John Chiles no longer a QB, now a WR

As reported on Mack Brown’s web page:

“AUSTIN, Texas — Longhorn junior John Chiles has decided to move to wide receiver, Head Coach Mack Brown said on Thursday afternoon. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder who has lettered the past two seasons at quarterback, spent time visiting with offensive coordinator Greg Davis and wide receiver coach Bobby Kennedy this afternoon and will begin working at his new position when UT’s spring drills open on Friday. That practice, set for 4 p.m., as well as Saturday’s 9 a.m. workout, both at Denius Fields, are open to the public.

“At our position meetings this morning, John asked Greg Davis if we would consider letting him move to receiver,” Brown said. “Greg told John to think about it, talk to his family and then he would talk to me about it. John came back this afternoon, told us he had decided he definitely wanted to move to receiver, we visited about it and are all excited about the move.”

“I talked to my family, the coaches and everyone close to me and just came to the realization that I think I can really help the team at receiver,” Chiles said. “I’m willing to do anything to help us win games and make another run at a championship, which is the ultimate goal.”

Chiles expects his experience working part-time at receiver last year to help him in making the transition to his new position.

“Having had a chance to do some work out there last year laid a foundation for me, but I think having played quarterback will really help me have a better understanding of the receiver position,” Chiles said. “As a quarterback, you know how much trust you need in your receivers and where you expect them to be. I think understanding that and knowing the demands of the position will help my transition. I’m really excited and looking forward to getting started.”

Chiles has played in 18 career games and completed 12-of-22 passes for 166 yards and two TDs. He also has rushed for 322 yards and four TDs on 81 attempts. He completed 11-of-13 passes for 149 yards and two TDs, and rushed for 131 yards and two more TDs in 11 games at quarterback last season.

“Colt’s (McCoy) return and Quan’s (Cosby) departure makes this a great move for our team,” added Brown, who also said Chiles will compete for action as a kickoff returner. “When we’ve done our draft boards during the spring, our staff has always voted John as one of our best athletes on the team. This gives us a chance to get him more playing time.”

A prep All-American and two-time district 4-5A MVP, Chiles was a three-year starter who worked at quarterback and receiver as a high schooler. He produced 2,036 yards passing, 694 receiving and 1,248 rushing while accounting for 56 TDs in his final two seasons.

“With Colt coming back and the great relationship we’ve built off the field, that will really help my transition,” Chiles said. “I’ve spent more time with him than anybody over the last couple of years and a quarterback’s relationship with his receivers is so important. I think Colt and I have built a lot of trust and hopefully that will help us be on the same page with me at receiver. The thought of getting into some one-on-one situations, with a quarterback like Colt that is the most accurate thrower in the country, is really exciting.”

One of the first people Chiles contacted when he decided to make the move was McCoy.

“John sent me a text this afternoon when he made the decision and we’re all excited about it,” quarterback Colt McCoy said. “Working together and being around each other so much, John and I have gotten really close. He’s a great football player that has the ability to make big plays for us. I’m really looking forward to working with him and seeing him out there at receiver.”

“I think the timing is right. I’m a junior and am a little older, so anything I can do to get on the field and help the team, I’m willing to do,” Chiles added.”

Ranking classes isn’t easy — on Signing Day, or years later

Andy Staples of ESPN.com has done the research on the pre-college football recruiting class rankings and as we already knew, hind sight is 20/20. The article is a good read though and talks about how strong the 2005 UT class is now, and how when it was ranked it wasn’t given that much credit.

Article.

Texas puts together stellar 20 man 2009 class

Today marks the first day that official Letters of Intent could be signed by high school seniors and submitted to colleges around the country accepting scholarship offers. The University of Texas did another ho hum job pulling in 20 top players, six (6) being part of the nations best 100, and four (4) others in the top 250. With eight of the commits already on campus having enrolled early, there was little nervousness over the other twelve (12) sticking with their verbal commitments made to Mack Brown and staff.

The No. 5 class in the nation, as ranked by Rivals.com, is headlined by Lake Travis quarterback Garrett Gilbert, Madisonville running back Chris Whaley, and Aldine Eisenhower receiver Greg Timmons on the offensive side of the ball, and Pflugerville defensive end Alex Okafor, San Antonio Warren defensive tackle Calvin Howell and Clear Creek defensive back Marcus Davis on the defensive side of the ball. Texas was also the destination of West Texas’ own Garrett Porter, a 300+ pound offensive lineman from Odessa Permian.

