2024 Impact Freshmen | Will Ryan Wingo Start? | Texas Longhorns Football | Jordan Washington | SEC

welcome back to on Texas football uh I'm joined with Jerry Hamilton I'm CJ vogle we got a a little bit to talk about in terms of uh what's to be expected from this Freshman Class coming up today Jerry obviously three practices in the books Texas is uh back on the field freshman getting their first kind of taste of fall camp and what that entails uh it's starting to heat up you know the we know it's hot coming in from Summer the fall Camp's heating up in terms of intensity we've obviously seen that with Eclipse Jerry you were out at practice last week as well so you got to see these guys in their first kind of taste of uh fall Camp going into the season of course but I wanted to to toss you this question real quick you were out there you got to see these guys moving around uh in helmets earlier this week was there any one guy that you looked at and said oh yep his body has changed from the spring or wow this guy came in early or I guess in in the summer and a little bit more advanced than what you thought physically I think uh Alex January's done really good work um one of the F and I said this on a couple of V shows he impressed me because he tries to jump to the front of every line too that's you know when you're at a position where there's two returning guys that have played a lot three portal guys have had a lot of starts sometimes it's easy to drift back right um not only is he put in the work he looks really good at 305 310 but he wants to Jump Right In The Fray and get after it so Alex January really impressed me uh Santana Wilson was a guy that wasn't in the spring came in in the summer and physically definitely look looks like he belongs I think Kobe Black's done some good work on his on his body as well um I think he's maybe shed some uh we call it baby fat youthful uh maybe uh fat and then and and he's kind he looks better now physically than what he did Wardell Max you know plus 15 pounds from when I saw him as senior year down at John Eric um Tai Anthony Smith has maybe made the biggest gains just from a guy that was 193 that's closing on 215 220 now he's plus 20 pounds Steve sarkeesian said it in his press conference so that's considerable number uh for for Ty Anthony Smith because that means he's gonna be a 61 and a half 23 pound guy with a 79 80 inch wingspan in time that dog will hunt yeah yeah one other name I wanted to mention I've heard is Nate kibble obviously the interior offensive lineman from matasa sounds like he's been hitting the ground running since arriving in the summer uh kind of to build on this we've talked about Jerry kind of body Transformations guys building up that Ty Anthony Smith Colin Simmons back in the spring but Alex January slimmed down a little bit you said he's looking good 305 is that about you know where you expect him to be for this upcoming season 305 310 uh probably 315 320 pound guy when all said and done almost 65 good arm length big hands his father Mike Janu played at Texas has coached him up well he's got really good hand placement so he he's going to do very well in drills as he's done uh since he's been in Austin but physically he looks like a guy that can contribute to me and I think he will we'll get to that in a second yeah absolutely that's a great segue there we're gonna talk today a little bit about you know some of the Freshman that we expect to be impact guys for the Texas Longhorns this fall obviously we've been reporting Ryan Wingo is going to be one of those guys who else joins him kind of in that tier one category we certainly made the conversation off air there's probably a handful probably four or five guys that you could certainly see uh being rotational pieces or big-time contributors let's go through that real quick yeah I think we think that's going to be Ryan Wingo Colin Simmons on the defensive side of the ball uh Michael Kern specialist at the punting position Texas didn't take a portal punter this summer looks to me like they're going to trust the leg out of St Thomas aquinus and then Alex Janu January was the other guy that we both talked about maybe having a little bit larger of an impact for the typical freshman and again Texas in a position this year with the depth that it has and kind of the ability to go out in the portal to add a big keynote Guy where they're not relying a whole lot on these incoming true freshmen to be on the field as often as maybe in years past but of those four guys Jerry and maybe I'm missing one here who is the guy that you're looking at right now is it just is it Ryan Wingo right away that's going to make the largest impact for the Longhorns this year I think it's the guys that can bring something a special quality strength to a team who's ranked top five that may not have or may need a little more of uh Ryan wingo's the biggest body at outside receiver before you get to a skill set and and in person again he looked like it in the spring looks more like it now on the first couple of glances last week physically that guy's ready to go at this level he just is um and he brings the ability at 6'2 205 210 pounds he's the biggest guy out there he's different than everybody else so uh before you ever get to him running a route him catching a pass able to actually have some wiggle after the catch you just look at him and say he's he bring he provides something physically that Steve sarkees and the staff don't have that they lost when ad Mitchell went to the NFL that's a bigger outside receiver then can go make a play on the ball in the air so with a really good timing so that alone forces him he's forced his way in due to that and now by the end of the season we'll see where this whole receiver rotation is um with Colin Simmons it's pass rush it's the twitched up pass rush and they got it in Spades in this class trymore out of the portal Colin Simmons out of high school um but Colin Simmons physically doesn't look like a freshman anymore he looks really like he's ready to go now is he ready to stand up against the run against Georgia when they load up the box I'm not saying that but physically he's ready to be a pass rusher at the power four level in the SK against the schedule Texas are going to play those two guys definitely bring something to the