December 10, 2025 • 19 mins
InsideTexas' Evan Vieth joins the show to discuss the ways Texas might attack the transfer portal this winter. With the SEC schedule release looming, they also break down when Texas might want to see its toughest opponents in 2026. Plus, what a poor defensive start means for the men's basketball team as it travels to Hartford and faces UConn on Friday night.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Back on a yacht rock Wednesday on AM thirteen hundred
to Zone Jacerman in for Craig today and excited to
visit with our good friend from inside Texas, Evan V.
That have been what a weird couple of weeks coming
up for Texas. Gonna be sitting at home getting ready
for the Citrus Bowl, while the two arch rivals the
(00:25):
Longhorns beat this season are going to host playoff games.
How would you describe kind of the mood around the
program right now?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It's it's kind of odd.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Yeah, I think.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Everyone's just trying to get past these these two weeks
and for many fans probably hopefully just one Friday Saturday.
I see Alabama and Miami get some wins, But you know,
Texas is kind of on their own schedule now. It''s
not much less about this twenty twenty five season and
much more about how can we prepare ourselves to this
twenty to twenty six offseason and of course championship run
for that next year.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Before we turn the page on this once and for all,
because I know some of our listeners might be sick
of it. Did the Committee ultimate get Texas is ranking
right not just outside the field, but behind Notre Dame
and BYU, while staying ahead of Vanderbilt.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
You know, I have my.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
I'm not a big fan of Notre Dame's resume this year. Honestly,
I've made that pretty public. And I do see their
argument that ten and zero in their last ten and
being probably the best true team of that kind of
outside the top eight group.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
But you know what it is.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
What it is, you lost your head to head game,
You lost two of your three games against kind of
real competition this year. I think I saw, just by
power ratings, Notre Dame's fourth toughest matchup was against Arkansas,
who is, as we all know, not quite not quite
a competitive team in the SEC. So I personally think
that Texas resume was better than Notre Dame. I understand
why they're behind them, and EYU, I'm just glad they
got it right. It should have been in Miami the
(01:45):
whole time. It's really weird that it took into the
last week.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
For them to honor the head to head.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
But you know, I have a feel in the ACC
kind of push them a little bit too to make
that the case.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
And I do think we got the correct twelve at
the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
We started the show talking a little bit about Notre
Dame's back and forth with the ACC. Jim Phillips this
morning called for a playoff expansion and getting rid of
the weekly ranking shows, among other changes like fixing tie breakers.
Is expansion something that you support? It feels like a
train that's coming our way whether we like it or not.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Yeah, I do think it's it's gonna be sixteen pretty soon,
and I'm not really for that. I think you're already
seeing that there aren't really sixteen teams that are are
truly competitive for this, and it's just going to have
more of these autobid problems and more teams are gonna
feel like they're getting left out, even though the end
of the day, if you're the sixteenth best team in
the nation, should you really be competing for a national championship.
I've been saying a lot of it's a great year
(02:39):
for four, it's a great year for sixteen, a terrible
year for twelve teams in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
But once it's twenty twenty six, us to say it's not.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
A great year for eight teams, or it's a great
year for twenty four or whatever. It's just gonna be
year by year dependent, which is why it's going to
be so hard to actually get this right. I do
think the twelve team as we have at this flawed.
I like twelve teams. I think if you can get
the four conference champions who really deserved to get in, and.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Then you have your next eight, I really do think
that's the way.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
To do it.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
And I don't agree with you know, both Tulane and
jmu betting in this year. I think clearly there Dame
would have been a better team to actually go and
be competitive this week. But you saw Power four teams
get crushed last year. It's not just what the G
five teams are. There's just gonna be five teams, five
or six teams every year that are definitely ahead of
the rest. And that's not going to change whether it's sixteen,
twenty four to twelve or four when those teams are
(03:25):
gonna left out.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Yeah, we're all bracing I think for some overreactions that
will come in the next couple months. We're talking with
Evan Vitt the viside Texas. You can follow him on
x at Evan veef. Let's let's turn the page to
the Citrus Bowl. From what you've heard being around this program,
besides winning the game against Michigan, who the Longhorns saw
last year, we'll see again two years from now. Are
(03:47):
there specific priorities you think this team has coming into
the game, and are there specific players or positions that
you're maybe paying extra attention to.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
I mean, Sarcusan said it out loud in as press conference,
this is the kind of where you can get your
young guys involved. And though I don't think he specifically
said what positions, I think the two that stand out
are State in the secondary and at running back. You know,
first on the defensive side of the ball, you're just
losing so much. I think they're hopeful they can get
Jilanie McDonald back for a strong an il Offer in
a senior year is kind of the star of the secondary.
(04:17):
But even so, you're losing Malik Muhammad most likely to
the draft. You're losing Michael Taff, Jalen Gilbot is veteran presence.
