Bevo Sports

Position Rating: B
Starter: Colt McCoy
Reserves: John Chiles, Sherrod Harris

The quarterback position is one of the strongest in the Big 12 and despite throwing 18 interceptions last season Texas starting quarterback Colt McCoy is in the top tier in the conference. With an improved offensive line and another season of experience under his belt the 2008 season should be a good one for McCoy. Simply cutting down on his turnovers will be huge but I’m expecting even bigger things this season.

Behind McCoy there are two huge question marks which bring down the position’s overall grade. The general consensus is that true sophomore John Chiles is the number two with junior Sherrod Harris slotted behind him. Chiles spent all of last season as the team’s backup quarterback but saw little time at the position and had few opportunities to use his arm. He didn’t throw the ball well in the Orange/White spring scrimmage possibly leaving the door open for Harris to take over as the primary backup.

One interesting scenario that could play out is that Chiles is 2a and Harris is 2b. Chiles might actually see more time on the field this season as a receiver and running quarterback in special packages, but if (God forbid) McCoy were to go down with an injury Harris would take over as the every down QB. Either way Texas fans should be rooting hard for a healthy season for McCoy.

Update: Bevo Sports is giving away NCAA Football 09, enter to win!

NCAA Football 09 is less than a month away, the demo is up on Xbox Live and the Playstation Network, and player ratings are starting to make their way on to the Internet. EA Sports released the team top 25 and player ratings for all those teams.

I went through the list and put the players’ real names in where possible. I had trouble with a lot of the true freshmen in the game so if you know who any of the blank names are or if I made any mistakes please let me know in the comments. It really looks like EA did a poor job this year on the roster and depth chart. Hopefully it’s a little more accurate when the game is released.

You can download Excel files of the player ratings at the bottom of this post or check out the overall ratings for the Texas team below:

Real Name	Name	Year	Position	Rating
Buck Burnette	C #66	Soph(RS)	C	78
	C #60	Fresh	C	72
Deon Beasley	CB #7	Junior	CB	85
Ryan Palmer	CB #13	Senior(RS)	CB	84
Curtis Brown	CB #3	Soph	CB	83
Aaron Williams	CB #26	Fresh	CB	80
Chykie Brown	CB #8	Soph(RS)	CB	80
Earl Thomas	CB #12	Fresh(RS)	CB	78
DJ Monroe	CB #27	Fresh	CB	76
Roy Miller	DT #99	Senior	DT	90
Jarvis Humphrey	DT #96	Fresh	DT	80
Brian Ellis	DT #90	Soph(RS)	DT	78
Ben Alexander	DT #92	Junior	DT	76
Kheeston Randall	DT #88	Fresh	DT	76
Chris Ogbonnayya	FB #3	Senior(RS)	FB	93
Cody Johnson	FB #31	Fresh(RS)	FB	72
Ben Wells	FS #5	Fresh(RS)	FS	84
Christian Scott	FS #6	Fresh(RS)	FS	77
Blake Gideon	FS #21	Fresh	FS	77
Vondrell McGee	HB #2	Soph(RS)	HB	85
DeSean Hales	HB #30	Fresh	HB	80
Antwan Cobb	HB #24	Soph(RS)	HB	79
Fozzy Whittaker	HB #22	Fresh(RS)	HB	78
Jeremy Hills	HB #32	Fresh	HB	76
Tre Newton	HB #23	Fresh	HB	73
Hunter Lawrence	K #15	Junior	K	82
Justin Tucker	K #9	Fresh	K	69
Lamarr Houston	LE #33	Junior	LE	91
Aaron Lewis	LE #95	Senior	LE	85
Henry Melton	LE #37	Senior	LE	80
Charlie Tanner	LG #52	Junior(RS)	LG	86
Tray Allen	LG #70	Soph	LG	82
Chris Hall	LG #71	Junior(RS)	LG	81
Aundre McGaskey	LG #76	Fresh(RS)	LG	74
Sergio Kindle	LOLB #2	Junior	LOLB	85
	LOLB #16	Fresh	LOLB	80
	LOLB #57	Fresh	LOLB	76
David Snow	LT #78	Fresh	LT	78
Britt Mitchell	LT #72	Soph(RS)	LT	78
Rashad Bobino	MLB #44	Senior(RS)	MLB	90
Jared Norton	MLB #11	Junior	MLB	85
Trevor Gerland	P #17	Junior(RS)	P	83
Colt McCoy	QB #12	Junior(RS)	QB	89
Sherrod Harris	QB #17	Soph(RS)	QB	81
John Chiles	QB #7	Soph	QB	79
Eddie Jones	RE #32	Soph(RS)	RE	92
Brian Orakpo	RE #98	Senior(RS)	RE	90
Russell Carter	RE #97	Fresh(RS)	RE	77
Cedric Dockery	RG #55	Senior(RS)	RG	89
Michael Huey	RG #63	Soph	RG	81
Roddrick Muckelroy	ROLB #38	Junior(RS)	ROLB	87
Keenan Robinson	ROLB #53	Fresh(RS)	ROLB	82
	ROLB #4	Fresh	ROLB	75
Adam Ulatoski	RT #74	Junior(RS)	RT	85
Mark Buchanan	RT #54	Fresh	RT	74
Ishie Oduegwu	SS #19	Junior(RS)	SS	88
Nolan Brewster	SS #36	Fresh	SS	79
Peter Ullman	TE #86	Senior(RS)	TE	81
Ahmard Howard	TE #13	Fresh(RS)	TE	74
Blaine Irby	TE #19	Soph	TE	73
Quan Cosby	WR #6	Senior	WR	89
Jordan Shipley	WR #8	Senior(RS)	WR	84
Montre Webber	WR #14	Soph(RS)	WR	83
Dan Buckner	WR #4	Fresh	WR	79
Malcolm Williams	WR #9	Fresh(RS)	WR	78
DJ Grant	WR #80	Fresh	WR	75
Antoine Hicks	WR #81	Fresh	WR	75
James Kirkendoll	WR #87	Soph	WR	74