table more so or equal to uh in Colin Simmons case what's a couple of other players do at Texas but they don't have an abundance of it so they could be difference makers as freshman do that alone Michael ker you said from a punter he may be the first guy to start we'll see how the punting competition goes um but uh look he has the strongest leg being there in person there's no doubt he has the strongest leg is he going to have the best consistency as is he going to be the punter when Texas travels to Michigan and there's a lot of pressure punting the football in the fourth quarter that's the question now they have guys who've been in the program Ian rat left one of those but it's not like they've punted in games so from an experience standpoint in games the slates clean they're all the same but at least in practice experience the rush of college players that athleticism um the coaching because it's intense on special teams with Jeff Banks right there's a different pressure that comes with it um I think that will be interesting to see but Michael karna again like Wingo like Colin Simmons he does bring something that the the guys already on campus don't have he by far has the strongest leg so there's there's there's something to be said for that yeah I think that's a really interesting way to look at it obviously how do you as a freshman bring something that's not already on the roster at the moment we'll see you know just what these guys can you know kind of carry on momentum for going on to later fall Camp practices I did get two texts earlier this week kind of recapping the first two practices the first was about Ryan Wingo who said he's uncoverable no one can stick with him in the one-on ones he does create that separation and that body as you said uh you know provides a bit of a difficulty speaking about wide receiver bodies and maybe a way in which a another freshman could see the field Parker Livingstone you know 64 has that ability I'm not saying he's going to be on the field often but he does to your point Jerry he has that little bit of a different body type than the typical sarkeesian wide receiver that was the other text I received sneaky fast and I think for anybody that saw him in person maybe not that much of a surprise but at the college level to hear that translating things sound like they're tring in the positive direction there as well busy room crowded room a lot of bodies with experience him and Butler Aaron Butler him and Aaron Butler probably need to have patience this year but if they have patience and develop I I think great opportunity will be there for them that doesn't mean injuries are going to happen injuries could force somebody onto the field uh but I I think both those guys I mean Aaron Butler's got really good feet um he's got the ability to create separation right he's just got to get more consistent as a route Runner I think he's got some depth issues in route running based on the two practices that we had media window available ability to especially the first one that he's kind of working through as he develops in that Parker living Stone getting stronger right what's going to happen with Parker Livingstone if they put him in and they go up against a really good press cover guy can you get off the line of scrimmage because size and speed doesn't help if you can't get off the line so there they're different developments for these guys but I think look if you put Wingo living Stone Aaron Butler that's a really good freshman receiver class is what it is and they all have different skill sets um and they can win in different ways so that's going to be really good in the future as long as those guys stick with it the development part of this process absolutely that kind of Segways us again into that next body of of of freshman coming in and I think it's going to be headlined by Xavier philam me you know he was that highly touted safety out of mckenny coming in we've also heard good things about Tai Anthony Smith and the body in which he's kind of transformed into we saw Jordan Washington uh at the tight end spot in the spring but also which running back emerges as a guy that Texas can rely on as well Jerry of this next group again there's probably a few more that could be in the conversation is there anybody that stands out as yeah he will be on the field or is it all kind of earn your stripes through special teams we'll see how the season progresses and if injuries occur who steps up you know in terms of out of necessity more so than yep he's got to be a guy we we see on the field immediately I I think Alex Janu will play at D line and I know people are like what no I think he's going to play do I think he's going to be in the six-man rotation against Michigan I'm not saying that but I think it's he's going to play and it won't shock me if as the season moves along he doesn't get four five six more snaps than what people are expecting but I think he's com in with that mentality I think he's done great work physically I think like I said I mentioned earlier Mike January former player at Texas has done a great job teaching his son hand placement start which is key uh but I think he's just he's F he was jumped to first line whenever he could not in front of Alfred Collins and Vernon but in the stretching he jumps right up there and tries to be in that group with those guys he wasn't hanging in the backs and you know I'm here I'm gonna red shirt and I'm gonna wait my turn that dude is here to compete and he's I think he's going to play a little bit the safeties are interesting to me Jordan John rebell and Phil Sam me because I think you'll see them on special teams I think a TI Anthony Smith you could see on special teams um but what's going to be interesting with those guys is it's all on it's not necessarily their play right now uh because they're freshman you could see in drills Xavier fil be sometimes still a little bit a half step late responding to something Blake Gideon wants him to in a drill Jordan Johnson Rebels more advanced there coming from IMG it's like a college program but that's they're depending on what does galani McDonald do is gelani McDonald going to be ready to play in coverage if he's not that could open the door for a Jordan Johnson Rebel later in the season and what's Texas going to do with J Baron