Texas Longhorns: Oklahoma Sooners
CEDAR HILL, Texas -- The second annual Mike Adams Camp of Conquerors 7-on-7 tournament featured 13 of the top 7-on-7 teams in the Dallas area on Saturday. The tournament, put on by the NFL defensive back, gives the opportunity to win $5,000 for the winning 7-on-7 program.
Early Saturday evening, Mesquite (Texas) Horn defeated Cedar Hill to walk away with the championship.
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Damon Sayles and Max Olson break down recent additions for the Bears and Longhorns, respectively. Baylor added its 19th commitment overall – and seventh this month – in four-star ILB James David, while Texas continued its 2015 recruiting in style.
The scene's become all too familiar the past two seasons. As the endless fourth quarter dragged on, it was time for the overhead shot. The results were predictable. No longer was one half of the Cotton Bowl crimson and the other half burnt orange.
One half was Crimson and the other half was mostly silver, with a few masochistic Longhorn fans in burnt orange dotting the bleachers instead of electing to leak into the fairgrounds.
There's lots of talk about Texas being "back" this season, but the fans and I agree. No talk about that will really be complete unless Texas' 2013 season includes a win over Oklahoma. Nothing ruins a season faster than a loss to the hated Sooners, and 60 percent of voters said that's Texas' most important game of 2013. No contest here. It almost felt a little silly even making that poll, but we're walking through each team's schedule. No team's most important game has been more emphatic than the Longhorns'.
Just 13 percent of voters checked the Kansas State game, and the game against my Big 12 favorite for 2013, Oklahoma State, got just 12 percent of the vote.
Games against in-state rivals TCU (six percent) and Baylor (nine percent) didn't hit double digits.
Oklahoma's left the Texas State Fair as a winner in each of the past three seasons, but it's worth noting that the last time Texas won, it went 12-0 and played for a national title.
It's a little unfair to say Mack Brown is really on the "hot seat" this fall, but if he loses a fourth consecutive game to Oklahoma -- especially one that's not competitive in the second half -- the voices who say it's time for a change at Texas will be hard to drown out. The rest of the season is important, too, but that Oklahoma game always sets a tone for the season, and this year will be no different.
Any big year for Texas requires a win over Oklahoma to be truly satisfying.
One half was Crimson and the other half was mostly silver, with a few masochistic Longhorn fans in burnt orange dotting the bleachers instead of electing to leak into the fairgrounds.
There's lots of talk about Texas being "back" this season, but the fans and I agree. No talk about that will really be complete unless Texas' 2013 season includes a win over Oklahoma. Nothing ruins a season faster than a loss to the hated Sooners, and 60 percent of voters said that's Texas' most important game of 2013. No contest here. It almost felt a little silly even making that poll, but we're walking through each team's schedule. No team's most important game has been more emphatic than the Longhorns'.
Just 13 percent of voters checked the Kansas State game, and the game against my Big 12 favorite for 2013, Oklahoma State, got just 12 percent of the vote.
Games against in-state rivals TCU (six percent) and Baylor (nine percent) didn't hit double digits.
Oklahoma's left the Texas State Fair as a winner in each of the past three seasons, but it's worth noting that the last time Texas won, it went 12-0 and played for a national title.
It's a little unfair to say Mack Brown is really on the "hot seat" this fall, but if he loses a fourth consecutive game to Oklahoma -- especially one that's not competitive in the second half -- the voices who say it's time for a change at Texas will be hard to drown out. The rest of the season is important, too, but that Oklahoma game always sets a tone for the season, and this year will be no different.
Any big year for Texas requires a win over Oklahoma to be truly satisfying.
Recruiting is the lifeblood of every program in the country, and every conference has its strengths and weaknesses when it comes to landing top prospects. In the start of a weeklong series, we'll examine the BCS conferences plus Notre Dame to find each's strength, the biggest obstacle each faces and the overall view of the conference. The Big 12 is up Thursday.