You've got a lot of guys you like. But you know,
do we really know what Kobe Black is heading into
next year? Had one really noticedly bad game, had no
one really noticed a good game. What's the middle for Black?
And Jonah Williams is another guy like that. Saber Philsone's
another guy like that. In the secondary. They need to
(04:39):
know where they need to portal really, if that's at star,
if that's for another cornerback, that's at safety, and then
at running back. You need to see what you have
in Clark and Simon, because we already know that Gibson's gone.
We already know that backs there's gone. He hit the
porl really early on in this process. If either if
Quintrillion Wiser's back or if he's not, he should not
be taking lead carries in this game because a guy
(05:00):
to preserve his body for the offseason and be you
have to know what you've gotten Clark and Simon if
they can run at an outside zone concept or if
they can hit the right gap in a real game
against real competition. Because even with Michigan's defensive line having
some probably some opt outs, this is still Michigan d
d Lineman.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
This is really high level play.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
So we need to see if Clark and Simon are
actually guys that you can rely on to even if they're.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Being the fourth backs next year.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
They need to be guys that you can rely on
as a roster spot instead of hey, let's go get
two portal running backs instead and.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Say we can use you, we can do what you've
got elsewhere. Let's stick with the with the running back theme. Because,
like you touched on in CJ. Bax Or Hit, the
portal running backs coach Chad Scott was relieved of his
duties yesterday after just one year in the role. So
that room, whether it's the personnel or the coaches, it's
all gonna look entirely different next year. And you are
(05:50):
a piece this morning talking about the top transfer running
backs from a year ago and how they kind of
fared in twenty twenty five. What did you notice there
that Texas can take note of as they try to
fill out this running back room next year.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
The big takeaway from that, I think two things come
out of it is that G five can get into
the SEC SEC and succeed. You look at fluff bothwhile
who played for not a great Mississippi State team but
turn into their lead back even with some injuries. Amon
Hardy is the obvious one. He should have gone to
a team higher calibern than Missouri. He's a fantastic back.
It's gonna be the first one taken one of the
top two in the twenty twenty seven NFL Draft. It
(06:25):
also showed that injuries still can occur, even to these
transfer guys. You know this, This happened with Minnesota. Their
number two guy, DJ Turner comes in is hurt by
the third week. Time at Quentin Joyner at Texas Tech
who was hurt for the season. Jayden out came in
with injury concerns and really did not work out for Oklahoma.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
So it's a double edged sword. It's hey, this really works.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
If you saw in the twenty twenty four class as well,
with Woody Marx and Trevor Etn and Pushan Ju Kitts.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
We already knew he was a star, but you're.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Also seeing that these guys are also volatile, which is
maybe an argument to get one main guy and then
also a secondary guy just in case you need more depth,
because we know for sure last two seasons Texas has
struggled with injuries in that room and has needed more
depth no matter who it came from.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Are there other positions you see Texas attacking that folks
aren't talking about as much as the running backs and
maybe like the dbs you mentioned, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
I mean offensive line is when people know what's going
to happen.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I think they're gonna be a little surprised at how
Texas approaches the front seven because they're a little light
on the numbers of young players they would like to
get in. They brought in twelve over the last two classes,
and the classes before that were also pretty light. They
probably would rather be at fifteen when it comes to
these kind of longer term guys. You just saw Melvin
Hills hit the portal. I don't think linebackers are gonna
hit the portal, and probably not in the edges. But
(07:40):
either way, those are light position groups, so I think
you're gonna see them take two defensive tackles, one kind
of true nose mercenary, come in for one year and
hope to get for the NFL like Cole Bravard or
Bill Norton before him, but then also maybe a long
term project to kind of take over the spot that
was lost in recruiting this year when they lost two
of their commits right before National Signing Day.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Same with Edge. Do they have the successor to Colin
Simmons on the roster.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
Could be Zeno made Azulu, but he's maybe more of
a hybrid guy than a true buck ed rusher. And
then they definitely need help at linebacker. Just numbers live bodies.
Even if Brad Spence moves into that trade war role,
they need another guy who's got some experience apart from
Tyanke Smith in the U.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Talking with Evan Vef from Inside Texas, you covered this too,
these guys that Texas finds in the portal in hopes
of getting maybe a two year run out of a
two year return. Is that an edge that you think
Sark and this staff have found and is that something
you think they'll try and exploit again.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Yeah, he's a little ahead of the curve I used.
I used the term mercenary in that last little spield
because that's what these guys are. A lot of the
times in college football.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
It's hey, we're going to pay you money to play
for our team for one year. Doesn't really matter that.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
Much about the culture fit, doesn't really matter how much
you're a teammate or anything.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
This is a business transaction. You're gonna get a better
chance to go to the league.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
We're going to get a better player at your position
the Cirkesian of his, I think seven top transfers which
they went really like. It was a specialists, it was
some d linemen, and then a lot of these multi
year guys.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Now I think they thought Jack Andrews would be in
the NFL.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
But if he comes back, that's the upside of having
a guy with upside or with extra eligibility. You then
have your starting to tie to end next year. Mm
Mosley is going to start for them next year. Brad
Spence is going to be a key player. Hiro Kanu
if he comes back, will be their best defensive lineman.