yeah is he gonna is he GNA be a nickel corner or is he gonna be a nickel safety I I think Delani McDonald maybe hold the cards to that question with the safeties the next couple weeks of fall practice because I think you know what you have in drik Williams um I think you know what you have in MBA I think you know what you have in tath who what I'm not sure they know what they have behind it quite yet I think jnly McDonald's got upside but is he ready to be a safety turn and run in coverage that's a different question than what he looks like physically and how he plays downhill um so I think that's the question that has to be answered running backs there's going to be injury we know this so backer backer starter Blues two Weisner three and I do think Weisner is going to eat in the carries a little bit more he'll play more in games than kelen Robinson did but you know all three of those guys won't make it healthy all the way through the season it's the running back position it is what it is um who is going to be that guy Jared Gibson or Christian Clark would be the next man up in the spring Gibson was ahead of Clark when you know in the spring game and when they rotated I think that's going back and forth I think they're both physically ready to play I think Christian Clark was going to make bigger strides from Spring practice to fall practice than Jarrett Gibson did from Spring to Fall practice the reason I say that is Jared Gibson played two years at IMG he was already part of a small college program he played against the elite competition um the he had the training table he had the college level strength and conditioning coach he already had all that so he walked in the Texas in January and he really wasn't phased so he was going to be more ready than Christian Clark in January and through spring practice that doesn't mean into spring practice to August that Chris Clark didn't make a bigger jump than jerck because jerck came in ahead I think they're both interesting players because they they're already physically ready to play at the power four level I think Christian Clark's got the best natural running back build of anybody in the room at Texas and I think Jarett Gibson could actually be number two in that regard um but it'll be interesting to see if one of those guys breaks through CJ as a goal line short yardage type of back because they're both compact powerful guys they do it in different way Jarrett Gibson's GNA be the patient between the tackles guy that gets small on contact that may be hard to find at times because he's 59 205 Christian Clark more the violent cutter um he has more of that stop start jump cut skip cut get small through the hole than jerck Gibson does so they're going to do it in different ways uh one of those guys will have to play at some point this year because injuries happen yeah I it's interesting in terms of you know going back to your point earlier who brings something to the room that's not not already there for one of the freshmen and you know with the way in which we've seen sarkeesian utilize a wild cat package or you know one of those goal line heavy duty formations are we sure that's going to be a CJ Baxter or is there an opportunity there for a Jer Gibson or Christian Clark I think that'll be really interesting again in terms of short yardage kind of specialty uh Niche formations or usages we'll see but I think that's the way that you see either one of those freshman on the field more often than expected coming in is if they earn the trust of a sarkeesian to stand behind Center take the snap and utilize or or kind of diagnose what's ahead of him with that formation that'll be interesting but I wanted to go go ahead I I so I was you were about to segue but I wanted to get I wanted to mention one other guy we gotta talk about him was Jordan Washington yes Jordan Washington's gonna play how much is he gonna play I don't know again that that I think that depends on the health of Gunner Helm Amari n black not Health staying healthy throughout the season what is a Juan Davis role Juan Davis I think has a role as a blocker but I think Jordan Washington's ahead of him as a pass catcher down the field a little bit in the intermediate game Jordan Washington's gonna play this one's very simple Jeff Banks doesn't go at his press coordinator press conference and call a freshman a rising star and then him red shirt Jordan Washington's gonna play um and I think that tight end rooms is arguably as good as any room right now at Texas this season because of NYL who moves like a wide receiver tight end he's just a problem Gunner Helm is a senior Juan Davis is a senior as a really good blocker um and then you bring in Jordan wat Spencer Shannon as a as a inline blocker and then you bring in Jordan Washington who physically 64 250 long arms but he showed he was Fearless in the spring game so he's playing how much we're going to find out but we can guarantee people Jeff Banks didn't say rising star and then go red Shir the guy that's not happening that that's a that's a heck of a point uh I mean we saw the big Play Over the middle in which he uh he kind of wilded some Texas fans in the spring game got a basketball background can go get the ball vertically uh in the air he he understands how to do the uh the dirty work as well he's a willing Blocker we saw it on tape but moving on one other note real quick uh offensive line I think we expect you know barring something crazy where Texas loses multiple multiple people uh those three will be red shirting this year hopefully they get some snaps and mop up duty but not you know necessarily and fortunately for Texas that we're expecting a freshman offensive lineman to make you know a whole lot of impact right now we'll see of course if Brandon Baker does win that second right tackle position job uh tight Battle of course we're expecting to carry on through spring and into the season but moving on I we talked a little about Xavier philson me and Jordan Johnson Rell Jerry that cornerback spot was one that Texas was pretty pleased with right you won over a late commitment from Kobe black Santano Wilson Wardell Mack two guys from out of state that Texas was fortunate and put in a lot of work to land in their 2024 recruiting class is that still a spot that's kind of contingent on how Texas utilizes