Downloads

• Texas player ratings
• Full top 25 player ratings

John Chiles to double as QB-WR? Rumors are Harris will be 2nd string but Chiles will get his hands on the ball often.

The last scrimmage/practice of the spring is about to get underway on Fox Sports Southwest. The Orange-White Game is most fans’ first look at a lot of players and it’s always interesting to see who is playing where. We won’t see much (if any) new scheme or plays, but it’s football and gosh darnit I like it. The most important thing in this type of event is always that nobody gets seriously injured.

I’ll be posting my live thoughts and opinions below.

First Quarter

Nice to see we tackled more this spring, much more so that we did more full contact drills than in a scrimmage like this.

Here’s the spring roster off the official site. Definitely going to be needed today.

Tray Allen gets the start today at left tackle with Adam Ulatoski out.

I thought Brandon Collins had dropped that pass but on the replay cornerback Deon Beasley made a nice diving play to break it up. Collins probably needs to use his body better though to prevent the defender from being able to do that so easily.

I don’t know about that interference penalty on Beasley. Colt McCoy threw a nice pass but put it over Quan Cosby’s wrong shoulder. He had the position and Colt should have been able to put it in a more catchable position.

Not a good job on the Jordan Shipley reverse by Henry Melton. As the backside defensive end his responsibilities are RCC (reverse, counter, or cutback) and while he held his spot for a moment he started to pursue too quickly. Not a good job by the corner/safety over there either, the moment they saw Shipley going back the other way they should have been screaming at the top of their lungs.

Ishie Oduegwu is in street clothes on the sideline, I didn’t realize he was hurt. I assume that’s why true freshman Blake Gideon got the start at safety for Team Tradition. Okay that’s the last time I’ll mention these lame team names.

John Chiles and Fozzy Whittaker screwed up the hand-off on their first play of the day. Zone read and Chiles tried to change his mind and keep it but they put in on the turf.

On his first pass attempt Chiles makes a decent throw to Collins but he looked like he was tripled covered. The pocket was still holding so I think John could have waited another tick, bought himself some time, and looked for a more open receiver.

Nice run by Vondrell McGee ended with him delivering a blow to Earl Thomas. Good play though by Thomas to hold on despite the big hit and make the tackle.