It's a really good way to approach your portal where
you're saying, we can still kind of ingrain them into
our culture and make them these players that are actually
(09:28):
important parts of our long term development.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
But they weren't.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Recruited by us, whether it be because hey, they weren't
quite the athlete out of high school.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
That you're looking for what they ended up making up
for the production.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
College, or they picked another school We did like them,
which is what happened with Brad Spence. If they want
to come here later, they can do that still and
have someone else develop them. We take the final steps
to make them the true stars. So I think that's
what's going to happen in the front seven. I think
it's gonna happen at running back, an offensive line. We'll
see about receiver. Receiver might be one where if they
take a portal guy, it's just hey, you're here for
one year. We need you run deep routes and then
(09:58):
you can go to the NFL or turn punts, whatever
it be.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
As well as Ryan Niblets around no One or no
one else's return.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I was gonna say the idea, So this is something
different in this off season of college football. No more
spring transfer window.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Now.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
I know that rules are often bent off and taken
as suggestions depending on who you ask. Is this going
to change? Well, what is this going to change for
Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns. The fact that it's just
the one transfer window.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
I think it generally means that you need to cover
up every hole you could possibly think of. And what
when I think of that, I think a backup quarterback
like this is where and instead of waiting for the spring,
you've got to just go and get one of these
G five guys who started and probably won't be able
to start a power for school. But what's a chance,
like Matthew Caldwell did to well, it's an interesting tape
(10:47):
and go go play.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
For a championship.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
It just means that these teams are no longer going
to go, hey, we can maybe get away with seeing
some players in the spring practice and then if we
need to address that position, like with Emmitt Mosley and
Jack Henry's last year for Texas, they need to just
get these guys up front. And I think it makes
the process a little It's more manageable.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
For these coaches.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
They don't have to think in a two window phase
the schedule is still completely messed up. This is somewhat
of a step in the right direction just to have
one set of a transfer portal cycle and then if
you're on your team, you're on your team for the
rest of the year, unless you want to transfer next
offseason and cut and save your eligibility. But it just
makes things more simple, and I do think it means
that coaches need to say, hey, we have to take
(11:26):
a player here eventually, let's do this right now instead
of waiting.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
It down in the spring.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
If maybe we don't have to pay a guy going
to be fascinating to see how the Longhorns approach the portal.
Talking with Evan Veif from inside Texas. The schedule release
for the SEC tomorrow night, and Texas, if you just
look down the line at the opponents they have, you
got to go to Death Valley against Lane Kiffin's LSU Tigers.
It's one of the tougher schedules if you go off
(11:51):
of twenty twenty five results of any team in the conference.
What kind of draw that would be favorable or unfavorable?
Is Texas looking out for tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
I think you're hoping that LSU games pretty early on
in the season.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Can we get that? Can we get that out of
the way?
Speaker 4 (12:10):
You know, do Ohio State get your out of conference
games and then either LSU or one of the easier
games and than LSU. Just because you're talking about Lane
Kiff and getting ingrained to his team as and you
want to get ahead of that. If you're playing him
in your last week, he's probably got his team where
he wants it to be at. But it's gonna be
a transfer heavy squad, it's gonna be a new coaching staff,
new culture. There I think you want to be ahead
(12:32):
of that. I will say one benefit for this Texas
team is they don't play Alabama and Georgia. Now you
do go have to go to death Value, you do
have to go to an Eland, which are just no
matter how good these teams are, that is a hard
thing to do. They at least are dodging the two
presumed top teams in the in the conference. Next year
you're getting LSU. But if there's ever gonna be a
time you can beat LSU and death Value, it's gonna
(12:53):
be Lanekiffin's first year and not his third year in
the program. Ole Miss is not gonna be the same
program it was. It's the first You're John Summer all
of Florida. So as much as it's tough to look
at those away games, and I think the way is
what's really hard about the schedule, because you're also going
into consentation. If you can get the proper scheduling to
where you're you're catching LSU early in the year when
they might be a little bit underdeveloped, and you're you're
(13:16):
getting Tennessee in an optimal post by week or post
Arkansas whatever, that's where the schedule can actually go into
Texas As favoring you go many if they know how
state what's saying, this can't be one of the best
teams in the nation just because they're they're facing less
adversity than other schools.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Would you say the same argument for wanting teams with
new coaches early would apply across the board to like
an old miss or like a Florida or even in Arkansas.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
You can't get them.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
All out of me.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
So I think just the less time these coaches have
to be you know, there's a there's a big difference
between your eighth month in your program in the third
month as compared to someone who's in year two and
a half versus year three. You just want to get
ahead of these guys and make sure you're not. You'll
see these new coaches really turned their program into something
(14:02):
really major by that last part of the year.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I think while Texas A and M wasn't quite.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
There at the end of last year, they were a
better team with Marcel Read out there, and that took
some time for Mike Delco to figure out and he started.