The class looks great even though Texas missed out on a few high profile out of state recruits. Although the drama of national signing day is now over, tomorrow may hold new news in the world of high school football players. Last year, the day after national signing day, then junior Garrett Gilbert verbally committed to the University of Texas…and the rest is history. Can we expect the same kind of news tomorrow? Stay tuned.

Here is a complete list of Texas’ 2009 class:
Position Hght / Wght 40 Rivals Ranking Home Town
Garrett Gilbert QB 6-4 205 – 6.1 Austin, TX
Alex Okafor DE 6-4 232 4.6 6.1 Pflugerville, TX
Mason Walters OL 6-6 290 5 6.1 Wolfforth, TX
Calvin Howell DT 6-4 280 4.9 6.0 San Antonio, TX
Garrett Porter OL 6-6 308 5.2 6.0 Odessa, TX
Marcus Davis DB 6-0 192 4.47 5.9 League City, TX
Greg Timmons WR 6-2 191 – 5.9 Aldine, TX
Chris Whaley ATH 6-3 232 4.55 5.9 Madisonville, TX
Tariq Allen LB 6-2 231 4.63 5.8 Irving, TX
Thomas Ashcraft OL 6-5 300 – 5.8 Cedar Hill, TX
Eryon Barnett DB 6-3 193 4.44 5.8 Euless, TX
Derek Johnson DT 6-3 290 5 5.8 Hoxie, AR
Tevin Mims DE 6-4 242 4.78 5.8 Round Rock, TX
Kenny Vaccaro DB 6-1 197 – 5.8 Brownwood, TX
Trey Graham TE 6-5 230 4.62 5.7 Waco, TX
Paden Kelley OL 6-7 270 5.1 5.7 Austin, TX
Barrett Matthews TE 6-2 220 – 5.7 Galena Park, TX
Dominique Jones DE 6-3 230 4.7 5.6 Kilgore, TX
Kyle Kriegel DE 6-5 235 4.8 5.5 Elysian Fields, TX
Patrick Nkwopara LB 5-11 210 4.54 5.5 Grand Prairie, TX

Texas beats Ohio State 24-21

The University of Texas Longhorns beat the Ohio State Buckeyes last night in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl 24 to 21. Colt McCoy lead the ‘Horns down the field on a last minute drive, bringing Texas back from a four point deficit with a scoring strike to a slanting Quan Cosby. Before the game, talk had stirred that with a sound enough victory over the Buckeyes, Texas could still be in the title hunt. While the victory was not necessarily sound last night, Texas put on a show and was able to do what needed to be done to win in the end. Look for Texas to finish 2nd this year, its highest rank since the 2005 championship season, in both the BCS and AP. Nothing was done last night to convince enough voters that Texas deserves to be the No. 1 team in the nation, there might be a few in the AP that switch their votes if OU beats Florida, but it won’t be near enough.

Texas had a great season and has a lot to be proud of. This team was supposed to be a 3 loss and possibly even a 4 loss team at the beginning of the season. To actually be in the championship conversation after that kind of talk early on is simply outstanding. Texas did not win a Big XII championship, or a national championship, but is now 3-0 in BCS bowl games and has a bright future with much of the team returning next season. But lets enjoy this season for a while, and actually live in the present instead of the future at least for a little while. Congratulations to Colt McCoy (offensive player of the game), Roy Miller (defensive player of the game), Quan Cosby, Brian Orakpo, and the rest of the 2008 Longhorns and their great, unexpected, season. Being Fiesta Bowl Champions is nothing to be ashamed of, and winning a game like last night against a very stout Ohio State defense is an honor that should be worn like a badge on your sleeve. For those players returning for next year, that badge should be worn proudly into the summer…right underneath the chip on your shoulder you should use to play next season 😉

Longhorns handle Appalachian State 78-43

As reported by www.texassports.com:

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Dexter Pittman set career highs with 21 points and 11 rebounds, leading No. 8 Texas to a 78-43 victory over Appalachian State on Friday night.

Pittman scored the final seven Texas points of the first half and the first six of the second half as the Longhorns (11-2) went on a 19-2 run to take a 44-23 lead with 14:58 left in the game.

Texas held Appalachian State (5-5) scoreless for nearly seven minutes as the Longhorns used Pittman’s inside play to take control.

Texas led 17-8 after a 6-0 run midway through the first half, but the Mountaineers answered with a 7-0 spurt to pull to 20-17. Appalachian State missed three straight free throws that would have tied the game and Texas broke a 3-minute scoring drought with a pair of free throws by Pittman.

