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1. Crown & Coke said:

   July 14th, 2009 at 12:29 am

   I might be an alarmist, but the rapdily deteriorating DL situation seems to spell disaster in regard to our visit to Stillwater.

   The fact that Kendall Hunter averaged 9+ YPC at DKR versus ‘Rak/Roy/Melton leaves me quivering at the thought of what might be possible against this year’s group in front of a hostile Boone-Pickens crowd.

   In the aftermath of last year’s defensive meltdown in Lubbock, I couldn’t help but wonder how things might have been different if Robert Joseph was anchoring the secondary on that final scoring drive.

   Now that the DT position is shaping up as this year’s Achilles Heel, I wonder how much stronger the team’s outlook would be with a well-seasoned Andre Jones returning to the starting lineup.

   At the time of those arrests, we all knew the consequences were disastrous in terms of the program’s overall reputation. Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone could’ve guessed how badly all of that shameless bitch-kicking would ultimately hinder the success of the team itself.

2. Newy25 said:

   July 14th, 2009 at 3:08 am

   Without Brandon Pettigrew they were not going to be able to simply mash the ball down our throats the same way. Losing Wilcoxin is meaningless.

   Calvin Howell has to pan out. There is no other way around it. If he does then we have enough bodies.

3. Turn the page, Fred said:

   July 14th, 2009 at 4:16 am

   If Wilcoxin couldn’t scrounge up playing time on this team…that tells you everything you need to know about him.

4. Nordberg said:

   July 14th, 2009 at 5:38 am

   Losing Wilcoxin and maybe Derek Johnson isn’t going to change shit for 2009. We’ve got enough bodies to be okay, although we’d be good and fucked for the future if Howell doesn’t pan out. In a perfect 2010 world, our tackle rotation would be Andre Jones, Jarvis Humphrey, and Calvin Howell.

5. Captain Obvious said:

   July 14th, 2009 at 5:49 am

   I agree with Nordberg. Wilcoxin hadn’t made a serious push for playing time last year when depth wasn’t exactly abundant at the position and he was pretty much a non-factor in the Spring.

   Kheaston’s weight is up and he and Howell are the keys this year. Hope Derek is back in August and I completely understand the kid getting a bit homesick. School in the summer isn’t the same as when he visited during recruiting, I don’t think he can have any direct contact with the coaches, and he is in a new place.

   My fear isn’t as much OSU as OU. Texas made them pretty much one dimensional last year and Bradford had 400 yards and 5 touchdowns.

6. Levander Williams said:

   July 14th, 2009 at 7:02 am

   No worries – just shift over a spare TE. We have plenty.

7. BatesHorn said:

   July 14th, 2009 at 7:13 am

   I can’t believe that I’m crediting anything associated with Scip, but we may want to scrounge around in the 3rd team O-line for bodies.

8. HenryJames said:

   July 14th, 2009 at 7:18 am

   Help won’t come from an offensive lineman. Don’t have the quickness. It will come from either a defensive end or from the scheme.

9. Scipio Tex said:

   July 14th, 2009 at 7:23 am

   “I can’t believe that I’m crediting anything associated with Scip, but we may want to scrounge around in the 3rd team O-line for bodies.”

   This false attribution must end!

   Look, this obviously isn’t great news but Derek Johnson wasn’t going to help us this year and if Wilcoxon can’t get PT with this depth chart, that’s a transfer I’ll bless.

   If we can get some play out of Randall and some quality relief minutes from Howell and 5 foot 10 Ben, we’ll get by. I also think Eddie Jones can play some credible DT for us when we play pass-oriented teams.

10. BatesHorn said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 7:25 am

    Good point. And this is a big deal with Wilcoxin turning into a turd and Johnson having homesick issues. We are a rolled up knee away from Kyle Kriegal being in the two deep.

11. Levander Williams said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 7:27 am

    If memory serves, Wilcoxin was one of those ‘camp fever’ / WTF? offers. Looks like conventional wisdom was accurate on him.