Biggest obstacle: Texas is one of the top states in the country for producing recruits, which is great considering it's in the heart of the Big 12. The problem is that Big 12 teams not only have to fight one another for those prospects, but programs from around the country recruit Texas hard as well. For the 2013 recruiting cycle, the conference signed roughly 170 high school prospects, and 102 were out of Texas. Think about that: One state supplied 60 percent of the prospects signed within the entire Big 12. If you take newest member West Virginia -- which is not only new to the conference but also not a part of that region -- out of the mix, then a staggering 66 percent of the prospects signed among nine of the teams in the conference came out of just one state. Four of the teams in the conference are based in Texas, and while the states that the other six programs in the conference call home produce some good prospects as well, none can rely heavily on just in-state talent to build their classes from year to year. As a result, almost the entire conference often depends heavily on the talent from one state.
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Stidham earns offers before starting job 
June, 12, 2013
Jun 12
10:00
AM CT
By
Sam Khan Jr. | ESPN.com
Many accomplished Texas high school quarterbacks have come through Stephenville (Texas) High School. Current head coach Joseph Gillespie has been working at Stephenville High long enough to see most of them.
Some went on to the NFL, some went on to college careers, others found themselves doing something outside of football. But to those associated with or who follow Stephenville football, they're easily recalled, whether simply for their terrific careers or for leading the Yellowjackets to state titles.
Jarrett Stidham could be the next great Stephenville quarterback -- even colleges are betting on it with scholarship offers to the 2015 prospect -- and he hasn't even started as a varsity quarterback yet.
"Oh he has the potential, certainly," Gillespie said.
Some went on to the NFL, some went on to college careers, others found themselves doing something outside of football. But to those associated with or who follow Stephenville football, they're easily recalled, whether simply for their terrific careers or for leading the Yellowjackets to state titles.
Jarrett Stidham could be the next great Stephenville quarterback -- even colleges are betting on it with scholarship offers to the 2015 prospect -- and he hasn't even started as a varsity quarterback yet.
"Oh he has the potential, certainly," Gillespie said.
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HornsNation is breaking down Texas' 2013 football schedule every Monday this summer. This week: The Longhorns' sixth game of the season vs. the Oklahoma Sooners on Oct. 12 in Dallas.
Oklahoma 2012 record: 10-3 overall, 8-1 in the Big 12
Last time against Texas: Oklahoma won 63-21 in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas in 2012.
Record against Texas: Texas leads the series 59-43-5.
Starters returning: RB Damien Williams, OL Gabe Ikard, FB Trey Millard, WR Jalen Saunders, WR Trey Metoyer, OL Adam Shead, CB Aaron Colvin, LB Corey Nelson, DE Chuka Ndulue, DB Gabe Lynn
Starters lost: QB Landry Jones, WR Kenny Stills, OL Lane Johnson, WR Justin Brown, CB Demontre Hurst, FS Tony Jefferson, LB Tom Wort, DL Jamarkus McFarland, SS Javon Harris, DE David King, DL Casey Walker
Oklahoma 2012 record: 10-3 overall, 8-1 in the Big 12
Last time against Texas: Oklahoma won 63-21 in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas in 2012.
Record against Texas: Texas leads the series 59-43-5.
Starters returning: RB Damien Williams, OL Gabe Ikard, FB Trey Millard, WR Jalen Saunders, WR Trey Metoyer, OL Adam Shead, CB Aaron Colvin, LB Corey Nelson, DE Chuka Ndulue, DB Gabe Lynn
Starters lost: QB Landry Jones, WR Kenny Stills, OL Lane Johnson, WR Justin Brown, CB Demontre Hurst, FS Tony Jefferson, LB Tom Wort, DL Jamarkus McFarland, SS Javon Harris, DE David King, DL Casey Walker
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McKINNEY, Texas -- The 2013 Nike Football Festival made a stop in north Texas, and 24 teams from the Dallas metroplex and east Texas showed their skills in 7-on-7 competition and individual skills challenges at Craig Ranch and the Michael Johnson Performance Center. Roughly 400 athletes were in attendance, some considered major FBS recruits.
Here is what we learned after the event:
2015 QB Murray wins ... twice
That sigh of relief you heard in McKinney? It’s still to be determined if it was from the Allen faithful or the Texas A&M faithful.
Saturday afternoon, Allen won the event's 7-on-7 tournament, and 2015 quarterback Kyler Murray looked phenomenal in competition. He made the same kind of plays in the air that allowed him to lead Allen to the Texas Class 5A Division-I state championship in December. In short, Murray was outstanding.
