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I’ve spent the better part of the last week trying to delve deeper into the complex issues surrounding the proposed House Settlement, a class action settlement between former and current NCAA athletes and the NCAA and its member institutions which choose to opt in to the settlement. I don’t have any revelatory findings to share with you. Just more questions than answers. However, the article I am linking below gives the best outlook I have read on the topic. It explains why colleges are confident that primary aspects of the settlement will be approved. Of course, it also explains that this approval will not adequately address all issues or legality surround…

This could end up being of no consequence but I am told that Maryland defensive lineman Lavon Johnson has not signed with North Carolina to this point. Could very well end up being true and is still likely headed in that direction.

Note on 4-star++ Jalen Lott OnTexasFootball believes there is a shift in the recruitment of Jalen Lott (Frisco, Texas/Panther Creek) by the Texas staff. After Jalen Lott sat in on a wide receiver room meeting when on campus earlier in April, it became apparent the 5-foot-11.5, 170-pounder was very excited to be in the WR meeting with Chris Jackson and leaning toward wanting to play wide receiver. Lott is scheduled to speak with Steve Sarkisian today, and Sarkisian is expected to begin the recruitment as an offensive player first. OTF believes Texas and Oregon remain the top two for the Longhorns legacy. Jalen Lott OV's ... LSU May 30-June 2 …

The Big 12, the ACC and others can bellyache all they want about the SEC and Big 10 pushing them around at the negotiating table when it comes to number of playoff spots and other aspects of the future of college football. But last night was a prime example of exactly why the two premier conferences feel justified in doing so. The SEC finished with 15 picks in the first round of the NFL draft. The Big 10 had 11. That’s 26 of 32 in the first round. The Big 12 and ACC had just 2 each. Hell, Texas alone, with three first-round picks, had more than those two entire conferences. Ohio State, Georgia and Michigan did, too. The message to recruits is…

With spring ball now in the books, it's up to the players to maximize their chemistry as we inch closer to the season. I'm told a certain group of Longhorns are doing just that this upcoming weekend, with multiple players heading to Louisiana together for private workouts. This group includes quarterback Arch Manning, along with wide receivers Ryan Wingo and Deandre Moore, running back Cedric Baxter and tight end Jordan Washington. --- I asked one source what the biggest difference is between this year's team and last year's at this point. "Veteran leadership," they quickly answered. "Last year there were so many older guys on this roster who set the …

I read yesterday’s Jeff Howe article on the 2021 recruiting class and its importance to the Texas program and Steve Sarkisian’s success with a lot of interest. There are a couple of reasons why: 1. The positive difference I see in the 2021 class compared to many previous ones is the “development” of the class itself. Guys like Gunnar Helm, Hayden Conner and Barryn Sorrell were not projected draft picks when enrolling at Texas. They had the right attitude, were put into a good system and they developed naturally. That development piece had been seemingly missing for far too long in Austin. Whether we give credit to the players themselves or to Torr…

Mike White and the Texas softball team are returning to the Women’s College World Series for the third time in four years following their 6-5 victory over Clemson last night. The Horns won the best two-of-three game series after dropping the first contest on Thursday night and then winning an extra innings thriller deep into Friday evening. The final two games were a measure in resiliency for the Horns. Friday night’s game included a season-saving situation where Clemson had runners on second and third base with no outs. Somehow the Horns escaped the situation unscathed. Last night, Texas took control of the game early but Clemson would not go away. The Tig…

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said the quiet part out loud yesterday afternoon. The SEC and the general quality of its teams, thereby the strengths of its schedules, are different than every other conference. He even provided media a 7-page document explaining exactly why. Only two of the conferences 16 schools have averaged being outside of the top 50 teams in college football over the past 10 years. Meanwhile, every other conference has at least twice as many, if not three times as many. What’s the net of all of it? While the Big 10 is trying to force the SEC into a 9-game conference schedule, I just don’t think it’s in the cards. The coaches simply don’t …

Texas kicked off summer conditioning this morning, the start of the next phase of the offseason in Austin, Texas. For those wondering, S Jonah Williams will be eased into workouts over the next week as the baseball season concluded, there is a plan to give him some time to catch his breath before being thrust right back into preparation for the 2026 football season. One nugget for next spring I can share is the plan is for Williams to lift with the football teams multiple times each week despite being in the middle of the baseball season. But of course, that is basically eight months away at this point. When Williams does arrive for summer workouts, that will me…