The Longhorns forced a shot clock violation with 2:43 left in the first half and outscored the Mountaineers 7-2 over the final 2:11 to take a 32-23 halftime lead.

Pittman scored seven of his 11 first-half points in the final 2:11 as the Longhorns went inside. Pittman used his 80-plus-pound advantage to dominate the paint with a pair of dunks and a deft jump hook. Pittman grabbed five first-half rebounds while connecting on four of six shots and hitting all three free throws.

The 6-foot-10, 298-pound Pittman then scored six straight points to open the second half. He has scored 17, 19 and 21 points in the last three Texas home games, all against mid-major opponents.

Damion James finished with his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Gary Johnson had five blocked shots for Texas to go with his 16 points and nine boards.

Kellen Brand was the only Mountaineers player in double digits with 12 points.

The 35-point victory was the largest margin of the season for the Longhorns, who have won 80 of their last 84 home games against unranked opponents.

Mack Brown wins Coach of the Year Award

As reported by Suzanne Halliburton of the Austin American Statesman:

“SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Texas’ Mack Brown was named Wednesday as the Bobby Dodd national coach of the year.

According to the selection criteria, the award is presented to the coach “whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. (It) honors the coach of a team which enjoys a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character.”

The award was established in 1976 to honor Dodd, the two-time Hall of Famer for his coaching at Georgia Tech and his play at Tennessee.”

Garrett Gilbert state’s best ever?

Lake Travis High School senior quarterback, and Texas commit, Garrett Gilbert’s stats make the argument that he is one of the best high school quarterbacks to ever play in the state of Texas. Here are the stats as compiled by the Austin American Statesman:

“BEST OF THE BEST

• Lake Travis’ Garrett Gilbert, who ranks either No. 1 or No. 2 on the state’s four major career passing records, could be the state’s most accomplished high school quarterback ever. Here’s a look at the four statistical leaders:

Garrett Gilbert

School: Lake Travis (2006-08)

State titles: 2 (Class 4A)

Career yards: 12, 537 (1st)

Career TDs: 136 (2nd)

Career attempts: 1,368 (2nd)

Career completions: 895 (2nd)

• The bottom line: One of only two players to earn Central Texas player of the year honors two consecutive years – Burnet’s Jordan Shipley was the other – Gilbert led Lake Travis to consecutive Class 4A state championships, going 39-4 as a starter. The University of Texas commitment also picked up state and national player of the year honors this season, becoming the first Texan ever to be named national player of the year.

Graham Harrell

School: Ennis (2000-03)

State titles: 2 (Class 4A)

Career yards: 12,532 (2nd)

Career TDs: 167 (1st)

Career attempts: NA

Career completions: 805 (3rd)

• The bottom line: The two-time Class 4A offensive player of the year went 41-3 as a starter before moving on to college stardom at Texas Tech. ? When he left Ennis, he held state records for career yards, career TDs and single-season yards, TDs and completions.

Drew Tate

School: Baytown Lee (1999-2002)

State titles: 0

Career yards: 12,183 (3rd)

Career TDs: 113 (4th)

Career attempts: 1,576 (1st)

Career completions: 970 (1st)

• The bottom line: The 2002 Texas Football magazine coverboy never won a state title, but did leave his mark on the record books. No player in Texas high school history completed or attempted more passes than he did in his four-year career. The hero of the 2005 Capital One Bowl earned All-Big Ten honors at Iowa and now plays in the Canadian Football League.

Phillip Daugherty

School: Bridgeport (2000-02)

State titles: 0

Career yards: 10,136 (4th)

Career TDs: NA

Career attempts: 680 (4th)

Career completions: 1,231 (3rd)

• The bottom line: The 2002 Class 3A player of the year set a 3A record for career passing yards while at Bridgeport. He started off his college career at Texas Tech, but ended up at Sam Houston State.