Shortly after, the 5-foot-11, 166-pound quarterback picked up the much-anticipated offer that made Aggies fans gush. Murray, the son of former Aggies quarterback Kevin Murray, finally got an offer from Texas A&M to join offers from Ohio State, Clemson, Texas Tech, Arkansas and Arizona State.
Life after Texas commit looks promising
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MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas -- On a quiet Friday night in this town of 15,000 last October, veteran coach Mart Graham looked up at the scoreboard and couldn’t believe what he’d witnessed.
His Mount Pleasant Tigers had engaged Sulphur Springs in an absolute slugfest, one filled with twists and turns and touchdowns and, somehow, six missed extra-point kicks.
Graham calls it a heartbreaker when he looks back on it today. But make no mistake: This was a dream game for his star wide receiver.
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ESPN 150 wide receiver K.D. Cannon (Mount Pleasant, Texas / Mount Pleasant) talks with Max Olson about he's accomplished in spring ball and what the latest in his recruitment is.
MANVEL, Texas -- When 2015 tight end Jordan Davis (Houston/Clear Lake) committed to Florida State in March, he acknowledged that he knew other schools and coaches would continue to recruit him in the coming months and years.
Perhaps what caught him a little off guard was how quickly others threw their hat in the ring.
Perhaps what caught him a little off guard was how quickly others threw their hat in the ring.
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MANVEL, Texas — Though he spends his falls mostly on the defensive side of the ball, Manvel (Texas) High School 2014 prospect Koda Martin got a chance to work on his receiving and route-running skills while lining up on offense on Saturday at his other high school position, tight end, during the Maverick 7-on-7 state qualifying tournament at Manvel High School.
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GILMER, Texas -- What would a Texas offer mean to the next big prospect from Gilmer, Texas: 2015 athlete Kris Boyd? A lot more than you might assume.
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LUFKIN, Texas – Keke Coutee knows he could wait another 12 months before ending his recruitment, but the Lufkin (Texas) athlete is already starting to feel the pressure to get this done early.
He certainly felt it last Wednesday when Texas co-offensive coordinator Darrell Wyatt stopped by Lufkin to check out the 2015 standout.
He certainly felt it last Wednesday when Texas co-offensive coordinator Darrell Wyatt stopped by Lufkin to check out the 2015 standout.
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For most college football recruits, announcing a top 12 doesn’t attract a ton of views. For someone like ESPN 150 safety Jamal Adams (Lewisville, Texas/Hebron), a top 12 is news that many programs have anticipated for months.
That’s because Adams, a 6-foot, 199-pound, four-star defensive back, has been quite vocal about his high school football team's expectations and teammates but very tight-lipped about his recruiting. Many have speculated his interest, but he’s rarely confirmed or denied any reports.
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TYLER, Texas -- East Texas often is considered one of the nation’s most underrated areas in finding elite talent when it comes to college football recruiting. Sunday featured the inaugural East Texas Sports Network combine, which showcased more than 100 players from East Texas.
The event took place at the Accelerate Performance Enhancement Center (APEC) training facility, which has trained professionals such as quarterback Graham Harrell, running back Kendall Hunter and pro baseball pitchers Phillip Humber and Josh Tomlin.
The event took place at the Accelerate Performance Enhancement Center (APEC) training facility, which has trained professionals such as quarterback Graham Harrell, running back Kendall Hunter and pro baseball pitchers Phillip Humber and Josh Tomlin.
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ABOUT HORNSNATION
Sean Adams
Sean Adams has covered the Texas Longhorns and college football for the last 12 years as a writer and radio host. Sean co-hosts "The Big Show" with Erin Hogan each afternoon on ESPN Austin 104.9 The Horn. He lives with his family in Round Rock, Texas. Email him at thisean@gmail.com.
Max Olson
Max Olson joined ESPN in 2012 after covering the University of Nebraska for the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald and high school and college sports for the World-Herald and Rivals.com. Olson is a University of Nebraska graduate and lives in Austin, Texas. Email him at maxolsonespn@gmail.com.
Carter Strickand
Carter Strickland joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the University of Oklahoma for The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman and Washington State University for The (Spokane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review. Strickland lives with his wife and family in Austin. Email him at cstrickland70@gmail.com.
William Wilkerson
William Wilkerson joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering high school sports, college sports and the Texas Rangers over four years at the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram. William is a University of Texas graduate and lives in Austin. He can be reached at wilkerson.espn@gmail.com.