Connor Wegman and I would have way rather played the
Connor Wegman led to Texas A and M team, So
that could happen in Florida that maybe they didn't make
a quarterback change, or maybe some of these teams say, man,
we made the wrong choice of coordinator. We got to
get this guy out of here immediately, and that happens
(14:30):
later in the season. Sometimes you do get away with
you know, I would have rather played LC late this
year than early this year.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
But still overall, if you know the coaches.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
New and has security with his job for at least
the season, you want to play that guy earlier in
the year.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
And you also think about this Texas team, right, some
folks say, well, Florida, if you played them later when
the wheels were kind of off the wagon, things might
have been different. But Texas did not look like a
consistent football team early in the year. Perhaps they caught
a break with Kentucky and Mississippi State following that Florida game.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Yeah, I think if they played A and M early
in the year, they're losing that game. That team that
they started out with the O line problems and the
complete pro incorrect defensive scheme coming out from peak quick
hout against Florida, They're lucky it wasn't you know, Ole
Miss and they got and they lost by thirty, and
your season's already over right there because you lost my
thirty to them.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Georgia would have won by even more in that game.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
Yeah, Tech Texas got away with some a little bit
in this year's schedule in the in terms of where
the teams were played at, but they also did have
to go on the road for so long. They had
to play so many good teams that it overall was
a tough draw. But yeah, it's a good point for
Florida was a beatable team, then Texas was not the
kind of team that could beat them early in the year.
They definitely would have late in the season, but maybe
(15:45):
A and M laying the season, so that would have
been a.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Better data point. Anyway, it just wasn't the complete team
that it needed to be this year, and that's why
they're not in the playoff.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
So that schedule released tomorrow night for folks that don't
know already, the Longhorned road SEC games at LSU, at Missouri,
at Tennessee at Texas, A and M. The home games
you'll have Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and of
course playing Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl. So moving off
of long worn basketball, but still on the theme of
(16:13):
hard schedules. Sean Miller's taking his team up to Hartford
on Friday for a big time test against a top
five team, the Yukon Huskies.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Wo'd beat Florida last night in Jimmy B Classic.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Sean Miller's not been pleased about his team's defensive effort
so far this season. What are you noticing on that
side of the floor for Texas that has to improve
here as they head towards SEC play.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Yeah, it's interesting that.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
You got that sound bite just today because I thought
it really stepped up in their game against Southern on Monday,
and that was a noticeably different thing from Virginia. But
of course he's talking about when they're playing these these
really good out of conference teams, not just.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Four and four Southern. When they played Virginia, they were
dominated on the perimeter.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
I mean, it looked like a conditioning difference from Virginia's
side of things.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Their players look like they cared more.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
I don't usually like using that kind of that quirp
about a team, but the Virginia players were just playing
harder than Texas's were. And it was particularly on the perimeter.
Texas doesn't have these imposing guys down low. Massochia Titus
is a great player. A big guy can can really
lean into some more muscle eventually. But the players of
the Pope and Mark and and Weaver, which was a surprise.
(17:24):
Really we're getting just destroyed on these off ball screens
and they were getting driven past by good Virginia players,
but they weren't Yukon, And now they got to play Yukon,
who I think is a top five team in the nation.
So they're gonna need to put everything into this game
because they could really use a real out of conference win.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
NC State was nice, but you were at the bottom.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
Part of a Maley Invitational is your five to six game,
So I don't think they're gonna win this game.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Ucon's just a great teams.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
It's your one of a rebuild for Sean Miller, but
there needs to be something that gives you a little
bit more hope going into SEC play that our rotations
a little tighter, which I think Millers.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Gonna have to do an SEC he played. And also
our guards are actually.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Keeping up with solo ball and Silas tomorrow because they
got some ball handlers over at Yukon and they obviously
are probably the best schemed offense in all college basketball
year over here.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Will you be headed to Hartford for that one?
Speaker 3 (18:12):
I will not know. I'm kind of glad. I don't
know if I'll only go up to Connecticut at the
time of the year.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
That's true, that's true.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
It's a little cold up in our neck of the
woods in the DC area right now.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
I think they're getting some snow later.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
But Evan appreciate you stopping by as always, appreciate your coverage.
You can read Evan's work at Inside Texas. I know
you're working on some video projects over there as well.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
Yeah, I've been doing a lot on the YouTube channel.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
We're kind of carrying back up our our weekly basketball
and then football that turns into baseball show at Nash
Talk Texas.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
So find us over on the YouTube channel as well.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Evan, appreciate your time as always.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Thanks. Jake.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
He inted had some Sean Miller's sound bites.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
That was Evan v from Inside Texas and we will
hear some of those a little later on in the program,
but up next Inconceivable on a Wednesday afternoon, right here
on sports Radio AM thirteen hundred, The Zone
Back on a yacht rock Wednesday on AM thirteen hundred
to Zone Jacerman in for Craig today and excited to
visit with our good friend from inside Texas, Evan V.