All-time state records

• CAREER YARDS

Yards Quarterback, school

12,537 Garrett Gilbert, Lake Travis (2006-08)

12,532 Graham Harrell, Ennis (2000-03)

12,183 Drew Tate, Baytown Lee (1999-02)

10,136 Phillip Daugherty, Bridgeport (2000-02)

10,046 Chandler Dane, Decatur (2002-04)

• CAREER TOUCHDOWNS

167 Graham Harrell, Ennis (2000-03)

136 Garrett Gilbert, Lake Travis (2006-08)

116 Colt McCoy, Tuscola Jim Ned (2002-04)

113 Drew Tate, Baytown Lee (1999-02)

104 Chandler Dane, Decatur (2002-04)

• CAREER COMPLETIONS

970 Drew Tate, Baytown Lee (1999-02)

895 Garrett Gilbert, Lake Travis (2006-08)

805 Graham Harrell, Ennis (2000-03)

680 Phillip Daugherty, Bridgeport (2000-02)

618 Kellen Haynes, Haltom* (2000-03)

• CAREER ATTEMPTS

1,576 Drew Tate, Baytown Lee (1999-02)

1,368 Garrett Gilbert, Lake Travis (2006-08)

1,231 Phillip Daugherty, Bridgeport (2000-02)

1,097 Kellen Haynes, Haltom* (2000-03)

1,042 D.J. Chec, Clint (1997-99)

* Haynes also played at Fort Worth Brewer and Crosby high schools.”

McCoy wins Walter Camp award.

The University of Texas junior quarterback Colt McCoy was selected as the Walter Camp Football Foundation palyer of the year last night.

Walter Camp Award and others

Brian Orakpo o-racking up the awards

The University of Texas senior defensive end Brian Orakpo has been awarded the Ted Hendricks award, given to the nations top defensive end, and the Rotary Lombardi Award, given to the nations top lineman or linebacker.

As reported by the Houston Chronicle:

“The awards keep piling up for Texas’ Brian Orakpo.

Orakpo was named the winner Wednesday of the Ted Hendricks Award, honoring the nation’s top defensive end.

Orakpo, who is in Houston for tonight’s Rotary Lombardi Award presentation, is the first Longhorn to win the award.

“I can’t describe how thrilled I am to win the Hendricks Award,” said Orakpo, who played at Lamar High School. “I got to meet Mr. Hendricks at the Nagurski Trophy dinner and to have that kind of connection makes it that much more special. Like the Nagurski, I couldn’t have achieved this without my teammates and coaches. I owe all the credit to them.”

Orakpo won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, honoring the nation’s top defensive player, earlier this week.

Orakpo was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year this season after posting 10 1/2 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.”

UT Defensive End Brian Orakpo Named 2008 Rotary Lombardi Award Winner

Provided by the official Rotary Lombardi Award website:

One of Brian Orakpo’s dreams came true tonight when he was named the winner of the 39th annual Rotary Lombardi Award, presented by Wachovia. Although Orakpo was the 13th finalist from The University of Texas in award history, it has been 24 years since Tony DeGrate took home the award in 1984. Kenneth Sims won the award for Texas in 1981, making Orakpo the third winner from UT. Both Sims and DeGrate were in attendance at tonight’s ceremony at the Hilton Americas Hotel in downtown Houston.

The 6-foot-4, 260-pound senior defensive end, whom teammates have dubbed “O-sack-po,” is sixth in the nation with 10 1/2 sacks and is expected to be a first round NFL draft pick. He had 18 tackles for a loss and has forced four fumbles this season. In the game against Oklahoma, Orakpo had two sacks, four tackles for a loss and a forced fumble.

The native Houstonian played both football and basketball at Lamar High School, ultimately deciding to concentrate on football when it came time for college. Orakpo was named the AP Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year on December 3. He took home the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, honoring the nation’s top defensive player on Sunday, December 7, one day after receiving his college degree in youth and community studies from The University of Texas.

When asked prior to the award ceremony what winning the Rotary Lombardi Award for UT and himself would mean, Orkapo said, “It would be an honor. Just being a finalist is amazing, but also winning would be amazing because these are the types of things you dream of. You come to the university, you write all kinds of goals you want to accomplish and dreams that you never really realize how much of it can come true by the time it’s all said and done. Now I’m a finalist for the Lombardi Award. It’s a dream come true.”

Texas handles Villanova

The No. 6 ranked University of Texas men’s basketball team beat the No. 12 Villanova Wildcats 67-58 last night at Madison Square Garden in the Jimmy V Classic. Texas led throughout the second half and for most of the first half, but the Wildcats threatened late in the second half. The ‘Horns should have been able to put Villanova away much earlier, Texas only led by 4 with 8 minutes to go in the game. Free throw shooting was again miserable for Texas who hit only 11 of 24 in the game, including 5 of 9 in the last two and half minutes.

Texas’ next game is against Texas State, this Saturday.

Austin American Statesman: Longhorn men beat Villanova

ESPN.com: Abrams, James help Texas pull away from Villanova