Class of 2013's top safety interested in UT 
January, 6, 2012
1/06/12
4:08
PM CT
By
William Wilkerson | ESPN.com
SAN ANTONIO - - Even in an Alamodome full of hundreds of athletes wearing the same workout clothes, class of 2013 safety Marcell Harris (Groveland, Fla./South Lake) still had a way of standing out at the U.S. Army combine on Friday.
Maybe it was his 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame, and the speed with which he moves. It could be the dreadlocks that stretch down his back, or his coverage skills in one-on-one drills.
Whatever it was, Harris is hard to miss and programs from across the country have already taken notice. He already has offers from Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, LSU, Notre Dame, USF and Temple. Numerous others are bound to join the pursuit.
Maybe it was his 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame, and the speed with which he moves. It could be the dreadlocks that stretch down his back, or his coverage skills in one-on-one drills.
Whatever it was, Harris is hard to miss and programs from across the country have already taken notice. He already has offers from Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, LSU, Notre Dame, USF and Temple. Numerous others are bound to join the pursuit.
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OSU-Texas preview: What can Brown do?
January, 6, 2012
1/06/12
4:00
PM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
AUSTIN, Texas -- The first time Texas’ leading scorer J'Covan Brown went down he took the team with him.
Up 18 with a little more than seven minutes remaining, Texas lost to N.C. State as Brown watched from the bench after picking up a technical foul.
Six weeks later Brown was back on the bench -- an ankle sprain against Iowa State the culprit this time -- but this time, while Texas still lost, his teammates didn’t crumble.
“The last time that happened was N.C State and this time we didn’t panic,” assistant coach Chris Ogden said.
Instead the team, playing primarily with one senior, Clint Chapman, and four freshmen, cut a 15 point lead to five and stayed in the game until the last seconds. While that was an improvement, it still wasn’t enough as Texas (10-4, 0-1) dropped only its second conference opener in Rick Barnes’ 14 years.
Up 18 with a little more than seven minutes remaining, Texas lost to N.C. State as Brown watched from the bench after picking up a technical foul.
Six weeks later Brown was back on the bench -- an ankle sprain against Iowa State the culprit this time -- but this time, while Texas still lost, his teammates didn’t crumble.
“The last time that happened was N.C State and this time we didn’t panic,” assistant coach Chris Ogden said.
Instead the team, playing primarily with one senior, Clint Chapman, and four freshmen, cut a 15 point lead to five and stayed in the game until the last seconds. While that was an improvement, it still wasn’t enough as Texas (10-4, 0-1) dropped only its second conference opener in Rick Barnes’ 14 years.
Fourteen set to announce at Army Bowl
January, 6, 2012
1/06/12
12:26
PM CT
By
Damon Sayles and
William Wilkerson | ESPN.com
SAN ANTONIO – Saturday’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl (1 p.m. ET on NBC) will include verbal commitments from 14 top prospects, six from the West roster and eight from the East.
ESPNU 150 defensive back Shaq Thompson (Sacramento, Calif./Grant) will choose among Cal, Oregon, Notre Dame and Washington. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Thompson, a four-star safety is the No. 2 player in California and No. 3 safety in the country. Among national prospects, he is the 22nd-ranked player overall.
ESPNU 150 defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy (Monrovia, Calif./Monrovia) is expected to choose between California and USC. A four-star player, McCarthy added that he may choose to decide at a later date. McCarthy, at 6-5 and 311 pounds, is the fourth-ranked defensive tackle and fifth-ranked player in California. He is ranked No. 43 among all national prospects.
ESPNU 150 defensive back Shaq Thompson (Sacramento, Calif./Grant) will choose among Cal, Oregon, Notre Dame and Washington. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Thompson, a four-star safety is the No. 2 player in California and No. 3 safety in the country. Among national prospects, he is the 22nd-ranked player overall.