12. Nordberg said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 7:28 am

    Look, we’ve got the right guy in charge now. Even though we all feel accustomed to it, we don’t need 11 all-conference caliber players in order to wreck shit on defense. 10 will do fine.

13. Vasherized said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 7:33 am

    Ben Alexander just needs to eat the opponent’s stud running back in the first quarter and we’re fine.

    Randall and/or Howell should be ready to go by the time we face the Okies.

    Muschamp won’t hesitate to play 3 DEs + Houston (a former DE) on passing downs. I’d like to see a combo of Kindle/Acho/Houston/Okafor get after the passer. With an improved secondary holding down coverage for even one extra second, that’s all these freaks need to hunt down the QB.

    And unicorns shall surf down rainbows on the jumbotron as we hold every team to negative yardage.

    If Wilcoxon was never going to play, I’m glad he transferred now so he can land on a team where he can get meaningful PT while giving us an extra scholarship to hunt down an OOS stud with that inevitably spurns us in February. Or a 3 star sleeper even HenryJames hasn’t heard of that commits on the spot in September.

14. Scipio Tex said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 7:41 am

    Like most people, coaches think in analogues.

    Wilcoxon’s was Derek Lokey. They saw his attitude, build, and weight room numbers and thought of Lokey without regard for what really made Lokey a good football player.

    Lokey had outstanding power at the point of the attack, good get off, and played with great leverage. He showed that at every level, even as an undersized freshman against Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

    Wilcoxon’s high school film showed him absorbing the initial block and then using superior size and strength to shuck a high school OL.

    They confused strength with power.

    Our record of DT evaluation is pretty good overall though.

15. Levander Williams said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 7:51 am

    Agreed re: scouting & development at DT – I’d just like to have seen more depth there. It’s a sore spot for me and I’ve been a little unhinged on the subject as of late.

16. HenryJames said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 8:03 am

    We would have had depth if Brian Ellis hadn’t flunked out, Andre Jones hadn’t wanted to watch some bitches get kicked and Jarvis Humphrey hadn’t gotten ill.

17. Houstonearlers said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 8:22 am

    We’ve had terrible luck at DT.

    Andre Jones going retard and Humphrey’s medical condition being the main two issues.

    A couple bad breaks in recruiting did not help. We land Rod Davis (who I am not convinced is a world beater but would add decent depth) easily had we shown him love earlier. Then you have the McFarland debacle.

    We made some bad decisions too and it did not help that the DT depth in state was poor in 2006 and 2007.

    We signed 1 DT in 2006. A 5′10″ 3 star. (Two if you count Brian Ellis, who flamed/failed out)

    We signed 3 in 2007. One bell cow who went retard (Jones) and two reaches (Wilcoxon and Higgins). That wasn’t our fault so much, the next highest ranked DT after Jones was Chris Perry — #51 in the state and huge academic issues

    2008 we sign Humphrey and Randall. That is good. We should have signed another one or two given the Jones issue. (Rod Davis, Tony Jerod, Brandon Antwine).

    We just have to make due with what we have. Top line talent is pretty good with Houston and Randall. Need Ben to play well as a back up. Need Howell to be ready. If someone gets hurt, other options are:

    True freshman Derek Johnson (fingers crossed — not sure he makes it back and less sure he is ready)

    6′3″ 279 pound RS Soph Tyrell Higgins
    6′5″ 262 pound true freshman Kyle Kriegel
    6′4″ 245 pound true freshman Tevin Mims

    Mims and Kriegel are probably DT’s in the future.

    I wonder is Ahmard Howard or Dominique Jones could play DT someday. Howard is a RS Soph who is 6′4″ 250. He has not done anything at TE and it would at least move a scholarship from a position where we have too many bodies who won’t contribute to a position of need.

    Jones is 6′4″ 240 and a true freshman.

    I think Mims, Jones, Howard, Kriegel, and Derek Johnson all could be intriguing DT options in 2010 and beyond.