That have been what a weird couple of weeks coming
up for Texas. Gonna be sitting at home getting ready
for the Citrus Bowl, while the two arch rivals the
(00:25):
Longhorns beat this season are going to host playoff games.
How would you describe kind of the mood around the
program right now?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It's it's kind of odd.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Yeah, I think.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
Everyone's just trying to get past these these two weeks
and for many fans probably hopefully just one Friday Saturday.
I see Alabama and Miami get some wins, But you know,
Texas is kind of on their own schedule now. It''s
not much less about this twenty twenty five season and
much more about how can we prepare ourselves to this
twenty to twenty six offseason and of course championship run
for that next year.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Before we turn the page on this once and for all,
because I know some of our listeners might be sick
of it. Did the Committee ultimate get Texas is ranking
right not just outside the field, but behind Notre Dame
and BYU, while staying ahead of Vanderbilt.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
You know, I have my.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
I'm not a big fan of Notre Dame's resume this year. Honestly,
I've made that pretty public. And I do see their
argument that ten and zero in their last ten and
being probably the best true team of that kind of
outside the top eight group.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
But you know what it is.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
What it is, you lost your head to head game,
You lost two of your three games against kind of
real competition this year. I think I saw, just by
power ratings, Notre Dame's fourth toughest matchup was against Arkansas,
who is, as we all know, not quite not quite
a competitive team in the SEC. So I personally think
that Texas resume was better than Notre Dame. I understand
why they're behind them, and EYU, I'm just glad they
got it right. It should have been in Miami the
(01:45):
whole time. It's really weird that it took into the
last week.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
For them to honor the head to head.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
But you know, I have a feel in the ACC
kind of push them a little bit too to make
that the case.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
And I do think we got the correct twelve at
the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
We started the show talking a little bit about Notre
Dame's back and forth with the ACC. Jim Phillips this
morning called for a playoff expansion and getting rid of
the weekly ranking shows, among other changes like fixing tie breakers.
Is expansion something that you support? It feels like a
train that's coming our way whether we like it or not.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Yeah, I do think it's it's gonna be sixteen pretty soon,
and I'm not really for that. I think you're already
seeing that there aren't really sixteen teams that are are
truly competitive for this, and it's just going to have
more of these autobid problems and more teams are gonna
feel like they're getting left out, even though the end
of the day, if you're the sixteenth best team in
the nation, should you really be competing for a national championship.
I've been saying a lot of it's a great year
(02:39):
for four, it's a great year for sixteen, a terrible
year for twelve teams in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
But once it's twenty twenty six, us to say it's not.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
A great year for eight teams, or it's a great
year for twenty four or whatever. It's just gonna be
year by year dependent, which is why it's going to
be so hard to actually get this right. I do
think the twelve team as we have at this flawed.
I like twelve teams. I think if you can get
the four conference champions who really deserved to get in, and.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Then you have your next eight, I really do think
that's the way.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
To do it.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
And I don't agree with you know, both Tulane and
jmu betting in this year. I think clearly there Dame
would have been a better team to actually go and
be competitive this week. But you saw Power four teams
get crushed last year. It's not just what the G
five teams are. There's just gonna be five teams, five
or six teams every year that are definitely ahead of
the rest. And that's not going to change whether it's sixteen,
twenty four to twelve or four when those teams are
(03:25):
gonna left out.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Yeah, we're all bracing I think for some overreactions that
will come in the next couple months. We're talking with
Evan Vitt the viside Texas. You can follow him on
x at Evan veef. Let's let's turn the page to
the Citrus Bowl. From what you've heard being around this program,
besides winning the game against Michigan, who the Longhorns saw
last year, we'll see again two years from now. Are
(03:47):
there specific priorities you think this team has coming into
the game, and are there specific players or positions that
you're maybe paying extra attention to.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
I mean, Sarcusan said it out loud in as press conference,
this is the kind of where you can get your
young guys involved. And though I don't think he specifically
said what positions, I think the two that stand out
are State in the secondary and at running back. You know,
first on the defensive side of the ball, you're just
losing so much. I think they're hopeful they can get
Jilanie McDonald back for a strong an il Offer in
a senior year is kind of the star of the secondary.
(04:17):
But even so, you're losing Malik Muhammad most likely to
the draft. You're losing Michael Taff, Jalen Gilbot is veteran presence.
You've got a lot of guys you like. But you know,
do we really know what Kobe Black is heading into
next year? Had one really noticedly bad game, had no
one really noticed a good game. What's the middle for Black?