Texas sits at 13 commitments. It’s not an overwhelming class as yet. But there are 15+ visitors coming to town this weekend and the Horns have the no. 1 quarterback in the country committed. ** Dia Bell, the Texas quarterback pledge from South Florida, won the Elite 11 QB competition this week over a host of other elite, nationally-ranked quarterbacks. Bell is the first Longhorn to win the award. ** If you haven’t read CJ Vogel’s team update from yesterday, it’s worth your time. One of the notes that CJ Vogel slipped into his responses and not the original article is something he has heard about new receiver Emmett Mosley, the Stanford t…

Texas is 0 for its last six in recruiting. Three of those players, at one time or another, felt like Texas leans: North Shore defensive back Chace Calicut, Georgia linebacker Zavier Griffin and New Jersey defensive tackle Damari Simeon. So what happened between the two parties on the way to the altar? With each it’s a different story. Calicut was drawn to the idea of playing corner. Griffin was somewhat miffed by the idea of the Horns recruiting Tyler Atkinson allegedly and had ties to Tuscaloosa. Simeon received a better NIL offer elsewhere. But no matter the how of losing those recruits, the results - at least the current ones - remain the same. …

Happy Friday to all and most importantly, happy 4th of July! Again, there will be plenty of fireworks in the world of recruiting and beyond. There has been an interesting point made by @Bobby Burton on the board over the last few days that I think is worth taking a deeper dive into – roster retention. It is a different angle that previously I had not given much thought into when considering how the 2026 recruiting cycle would play out. But, this is certainly a new point of view that deserves its own breakdown. I have mentioned this on livestreams and board posts in the time between the end of the Cotton Bowl to now. Texas is going to be a talented football…

2027 Targets to Know *** In case you wanted some new names to familiarize with as we inch closer and closer to the start of a new football season. A quick look at prospects to know for the 2027 cycle on the offensive side of the ball. *** Quarterback Kavian Bryant, QB, Palestine (Texas) Westwood High Peyton Houston, QB, Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian Academy It is a two horse race at the moment for the Longhorns in the 2027 cycle. Of course, other names like Gunnar Rivers, Jerry Meyer III and Malachi Ziegler will be names to monitor as well, but the two quarterbacks listed above are the only '27 QBs to hold offers from the Long…

After today, Steve Sarkisian gives his team a long weekend prior to the beginning of training camp. Players are set to return for a team meeting next Tuesday and then the first practice is expected to be next Wednesday. At that point, football season will have actually started. ** On the surface, there appears to be a lot of pressure on Arch Manning and the Longhorns to meet out-sized expectations this season. But following SEC media days, I feel like three of Texas’ closest SEC neighbors - A&M, LSU and OU - may have have more daunting expectations. Texas A&M coach Mike Elko is on record saying he has high expectations for his team th…

Time to Prove It for Many Longhorns this Fall OTF had the conversation in our group chat over the weekend that no matter the projected starting lineup we have in mind entering fall camp, things can always change. Remember just a year ago, it was unknown where Jahdae Barron would start on the field for the Texas defense. He would eventually go on to win the Thorpe. As well as the WR rotation: Would it be Johntay Cook or Silas Bolden or even Matthew Golden who would step up and be that next big piece in the offense? Well, we all know how that worked out. So the fluidity of camp is certainly top of mind for me as we begin hypothesizing the Texas rotations for …

Texas Hoops Report: Staff likes the roster The Texas Longhorns basketball team has completed summer workouts, and is set to return to the court August 25 when the fall semester begins. After the summer workouts, one thing is clear. Sean Miller and staff like the roster they have put together. Some would say, of course they do. But I can just tell the fans that the staff really likes what they have to build in year one. The question is the why? OTF has that answer. Dailyn Swain ... The junior 6-foot-8 versatile forward is a pro, without question. The future NBA Draft questions will be determined by how much he improves his perimeter (three-point and one…

A comment made by Steve Sarkisian on Monday really caught my attention: "I'm not too consumed with, 'Hey, this is our starting 11,' knowing, especially on defense — we'll probably play over 30 guys in the first half of this game. At least well into the 20s of guys that will play in the game." Could Texas realistically play 30 players on the defensive side of the ball in the season opener against Ohio State? It would be an extreme jump from what we have seen in previous early season, marquee matchups where the Longhorns took on Alabama twice and Michigan a year ago. 21 players played five or more defensive snaps at Michigan in 2024 22 players p…