I hope we’re not planning on playing freshman kicker Justin Tucker. We’ve already got Ryan Bailey and Hunter Lawrence and I want one of them to win the kicking job this year so we can afford to redshirt Tucker.

Russell Carter sure looks like a football player. Big old sucker. Nice play by him bringing down Whitaker.

(more…)

It featured one of the wildest and weirdest plays in recent memory, but the 2007 Holiday Bowl ended up being an easier Texas win than anyone expected. The Horns came out fired up and got up on the Arizona State early before finishing with a 52-34 victory.

Here’s how the team did with my keys for the game:

1. Pressure Rudy Carpenter.

The Longhorns not only pressured Carpenter but they eventually knocked him out of the game. Carpenter was rattled early and did not perform well when the Horns were able to hurry him. The team finished the night with four sacks but more importantly was in the quarterback’s face all game long. Defensive coordinator Duane Akina brought blitzes from every direction and every position. Defensive end Brian Orakpo had a heck of a game (two sacks, tons of pressure) was named the game’s defensive MVP. Verdict: Passed.

2. Don’t turn the ball over.

Colt McCoy didn’t throw any interceptions but did put the ball on the turf with alarming frequency. McCoy fumbled the football four times, but only lost a critical one on a boneheaded play at the end of the first half that could have cost Texas dearly. He also botched two snaps and was bailed out big time (after a great long scramble) when Jermichael Finley fell on his fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. The Horns didn’t protect the football very well but they only turned it over once, so… Verdict: Passed.

3. Don’t forget about the run game.

I don’t think the coaches gave the ball enough to Jamaal Charles early in the game, but as the game wore on he ended up getting more than his share of touches. Thanks to the big second half lead Charles finished the game with 27 carries and 161 yards. Colt McCoy did what he’s been doing this season, finding a way to make big plays with his feet. The team also went to freshman quarterback John Chiles early to spark the offense and he carried the ran the ball very successfully. Overall the team ran the ball 54 times for a whopping 300 yards in the game. Verdict: Passed.

I’ll be posting periodic updates, comments, and vulgarity as the game goes on. It’s kickoff time and I’m as fired up as I’ve been since early on in the season. Let’s see how the Horns respond to a little adversity.

First Quarter

• 2 seconds in to the game and it’s clear Brent Musberger didn’t do any preparation. Brutally mispronounces Chris Ogbonnaya’s name and then calls Lamarr Houston the name of some random walk on. Houston takes the very short pooch kick off and the Horns start the game off with the ball out at the 50.
• Looked like a bad read by Colt McCoy on the zone read. Picks up close to 10 yards though and the Horns have a 3rd and 3. Big play as the team really needs to get going early.
• 3rd and short run that the line did a terrible job blocking on but Jamaal Charles breaks it for a 15 yard game.
• Mack Brown is right. Charles was hit out of bounds down low and that should have been a penalty.
• Bad awareness by Nate Jones. He was wide open but let himself drift out of the back of the end zone. Announcers have good comment though about how the design of the end zone in the stadium could be confusing.
• Greg Davis is a gosh damn genius!!!!!!! WoooOoo! Touchdown Derek Lokey for the touchdown!!! That a boy! Bill Belichick would be proud.

Arizona State 0, Texas 7

• The team really looks fired up. Let’s hope that results in some inspired play, and no let down once that energy wears off.
• Jared Norton, Roddrick Muckelroy, and Scott Derry are the starters at linebacker. That might shut some Internet coaches up (for a few minutes.)
• And Norton is already hurt. Damnit.
• Defensive package on 3rd and long includes only 3 down lineman, Drew Kelson and Deon Beasley in there as extra pass defenders. Nice new look.
• Designed QB draw play. I don’t mind McCoy scrambling (in fact he’s been darn good at it this season) but not sure we should be calling too many first quarter QB runs in the huddle.
• As Musberger talks about Chris Hall I just noticed that freshman Kyle Hix is getting the start at right tackle and they’ve moved Adam Ulatoski to the left side.
• Quan Cosby on the reverse pass. Not really anybody open and Cosby does the smart thing and just throws it away. Or maybe it twas just a terrible throw. The play wasn’t blocked well and the receivers were all covered as well.
• Sergio Kindle in there on this series. Norton back in there as well.
• Fumble! