our priori-ties were. And that obviously changes when you take him out of the mix.
“We’re going to need more drives from our guards. We’re going to have to the shoot the ball better than we did tonight. We’re going to need to get to the foul line and make free throws.”
Smart, who visited Ridley the day of his surgery, was optimistic about the big man’s future, but also realistic about just how quickly - if at all - he might be able to return to the Longhorns this season. He also lamented Ridley’s loss on a per-sonal level, his empathy apparent in the tone of his voice. This one hurts more than just Ridley.
“ His surgery went well,” Smart said. “ His spir-its are good. He’s just a terrific kid, you’re so ex-cited about his progress and his development and then something like this happens...you can’t help but feel like, ‘Man, this guy was doing so well.’ But, at the same time, he’s going to progress.”
Smart said he would know more about Ridley’s potential return after a follow-up visit with the doctor, adding that he was told prior to the surgery that recovery time is usually 8-10 weeks, which would put Ridley’s return at late-February or early March.
“But I was also told that everybody responds differently, and it could potentially be longer than that,” Smart said. “We’re certainly not going to put him back out there until he’s physically ready.”
When Ridley will be ready is a question neither Smart, nor anyone else, can answer. Whether the Longhorns are ready to win con-sistently without him in the lineup is another question that will be answered only in time.
- CAMERON RIDLEY -
38 insidetexas.com
RECRUITING UPDATE
STEPHON TAYLOR, DLMcDonough HS, New Orleans (2016)
This month we focus on prospects in the 2016 recruiting class who would bring physicality to
the Longhorn defense.
How he fits at Texas: Taylor is a particularly
exciting, yet raw prospect who is able to get
by in high school by simply finding the ball
and then relying on his absurd length and
speed to beat anyone who is unfortunate
enough to find themselves in his path of
destruction. He’s probably quick enough to
play the DE/DT swing position in Texas’ 3-3
fronts like Malcom Brown did but his eventual
upside would be best realized as a 3-tech-
nique in a 4-2 front. He’d be a player that can
cause problems for Texas stunting into interior
gaps once he learns how to apply his superior
length and athleticism to beating bigger op-
ponents. – Ian Boyd
by Justin Wells and Ian Boyd
How this affects Texas: UT’s troubles in securing top-notch defensive tackles the last few years is unnerving to the say the least. To build championship programs, the defen-sive interior is a required starting point. Enter Stephon Taylor. The 4-star defender from NOLA is a guy that can break that trend of no-name DTs. Taylor, who holds offers from Alabama, LSU, Auburn, and others, is a unique cat in that despite living on basically LSU soil, is looking out-of-state for his future address. He doesn’t have the same in-state ties that most Bayou Bengals claim - grew up in Alabama - therefore don’t be shocked when he leaves the Da Boot. Texas and Auburn appear to lead his recruitment in landing the signature from the 6-foot-4 monster, with UT holding a slight edge. Land Taylor, and the pattern of missing on big-time defensive tackles starts to fade.– Justin Wells
Coach says: Stephon is a creature. You want crea-tures like Stephon upfront clogging running lanes and getting after the passer from down to down. Work on his pad level and keep working his hands and you are going to have yourself a monster. The way he can move at 6-foot-4, 295 pounds, is scary and with the right coach he has a chance to be a heck a player wherever he goes. He would be near the top of my priority list if I was coaching at Texas.
How this affects Texas: Mike’s not a kid that you call a differ-ence maker, but he’s a necessity. He’s a Larry Dibbles. The guy who helps with depth, works hard, and potentially becomes a rotation guy along the d-line. That’s if he sticks at DT, which I think he will. He’s been a Texas fan for the longest, despite committing to Stanford. Texas hasn’t pushed for his signature yet. If they do, and I feel like they will, I expect the Horns to land the gentle giant from Fort Worth. Dibbles was a player too. – Justin Wells
39insidetexas.com
How he fits at Texas: Williams has the ideal attributes of a Charlie Strong 3-3
Under nose tackle. Why? Because he’s athletic, sudden off the ball, and ef-
fective enough in his technique to get from a heads up alignment across from
the center into an A-gap. His size and use of his hands make him a promising
prospect for battling double teams and he’s very likely to be able to force op-
posing OL to commit a guard to doubling him as Big 12 centers aren’t really up
for handling a guy like this across their face. - Ian Boyd
How this affects Texas: They call him the Shark because he never goes backwards. Watch his tape. The guy was born to play Fox in Strong’s 3-3-5. McCulloch is the type of talent that flourishes in a Strong-called defense. And with the Horns 2015 LB haul, UT just needs a few more horses to make the linebacker position a strength moving forward. He’s a smart kid, with good grades in a family of educators. He’s flirted with the usual suspects; Texas, Notre Dame, Stanford, and A&M. At the end of day, I think he turns Mon-crief into a Shark Tank without Mr. Wonderful.– Justin Wells
JEFF MCCULLOCH, LBAldine Davis HS, TX (2016)
How he fits at Texas: McCulloch’s specialty in high school has been play-ing the edge in what translates as the Fox position at Texas. He’s a strong outside linebacker at playing blocks against screens on the edge, running plays down from behind, and exploding off the edge in the pass rush. His film does not reveal what kind of player he’ll be when teams are trapping him with big H-backs or impeding his path to the QB with a left tackle. However, the lateral agility and his natural feel for playing the edge in space combined with a frame that will likely end up at 250+ portends a great edge prospect that might be a special weapon at Fox in a few years. – Ian Boyd
Coach says: Big fan of this kid as a player. Plays the game fast and relentless and that didn’t dip off from his junior to senior year. Love how he is always flying to the football and is capable of making a lot of plays out in space, as he will be playing on the outside at the next level. If you can find a way to get a guy like this and Malik Jefferson on the edges, you can get real creative and raise some hell in pass rushing situations.
MIKE WILLIAMS, DTFt. Worth All Saints HS, TX (2016)
Coach says: I was lukewarm on Williams when I first saw film on him awhile back,
but I am starting to come around on him. While I am weary of his competition, he
looks to be pretty strong at the POA and he doesn’t get moved off the LOS very
much. He also flashes a nice get off and if he can become more consistent with it
he will be a bit of a problem on the interior. He also flashes a little ‘arm over’ move
that seems to be his go-to move, and I would look to refine and add to that if I was
a prospective D-line coach. The big fella has made me a believer and the fact that
Stanford wants him makes me an even bigger fan.