And Jonah Williams is another guy like that. Saber Philsone's
another guy like that. In the secondary. They need to
(04:39):
know where they need to portal really, if that's at star,
if that's for another cornerback, that's at safety, and then
at running back. You need to see what you have
in Clark and Simon, because we already know that Gibson's gone.
We already know that backs there's gone. He hit the
porl really early on in this process. If either if
Quintrillion Wiser's back or if he's not, he should not
be taking lead carries in this game because a guy
(05:00):
to preserve his body for the offseason and be you
have to know what you've gotten Clark and Simon if
they can run at an outside zone concept or if
they can hit the right gap in a real game
against real competition. Because even with Michigan's defensive line having
some probably some opt outs, this is still Michigan d
d Lineman.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
This is really high level play.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
So we need to see if Clark and Simon are
actually guys that you can rely on to even if they're.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Being the fourth backs next year.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
They need to be guys that you can rely on
as a roster spot instead of hey, let's go get
two portal running backs instead and.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Say we can use you, we can do what you've
got elsewhere. Let's stick with the with the running back theme. Because,
like you touched on in CJ. Bax Or Hit, the
portal running backs coach Chad Scott was relieved of his
duties yesterday after just one year in the role. So
that room, whether it's the personnel or the coaches, it's
all gonna look entirely different next year. And you are
(05:50):
a piece this morning talking about the top transfer running
backs from a year ago and how they kind of
fared in twenty twenty five. What did you notice there
that Texas can take note of as they try to
fill out this running back room next year.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
The big takeaway from that, I think two things come
out of it is that G five can get into
the SEC SEC and succeed. You look at fluff bothwhile
who played for not a great Mississippi State team but
turn into their lead back even with some injuries. Amon
Hardy is the obvious one. He should have gone to
a team higher calibern than Missouri. He's a fantastic back.
It's gonna be the first one taken one of the
top two in the twenty twenty seven NFL Draft. It
(06:25):
also showed that injuries still can occur, even to these
transfer guys. You know this, This happened with Minnesota. Their
number two guy, DJ Turner comes in is hurt by
the third week. Time at Quentin Joyner at Texas Tech
who was hurt for the season. Jayden out came in
with injury concerns and really did not work out for Oklahoma.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
So it's a double edged sword. It's hey, this really works.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
If you saw in the twenty twenty four class as well,
with Woody Marx and Trevor Etn and Pushan Ju Kitts.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
We already knew he was a star, but you're.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Also seeing that these guys are also volatile, which is
maybe an argument to get one main guy and then
also a secondary guy just in case you need more depth,
because we know for sure last two seasons Texas has
struggled with injuries in that room and has needed more
depth no matter who it came from.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Are there other positions you see Texas attacking that folks
aren't talking about as much as the running backs and
maybe like the dbs you mentioned, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
I mean offensive line is when people know what's going
to happen.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I think they're gonna be a little surprised at how
Texas approaches the front seven because they're a little light
on the numbers of young players they would like to
get in. They brought in twelve over the last two classes,
and the classes before that were also pretty light. They
probably would rather be at fifteen when it comes to
these kind of longer term guys. You just saw Melvin
Hills hit the portal. I don't think linebackers are gonna
hit the portal, and probably not in the edges. But
(07:40):
either way, those are light position groups, so I think
you're gonna see them take two defensive tackles, one kind
of true nose mercenary, come in for one year and
hope to get for the NFL like Cole Bravard or
Bill Norton before him, but then also maybe a long
term project to kind of take over the spot that
was lost in recruiting this year when they lost two
of their commits right before National Signing Day.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Same with Edge. Do they have the successor to Colin
Simmons on the roster.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
Could be Zeno made Azulu, but he's maybe more of
a hybrid guy than a true buck ed rusher. And
then they definitely need help at linebacker. Just numbers live bodies.
Even if Brad Spence moves into that trade war role,
they need another guy who's got some experience apart from
Tyanke Smith in the U.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Talking with Evan Vef from Inside Texas, you covered this too,
these guys that Texas finds in the portal in hopes
of getting maybe a two year run out of a
two year return. Is that an edge that you think
Sark and this staff have found and is that something
you think they'll try and exploit again.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Yeah, he's a little ahead of the curve I used.
I used the term mercenary in that last little spield
because that's what these guys are. A lot of the
times in college football.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
It's hey, we're going to pay you money to play
for our team for one year. Doesn't really matter that.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
Much about the culture fit, doesn't really matter how much
you're a teammate or anything.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
This is a business transaction. You're gonna get a better
chance to go to the league.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
We're going to get a better player at your position
the Cirkesian of his, I think seven top transfers which
they went really like. It was a specialists, it was
some d linemen, and then a lot of these multi
year guys.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Now I think they thought Jack Andrews would be in
the NFL.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
But if he comes back, that's the upside of having
a guy with upside or with extra eligibility. You then
have your starting to tie to end next year. Mm
Mosley is going to start for them next year. Brad
Spence is going to be a key player. Hiro Kanu
if he comes back, will be their best defensive lineman.