ESPNU 150 defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy (Monrovia, Calif./Monrovia) is expected to choose between California and USC. A four-star player, McCarthy added that he may choose to decide at a later date. McCarthy, at 6-5 and 311 pounds, is the fourth-ranked defensive tackle and fifth-ranked player in California. He is ranked No. 43 among all national prospects.
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Gray, Brewer OK after UA injuries
January, 6, 2012
1/06/12
10:52
AM CT
By
William Wilkerson | ESPN.com
Ten Texas commitments made the trip to St. Petersburg, Fla. for the Under Armour All-American Game on Thursday, and two left a little banged up.
Five-star running back Johnathan Gray (Aledo, Texas/Aledo) left the game with a high ankle sprain, and four-star quarterback Connor Brewer (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral) exited with concussion-like symptoms.
Both, however, appear to be OK.
Five-star running back Johnathan Gray (Aledo, Texas/Aledo) left the game with a high ankle sprain, and four-star quarterback Connor Brewer (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral) exited with concussion-like symptoms.
Both, however, appear to be OK.
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Most impressive Big 12 bowl performance?
January, 5, 2012
1/05/12
4:33
PM CT
By
David Ubben | ESPN.com
We've still got one game left, but it's time to take a little stock on what's been a solid year of bowl performances in the Big 12. The league is 6-1, the best mark of any conference, and had plenty of good individual team performances within that.
Who impressed you most so far?
Was it Oklahoma State, who clearly had the best win, but struggled offensively in the first quarter and needed two missed kicks to get the win, including a missed chip shot from 35 yards as time expired?
The Cowboys won the Fiesta Bowl in the league's only BCS appearance and beat the best opponent the league will face, but one could certainly argue that OSU brought its B game. Did that impress you?
What about Texas A&M? The Aggies nearly blew a lead (again), but they jumped on top of Northwestern, 30-7, in their eventual 11-point win.
Baylor certainly played the most entertaining game. The Bears broke all kinds of records in their 67-56 win against Washington, and won despite giving up 28 consecutive points in the first half. If nothing else, the history books will remember that game for a long while.
Missouri took care of business in Shreveport, La., outplaying a clearly overmatched North Carolina team and opening up a 24-point lead at one point, the biggest of any Big 12 team in any bowl this season. Is that enough to impress you? The Tar Heels were 7-5, too, though they went 3-5 in ACC play.
Then there's Texas. The Longhorns played ugly, but they safely beat a really good Cal offense and stifled the Bears to just 10 points and 195 yards, more than 200 yards and 18 points below their average.
Did that impress you?
Who did it most?
Vote in our poll.
Who impressed you most so far?
Was it Oklahoma State, who clearly had the best win, but struggled offensively in the first quarter and needed two missed kicks to get the win, including a missed chip shot from 35 yards as time expired?
The Cowboys won the Fiesta Bowl in the league's only BCS appearance and beat the best opponent the league will face, but one could certainly argue that OSU brought its B game. Did that impress you?
What about Texas A&M? The Aggies nearly blew a lead (again), but they jumped on top of Northwestern, 30-7, in their eventual 11-point win.
Baylor certainly played the most entertaining game. The Bears broke all kinds of records in their 67-56 win against Washington, and won despite giving up 28 consecutive points in the first half. If nothing else, the history books will remember that game for a long while.
Missouri took care of business in Shreveport, La., outplaying a clearly overmatched North Carolina team and opening up a 24-point lead at one point, the biggest of any Big 12 team in any bowl this season. Is that enough to impress you? The Tar Heels were 7-5, too, though they went 3-5 in ACC play.
Then there's Texas. The Longhorns played ugly, but they safely beat a really good Cal offense and stifled the Bears to just 10 points and 195 yards, more than 200 yards and 18 points below their average.
Did that impress you?
Who did it most?
Vote in our poll.
Thursday's Under Armour All-America Game (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN3) will include verbal commitments from six top prospects.
Headlining the group is five-star safety Landon Collins (Geismar, La./Dutchtown). Collins (6-foot, 210 pounds) officially lists his finalists as Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Texas, though most feel this is a Tigers vs. Tide battle.