As we get ready for the game on Saturday, I have a couple of team notes. Trevor Goosby returned to almost full practice yesterday after taking last week off from any contact. Goosby had a medical procedure early last week and is progressing well. I’m told that if it’s left up to Goosby, he’s going to play Saturday. But such things are decided by coaches and trainers, not the athletes. As we’ve been reporting since late last week, we believe he’s going to play Saturday. But there remain no guarantees in that regard. Hopefully, Goosby gets the go ahead. ** The rotation along the defensive interior is still a work in progress. What the rota…

A win is a win, but there is plenty to improve upon. *** Good Horn Return Game Life For the first time this season Texas was able to establish a return in the punt game. Ryan Niblett gave three punts a chance on Saturday, totaling 72 yards with a long of 49. At this point, Texas needs just about every yard they can muster in every facet of the game. Good on the Texas return team for setting up the necessary blocks and the execution was the best we have seen this season. It can certainly still improve, and I am begging for more punts to be caught in the air, but this is a step in the right direction. Bad Horn 3rd Downs... Again Tex…

Texas Hoops: Practice begins Thursday; Duke game 42 days away Sean Miller's first season at Texas begins in 42 days in Charlotte vs. the Duke Blue Devils. Prior to that first game as head coach at Texas, the Longhorns will conduct 30 practices in 42 days per NCAA rules. The Longhorns in year one under Miller are considered a top 25 team by some, and fringe top 25-30 team by others. They are a team projected to make the NCAA Tournament. Making the NCAA Tournament in year one under a new coach is not a given. Todd Golden didn't make the tournament in year one at Florida, Danny Hurley the same at UConn, Rick Barnes the same at Tennessee, Bruce Pearl the sa…

Tracking Freshmen Participation Through Four Weeks A quick update on redshirt trends through the first third of the regular season. *** Next Snap Burns Redshirt WR Daylan McCutcheon TE Nick Townsend EDGE Lance Jackson STAR Graceson Littleton No redshirt for this bunch. Littleton has been a very pleasant surprise starting at the STAR position. McCutcheon and Townsend have found themselves nice roles in the Texas offense as well. And Lance Jackson has logged 15+ snaps in each game outside of Ohio State, where he played 7 in his debut. *** Three Games In WR Kaliq Lockett TE Emaree Winston …

The top 2028 QB on the board? I stopped by Vero Beach High in September to see 2028 quarterback Wonderful "Champ" Monds IV. The 6-foot-2, 223-pound sophomore put together a tremendous freshman season for Vero Beach High before sustaining a high-ankle sprain in the season opener in 2025. He's scheduled to return in the next couple of weeks ahead of the playoff run for 7-0 Vero Beach High. Texas quarterbacks coach A.J. Milwee has been in contact with Vero Beach head coach Lenny Jankowski multiple times, and OTF believes the Longhorns will be offering Monds in the near future. Monds currently has 19 offers, and multiple colleges have told the Vero Beac…

Hoops Recruiting: Texas continues to trend positively The Texas Longhorns have one commitment in the fold in the 2026 class in 4-star++ SG Bo Ogden (Austin/Westlake). Sean Miller and staff will spend up to four spots in the 2026 class. One of those spots would be used as a developmental piece with the change to having 15 scholarships on an annual basis. 4-star decision Thursday ... Four-star SG Joe Sterling (Studio City, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) is announcing his commitment Thursday. OTF places the odds for Texas at 80% headed into decision day. Sterling made OV's to Texas, Washington State, UC-Santa Barbara, New Mexico and Northern Iowa in the last few…

- The scrimmage on Saturday featured a lot of 1s vs 1s and 2s vs 2s. But it also featured a lot of rotation between the groups, especially on offense. In other words, there was some switching of offensive personnel based on formation, play-call, down-and-distance, etc. - This was the biggest hitting scrimmage so far of spring camp. - Quinn Ewers not only hit on a couple of nice medium range throws, he was also "efficient" running the offense. - Arch Manning ran with the second team and did really well, particularly in the red zone. Manning also completed a long toss to Amari Niblack for a TD. - Niblack continues to move up the depth chart and is now fi…

Arizona portal defensive lineman Bill Norton will be visiting Texas this weekend for the spring game. Norton entered the NCAA Transfer Portal April 12 after spending 2023 with Arizona, following four years at Georgia. The former top-100 recruit in the class of 2019 is coming off of his best and most productive season at the college level, in large part due to then-defensive coordinator and now-Texas LB coach Johnny Nansen. It is no secret Texas is looking to add to its interior defensive line room and Norton visiting this weekend shows interest. In 2023, Norton recorded 32 combined tackles, two forced fumbles and three passes deflected at the line of scrimm…