Leal chooses A&M over UT
The Longhorns will finish up spring practice this week, culminating with Saturday’s Orange-White spring game, and the coaches will have to ask themselves a simple question:
Is this team better now than it was in late December?
There is no simple, straightforward answer.
Texas lost key defensive players and the country’s best punter. Neither quarterback has played well enough this spring for UT coach Tom Herman to publicly name a starter. There are key injuries that will keep notable names like linebacker Gary Johnson and defensive back P.J. Locke III out of Satur- day’s action.
Asked Tuesday who’s stood out this spring, Herman blurted out, “Malcolm Roach, the three young (defensive backs), the young quarterbacks, Patrick Vahe, Zach Shackelford, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Devin Duvernay, Brandon Jones ... I’m sure I’m leaving guys out, and I apologize if I left anybody out that I shouldn’t.”
For the uninitiated, Roach is a defensive end who got some practice time at line- backer. The three young DBs include early enrollees Anthony Cook, B.J. Foster and Caden Sterns. Freshmen quarterbacks Casey Thomp- son and Cameron Rising are earning their keep. Vahe and Shackelford are the leaders on the offensive line.
Humphrey could be one of the most versatile players on the field next season. Duvernay could get more action out wide than he’s seen in his first two years. Jones is a veteran in the defensive backfield heading into his junior season.
As for quarterbacks Sam Ehlinger and Shane Buechele, Herman said, “I’ve been really, really happy with their improvement.”
Herman typically does not call out individual players for poor play, but he will go after position groups.
“I’d hoped we would’ve made a little bit more prog- ress with the (second-team) O-line and some of the tailbacks,” Herman said. “That’s not to say they regressed. I haven’t seen quite the level of improvement. They have improved, but not dramati- cally like some of those other positions. The rest of the guys, yeah, I’ve been happy.”
Herman’s second-team offensive line is plagued by a lack of depth.
Patrick Hudson missed a majority of spring work while coming back from a knee injury. Other players haven’t progressed as fast as hoped. The Horns will finish spring practice with only eight healthy scholar- ship linemen.
As for the running backs, Herman has been vanilla about Toneil Carter and Danny Yo u ng. Tristan Houston and Kyle Porter will both miss the spring game with injuries. Even linebacker-turned-running back Cameron Townsend is banged up. Incoming freshman Keaontay Ingram will not arrive until this summer.
An expansion vision: The university has released a document outlining plans for a $140 million expansion and renovation of the Royal-Memorial Stadium south end zone. What would Her- man like to see?
“Everything would be about our players,” he said. “The first thing that comes to my mind, after we redid the locker room and the weight room and made those as state-of-the-art and first class as anywhere in the country, our training room is in dire need of that as well.
“My plan is to blow it out,” he added. “I’m talking as good as there is in the country because it directly impacts our student-ath- letes and their preparation and recovery.”
As for his wish list, Herman said, “A very competitively up-to-date meeting room space and office space, recruiting room and players’ lounge.”
Texas A&M landed the biggest fish left in Texas, figuratively and literally, when Converse Judson defensive linemen DeMarvin Leal committed to the Aggies after a visit to College Station to watch the spring game.
Leal is the No. 3-ranked player on the initial 2019 Fabulous 55 and was the toprated uncommitted prospect on the list until his commitment on Wednesday. Leal entered his visit with Texas A&M as a player most pegged for Texas’ 2019 class.
Leal’s commitment continues an upward trend for the Aggies in recruiting under Jimbo Fisher. It is his first full-cycle as a head coach and Longhorn fans watched what that momentum can do when Tom Herman signed the third-best class in the nation in his first real recruiting class at Texas. Texas A&M gained a commitment from tight end Baylor Cupp over the weekend.
Leal was considered a top Texas prospect and the commitment will come as a surprise and disappointment to the staff. Leal is the best defensive linemen in the state and can play defensive end or defensive tackle at the college level. It’s a true headto-head win for Texas A&M over Texas, much like for safeties Brian Williams and Demani Richardson.
Softball: Texas finally fell in Big 12 action as Baylor won 3-0 at McCombs Field on Tuesday. Gia Rodoni went the distance for Baylor, allowing just three hits while striking out eight.
Paige von Sprecken took the loss, allowing three runs on eight hits.
Jessie Scroggins went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Carlee Wallace also went 2 for 4 for the Bears. Taylor Ellis went 1 for 3 and scored a run. Nicky Dawson and Hannah Smith each scored runs for Baylor.
The Bears scored all of their runs in the third inning and Texas couldn’t dig out of the hole.
Janae Jefferson, Kaitlyn Slack and Ki’Audra Hayter went 1 for 3 for the Longhorns. Before the loss, the Texas softball team was off to its best start in conference play since 2011.