It's a really good way to approach your portal where
you're saying, we can still kind of ingrain them into
our culture and make them these players that are actually
(09:28):
important parts of our long term development.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
But they weren't.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Recruited by us, whether it be because hey, they weren't
quite the athlete out of high school.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
That you're looking for what they ended up making up
for the production.
Speaker 4 (09:37):
College, or they picked another school We did like them,
which is what happened with Brad Spence. If they want
to come here later, they can do that still and
have someone else develop them. We take the final steps
to make them the true stars. So I think that's
what's going to happen in the front seven. I think
it's gonna happen at running back, an offensive line. We'll
see about receiver. Receiver might be one where if they
take a portal guy, it's just hey, you're here for
one year. We need you run deep routes and then
(09:58):
you can go to the NFL or turn punts, whatever
it be.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
As well as Ryan Niblets around no One or no
one else's return.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I was gonna say the idea, So this is something
different in this off season of college football. No more
spring transfer window.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Now.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
I know that rules are often bent off and taken
as suggestions depending on who you ask. Is this going
to change? Well, what is this going to change for
Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns. The fact that it's just
the one transfer window.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
I think it generally means that you need to cover
up every hole you could possibly think of. And what
when I think of that, I think a backup quarterback
like this is where and instead of waiting for the spring,
you've got to just go and get one of these
G five guys who started and probably won't be able
to start a power for school. But what's a chance,
like Matthew Caldwell did to well, it's an interesting tape
(10:47):
and go go play.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
For a championship.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
It just means that these teams are no longer going
to go, hey, we can maybe get away with seeing
some players in the spring practice and then if we
need to address that position, like with Emmitt Mosley and
Jack Henry's last year for Texas, they need to just
get these guys up front. And I think it makes
the process a little It's more manageable.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
For these coaches.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
They don't have to think in a two window phase
the schedule is still completely messed up. This is somewhat
of a step in the right direction just to have
one set of a transfer portal cycle and then if
you're on your team, you're on your team for the
rest of the year, unless you want to transfer next
offseason and cut and save your eligibility. But it just
makes things more simple, and I do think it means
that coaches need to say, hey, we have to take
(11:26):
a player here eventually, let's do this right now instead
of waiting.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
It down in the spring.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
If maybe we don't have to pay a guy going
to be fascinating to see how the Longhorns approach the portal.
Talking with Evan Veif from inside Texas. The schedule release
for the SEC tomorrow night, and Texas, if you just
look down the line at the opponents they have, you
got to go to Death Valley against Lane Kiffin's LSU Tigers.
It's one of the tougher schedules if you go off
(11:51):
of twenty twenty five results of any team in the conference.
What kind of draw that would be favorable or unfavorable?
Is Texas looking out for tomorrow?
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
I think you're hoping that LSU games pretty early on
in the season.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Can we get that? Can we get that out of
the way?
Speaker 4 (12:10):
You know, do Ohio State get your out of conference
games and then either LSU or one of the easier
games and than LSU. Just because you're talking about Lane
Kiff and getting ingrained to his team as and you
want to get ahead of that. If you're playing him
in your last week, he's probably got his team where
he wants it to be at. But it's gonna be
a transfer heavy squad, it's gonna be a new coaching staff,
new culture. There I think you want to be ahead
(12:32):
of that. I will say one benefit for this Texas
team is they don't play Alabama and Georgia. Now you
do go have to go to death Value, you do
have to go to an Eland, which are just no
matter how good these teams are, that is a hard
thing to do. They at least are dodging the two
presumed top teams in the in the conference. Next year
you're getting LSU. But if there's ever gonna be a
time you can beat LSU and death Value, it's gonna
(12:53):
be Lanekiffin's first year and not his third year in
the program. Ole Miss is not gonna be the same
program it was. It's the first You're John Summer all
of Florida. So as much as it's tough to look
at those away games, and I think the way is
what's really hard about the schedule, because you're also going
into consentation. If you can get the proper scheduling to
where you're you're catching LSU early in the year when
they might be a little bit underdeveloped, and you're you're
(13:16):
getting Tennessee in an optimal post by week or post
Arkansas whatever, that's where the schedule can actually go into
Texas As favoring you go many if they know how
state what's saying, this can't be one of the best
teams in the nation just because they're they're facing less
adversity than other schools.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Would you say the same argument for wanting teams with
new coaches early would apply across the board to like
an old miss or like a Florida or even in Arkansas.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
You can't get them.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
All out of me.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
So I think just the less time these coaches have
to be you know, there's a there's a big difference
between your eighth month in your program in the third
month as compared to someone who's in year two and
a half versus year three. You just want to get
ahead of these guys and make sure you're not. You'll
see these new coaches really turned their program into something
(14:02):
really major by that last part of the year.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I think while Texas A and M wasn't quite.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
There at the end of last year, they were a
better team with Marcel Read out there, and that took
some time for Mike Delco to figure out and he started.