18. Steve Nebraska said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 9:34 am

    I think Ahmard Howard might be a little tall to play DT. I don’t think he can put on the weight necessary with his build.

19. anonymous said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 10:12 am

    I wish that Texas would go juco in a case like this. As soon as Jones got in trouble we should have started looking there. Granted the Humphrey thing was unlucky salt in the wound, but he would have been young and unproven at this point anyways.

    That proven DT experience was going to be an issue for this team, on an otherwise strong defense, was foreseeable as soon the Jones thing happened, and I wish we were in a position to go JUCO at times like that.

20. Levander Williams said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 10:14 am

    Maybe we can just go all ‘postive channeling’ mode and conjure up a new DT. I hear that’s the latest new thing in college football.

21. ed said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 10:18 am

    Good stuff on the DT history, houstonearlers.

    I’ve had the same take for some months — generally good decisions by the coaches, limited talent available, and lousy luck (Jones, Humphrey), though some of the Jones “luck” could have been avoided with better monitoring — by players as well as coaches.

    Where I think the coaches failed was in not recruiting enough DEs in 2008 (none) and 2007 (Carter, Sam Acho). Scarcity of DTs in the state has been an issue for some time. Knowing that, the coaches NEEDED to bring in extra ends and beef them up. That’s how they have created TEs (Marshall, Finley) and OL (Tony Hills, Mitchell) in recent seasons.

22. Captain Obvious said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 10:22 am

    My biggest concern about Eddie Jones moving down inside is his health issues. He has had trouble staying healthy outside and I am not sure how he would fair inside.

    Anybody you move inside is going to have to have enough strength to offset their lack of size. Not saying they have to be Lokey, but I have concerns about moving a more slender player inside like Dominique.

    Higgins might be one to watch as a sleeper as I like kids that have had to overcome some hurdles, bust their ass, and in position for a second chance.

    Last thinkg, Houstonearler sites some years in which there just aren’t many good dt’s in state. We have seen this happen multiple times be it the year with Sonny Davis and Marcel Moses to recently. This is a time I wish Mack would go stronger out of state.

23. Ricky said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 11:07 am

    Hopefully with the staff now focusing on talent earlier, they will be better prepared to build OOS ties earlier to players in positions of need when the state looks to have a lack of elite talent there.

24. Doperbo said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 11:57 am

    Being more rational than all of you I’m counting on the ‘cool weather fat guy’ bounce.

25. SL Xpress said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 12:28 pm

    I’ve never personally bought into Scip’s theories regarding the potential success of O-linemen being moved to DT, but now might be a good time to try it.

26. f3driver said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 12:30 pm

    Why do I suddenly want to play Evony?

27. Evony said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 12:40 pm

    Play DISCREETLY on your browser NOW!

    (And save the ravishing Queen from her apparent addiction to Quaaludes.)

28. Houstonearlers said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 12:45 pm

    Steve Moore could be a candidate for a move (just my pure speculation). He is down on the depth chart and is supposed to be pretty tough.

29. Vasherized said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 1:06 pm

    A Marcus Tubbs TE -> DT magic trick would work well right about now. I’ll even throw in 3 TE’s if it would help.

30. Captain Obvious said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 1:09 pm

    Are we really sure some of these te’s actually exist? Has anyone actually seen Ian Harris or Josh Marshall?

31. Steve Nebraska said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 1:20 pm

    Rumors of Ian Harris, but never Ian Harris.

32. Horn7 said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    Is Higgins still on scholarship?

33. Trips Right said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 1:39 pm

    I’d take a Maurice Gordon magic trick.

34. Vasherized said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 1:50 pm

    Throw in a little Cedric Woodard witchcraft …

35. Horncasting said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

    “Wilcoxon’s was Derek Lokey. They saw his attitude, build, and weight room numbers and thought of Lokey without regard for what really made Lokey a good football player.”