ESPNU 150 athlete Cyrus Jones (Baltimore/Gilman), the nation's No. 5 athlete and No. 33 overall prospect in the Class of 2012, will be selecting from Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State and Virginia Tech.
Headlining the group is five-star safety Landon Collins (Geismar, La./Dutchtown). Collins (6-foot, 210 pounds) officially lists his finalists as Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Texas, though most feel this is a Tigers vs. Tide battle.
ESPNU 150 athlete Cyrus Jones (Baltimore/Gilman), the nation's No. 5 athlete and No. 33 overall prospect in the Class of 2012, will be selecting from Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State and Virginia Tech.
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Notes from Day 4 at Under Armour
January, 4, 2012
1/04/12
4:13
PM CT
By HornsNation staff | ESPN.com
The final practice before the Under Armour All-America Game is in the books.
The game kicks off Thursday at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
Check out the full notebook.
The game kicks off Thursday at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
Check out the full notebook.
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Chat wrap: Quieting Thomas Johnson rumors
January, 4, 2012
1/04/12
2:30
PM CT
By HornsNation staff | ESPN.com
You asked, we answered. Carter Strickland answered questions in our weekly HornsNation chat.
Read the full chat wrap here.
Here are some of the highlights:
Read the full chat wrap here.
Here are some of the highlights:
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SAN ANTONIO -- Unlike many of the uncommitted athletes at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, four-star lineman Arik Armstead (Elk Grove, Calif./Pleasant Grove) said he has decided against announcing during Saturday’s football game at the Alamodome.
A massive defensive tackle at 6-foot-8 and 290 pounds, Armstead said he eventually will choose between Oregon, California, Notre Dame, Texas and Auburn. The decision, however, will not take place Saturday, as he wants to take as much time as possible to make the proper decision.
“Some schools are stronger academically than others, and some schools have more opportunities as far as education goes,” Armstead said. “All of the schools do a good job of putting guys in the pros, which is very important, too.”
Armstead, a two-sport star in football and basketball, has visited Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame, and he said an official to Texas may be next for him. He said of the five schools, there are no front-runners, but all five schools have agreed to let him play both sports in college.
A massive defensive tackle at 6-foot-8 and 290 pounds, Armstead said he eventually will choose between Oregon, California, Notre Dame, Texas and Auburn. The decision, however, will not take place Saturday, as he wants to take as much time as possible to make the proper decision.
“Some schools are stronger academically than others, and some schools have more opportunities as far as education goes,” Armstead said. “All of the schools do a good job of putting guys in the pros, which is very important, too.”
Armstead, a two-sport star in football and basketball, has visited Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame, and he said an official to Texas may be next for him. He said of the five schools, there are no front-runners, but all five schools have agreed to let him play both sports in college.
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More players who could make an early impact
January, 4, 2012
1/04/12
9:50
AM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
HornsNation looked at newcomers who could make immediate impacts in 2012. Here is the full story.
While the offense dominated, the defense has a few places where an incoming player could step in and play immediately.
Despite having considerable depth along the defensive line, Texas is in need of an anchor to fill the void left by Kheeston Randall.
While the offense dominated, the defense has a few places where an incoming player could step in and play immediately.
Despite having considerable depth along the defensive line, Texas is in need of an anchor to fill the void left by Kheeston Randall.
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Big 12 play starts this week and Kansas, Missouri and Baylor are locks to make the NCAA Tournament, while Texas is hanging on to its postseason hopes.
In Joe Lunardi's expanded look at Bracketology, he looks at tournament odds and a bubble picture that is starting to take shape. The Longhorns find themselves firmly on that bubble.
Here's a look at what Lunardi said:
In Joe Lunardi's expanded look at Bracketology, he looks at tournament odds and a bubble picture that is starting to take shape. The Longhorns find themselves firmly on that bubble.
Here's a look at what Lunardi said:
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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.