Connor Wegman and I would have way rather played the
Connor Wegman led to Texas A and M team, So
that could happen in Florida that maybe they didn't make
a quarterback change, or maybe some of these teams say, man,
we made the wrong choice of coordinator. We got to
get this guy out of here immediately, and that happens
(14:30):
later in the season. Sometimes you do get away with
you know, I would have rather played LC late this
year than early this year.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
But still overall, if you know the coaches.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
New and has security with his job for at least
the season, you want to play that guy earlier in
the year.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
And you also think about this Texas team, right, some
folks say, well, Florida, if you played them later when
the wheels were kind of off the wagon, things might
have been different. But Texas did not look like a
consistent football team early in the year. Perhaps they caught
a break with Kentucky and Mississippi State following that Florida game.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Yeah, I think if they played A and M early
in the year, they're losing that game. That team that
they started out with the O line problems and the
complete pro incorrect defensive scheme coming out from peak quick
hout against Florida, They're lucky it wasn't you know, Ole
Miss and they got and they lost by thirty, and
your season's already over right there because you lost my
thirty to them.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Georgia would have won by even more in that game.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
Yeah, Tech Texas got away with some a little bit
in this year's schedule in the in terms of where
the teams were played at, but they also did have
to go on the road for so long. They had
to play so many good teams that it overall was
a tough draw. But yeah, it's a good point for
Florida was a beatable team, then Texas was not the
kind of team that could beat them early in the year.
They definitely would have late in the season, but maybe
(15:45):
A and M laying the season, so that would have
been a.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Better data point. Anyway, it just wasn't the complete team
that it needed to be this year, and that's why
they're not in the playoff.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
So that schedule released tomorrow night for folks that don't
know already, the Longhorned road SEC games at LSU, at Missouri,
at Tennessee at Texas, A and M. The home games
you'll have Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and of
course playing Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl. So moving off
of long worn basketball, but still on the theme of
(16:13):
hard schedules. Sean Miller's taking his team up to Hartford
on Friday for a big time test against a top
five team, the Yukon Huskies.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Wo'd beat Florida last night in Jimmy B Classic.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Sean Miller's not been pleased about his team's defensive effort
so far this season. What are you noticing on that
side of the floor for Texas that has to improve
here as they head towards SEC play.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Yeah, it's interesting that.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
You got that sound bite just today because I thought
it really stepped up in their game against Southern on Monday,
and that was a noticeably different thing from Virginia. But
of course he's talking about when they're playing these these
really good out of conference teams, not just.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Four and four Southern. When they played Virginia, they were
dominated on the perimeter.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
I mean, it looked like a conditioning difference from Virginia's
side of things.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Their players look like they cared more.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
I don't usually like using that kind of that quirp
about a team, but the Virginia players were just playing
harder than Texas's were. And it was particularly on the perimeter.
Texas doesn't have these imposing guys down low. Massochia Titus
is a great player. A big guy can can really
lean into some more muscle eventually. But the players of
the Pope and Mark and and Weaver, which was a surprise.
(17:24):
Really we're getting just destroyed on these off ball screens
and they were getting driven past by good Virginia players,
but they weren't Yukon, And now they got to play Yukon,
who I think is a top five team in the nation.
So they're gonna need to put everything into this game
because they could really use a real out of conference win.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
NC State was nice, but you were at the bottom.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
Part of a Maley Invitational is your five to six game,
So I don't think they're gonna win this game.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
Ucon's just a great teams.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
It's your one of a rebuild for Sean Miller, but
there needs to be something that gives you a little
bit more hope going into SEC play that our rotations
a little tighter, which I think Millers.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Gonna have to do an SEC he played. And also
our guards are actually.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Keeping up with solo ball and Silas tomorrow because they
got some ball handlers over at Yukon and they obviously
are probably the best schemed offense in all college basketball
year over here.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Will you be headed to Hartford for that one?
Speaker 3 (18:12):
I will not know. I'm kind of glad. I don't
know if I'll only go up to Connecticut at the
time of the year.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
That's true, that's true.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
It's a little cold up in our neck of the
woods in the DC area right now.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
I think they're getting some snow later.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
But Evan appreciate you stopping by as always, appreciate your coverage.
You can read Evan's work at Inside Texas. I know
you're working on some video projects over there as well.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
Yeah, I've been doing a lot on the YouTube channel.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
We're kind of carrying back up our our weekly basketball
and then football that turns into baseball show at Nash
Talk Texas.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
So find us over on the YouTube channel as well.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Evan, appreciate your time as always.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Thanks. Jake.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
He inted had some Sean Miller's sound bites.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
That was Evan v from Inside Texas and we will
hear some of those a little later on in the program,
but up next Inconceivable on a Wednesday afternoon, right here
on sports Radio AM thirteen hundred, The Zone
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