    I believe the story with Wilcoxin was that he was the only DT that came to a particular camp, and looked great going up against 5* Tray Allen.

    If I’m remembering correctly his highschool coach posted on OB’s Wilcoxin was better than Larry Dibbles – believe the phrase he used was “could whip his ass”.

36. Vasherized said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 1:56 pm

    Yeah, but is he “country tough”?

37. Horncasting said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 1:58 pm

    “I also think Eddie Jones can play some credible DT for us when we play pass-oriented teams.”

    I just don’t see it. Unless he has bulked up considerably he looked more like a LB than a DT to me last year.

    If the Higgens weight is anywhere close to accurate and is good weight, then we may have something there. He is another that looked really, really small (for a DT) on the sidelines last year.

38. Captain Obvious said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 2:03 pm

    Upon considering both career arcs I think we might hope for a little greater sample size in the future.

39. Nordberg said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 2:12 pm

    “I believe the story with Wilcoxin was that he was the only DT that came to a particular camp, and looked great going up against 5* Tray Allen.”

    In retrospect, this explains a lot.

40. Scipio Tex said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    Horncasting:

    Watch the Kansas game from last year when we played him as a 5 technique. He made some great plays whipping OL straight up.

41. CrazyJoeDavola said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 4:17 pm

    I think the impact of losing Wilcoxon is best measured by the fact that no one can seem to agree on how his last name is spelled, even within the same posts.

    Guys will often transfer out when they see that lower classmen are passing them up on the depth chart. I imagine Wilcoxon saw guys from the class of 2010 passing him up and figured the time to get out was yesterday.

    Johnson’s situation is yet another rationale for Mack Brown to eschew out-of-state recruiting. Great.

42. Captain Obvious said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 4:52 pm

    CJD, True, but when you consider the players who were charged with felonies were in-state recruits you would hope to get some type of trade-off.

43. Spike Owens and Burt Hooten said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 5:05 pm

    “I think the impact of losing Wilcoxon is best measured by the fact that no one can seem to agree on how his last name is spelled, even within the same posts.”

    We agree with CJD.

44. Newy25 said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 5:21 pm

    Looks like Chip Brown may have jumped the gun on both accounts.

    My take is at least one of the two (Wilcoxon, Johnson) will be at Texas this fall. My money is Johnson comes back and is allowed to redshirt and focus on getting acclimated to Austin and college life without the pressures of having to contribute immediately.

    And I bet the coaches are trying to sell Wilcoxon on the fact that Johnson will be a sure fire redshirt candidate.

45. Vasherized said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 5:28 pm

    Chip is now reporting that Wilcoxon might not be gone. Taking some time to sort things out.

46. Jim Harrison said:

    July 14th, 2009 at 5:56 pm

    Wilcoxin was never leaving. Not till Chit Brown tried to run him off anyway.

47. Captain Obvious said:

    July 15th, 2009 at 6:09 am

    Hmmm….we are in a slow part of the year and a staffer on a pay website might have rushed the gun in an attempt to get a scoop. What are the chances of that happening?

48. HenryJames said:

    July 15th, 2009 at 6:13 am

    Dude is the team’s linchpin.

49. Doperbo's Fallout 3 Character said:

    July 15th, 2009 at 7:23 am

    ‘I’d take a Maurice Gordon magic trick.’

    I was thinking exactly the same thing, only in a more paranoid ‘what if we think we’re getting Maurice Gordon but it’s really Miguel Mckay on CPAP’ kind of way.

50. exuLt said:

    July 15th, 2009 at 9:47 am

    I thought this was yet another one of those AA recruitment blog venues after I stopped answering the interdiction phone calls.

    I’m not giving up my elephants. Or chupacabras. Whatever.

51. Captain Obvious said:

    July 15th, 2009 at 3:30 pm

    Why do I think of Bates Horn recommendation to HJ when I open this thread?

52. Mysterious Package said:

    July 15th, 2009 at 8:35 pm

    OOS? Na, never!

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