j a baron as a war Roberson kind of that blockade there to get these freshmen on the field what are you expecting right now from these freshman quarterbacks and how often you know they could be impact guys or on the field at all yeah I want to add to what you said about the offensive line Texas loves all three of those guys by the way they just they're not forced to play them but make no mistake they really like those guys a corner is interesting um Wardell Mack was working at nickel which to me that's a very positive sign for Ward al mack because that is a You could argue that's the most difficult cover spot in in in football now as the nickel because people are going to put their quickest shiftiest fastest guy there to go against you um so that is actually a pretty good sign for ell Max future at Texas um so he was working at nickel and not corner with the first two media open windows that mean he is the rest of August no um Santana Wilson I think CJ after seeing him no with the background with his obviously his father a tremendous player so grew up with DB mindset watching DB tape right knowing how to train at that position and be a corner specific guy I think if he' been in for spring he might have been competing with Warren Roberson for that fourth Corner Spot um I think Kobe black has talent for sure I I I'm not sure he's not he doesn't need the most time even though he the most highly ranked that the ranking is one thing that's the on the upside I'm not sure he doesn't need the most time of any of these guys though that that's because Sant Wilson had that Advantage right and that and and yes Kobe black has his brother Cory black his father played for Bill Snider Kansas State but it's still different when your dad was an NFL guy and works in the NF worked in the NFL and played in the NFL and you grew up in it right that's just different level um so I think Santana Wilson physically looks good he has a great Corner build he has enough arm length about him he has the feet you saw we saw that Bobby and I saw that in the short amount of time Rod babers as well um I think Warren Roberson is the odds on favorite there if a Santana Wilson say came in and did that in a short amount of time Texas fans should just say um that's a really good sign you got one yep I I I was gonna make the point it's bit interesting right you know uh and again going back to Texas and their recruiting targeting guys that w win championships at the high school level I've talked about that at length but two finding guys from college and NFL pedigrees that come in already knowing what it takes to you know make it at the next level without having steep foot on campus Anan Wilson being one of those Alex January another uh the other thing I wanted to mention about Kobe black is I think early on for him until he really gets that speed of the game kind of uh you know acclamation you're G to see the highs and the lows with him I think you have the Boomer bus kind of approach with a Kobe black at the moment and of course a freshman quarterback I think that's to be expected at times but you saw it in the spring game right he got stacked by Ryan Wingo that was a long touchdown but also undercut along outside of you know route in which he came away with the interception so you see the glimpses it's all about consistency into your point I think a guy with the NFL pedigree and kind of tutelage of a father who spent a decade Plus in the NFL that's going to be where the you know kind of differentiation is in terms of the two yeah and Santana Wilson was a corner and he returned some kicks in high schol but he was a corner he's trained at corner Kobe played all over the place you know so and he played Corner don't get me wrong but then he played Safety then he played offense so these guys you know have to come in and really kind of work o for an extended period of time at a singular position and those guys that have to do that for the first time it takes them a little longer so it's defin like I the term it's a broken record but it's not add water instant player with players like that they need time to develop uh in the addition of a jvon Cole gives a guy like Kobe black time to develop yeah absolutely so we'll see of course plenty of talent coming in with this Freshman Class Jerry I think we're all excited for a number of Big Time names this year and down the road certainly a a really bright positive outlook on what this class will bring to Texas during their time on campus uh Ryan Wingo headlines and of course Alex January guys like Colin Simmons also figure to be big time pieces this well this year as well I wanted to say this too Zena UMO Zulu looks tremendous physically he's got a bright future at Texas Melvin Hills looks really good seeing him a person at 305 pounds he he he's got the build it's put together well he's a Max effort guy I know Texas has really liked what they've seen from him in the summer since he wasn't an early enrol Le so I want to make sure REM mention those guys because again development development on the defensive line there are very few twitched up guys like Colin Simmons that just come in and they're ready to have a singular trait that makes them Elite from day one in college football Zena Great Frame Melvin Hills really good frame has worked really hard since he's been on campus so that depth uh is maybe is building on the defensive front for Texas maybe more so than what we talk about or give it credit for times that it's a heck of a note going into the SEC you'll need those big bodies but that'll do it for today of course uh kind of breaking down this freshman class you know what to expect moving forward of course fall Camp underway Texas will be back on the field Saturday night uh just getting ready Jerry it's here football season is right around the corner officially they're back on the practice field so that's one leg of the the race completed but Jerry thank you for joining me today of course I'm CJ vogle that was Jerry Hamilton tremendous work of course on on texas.com come join the community being OTF OG as well that by way CJ 40 acres apparel if you like the shirt it's a the co-op 40 acres app Peril well there we go that's I mean stylish as hell Jerry I like it uh but that'll do it for today thank you again and come join us on on Texas foot.com welcome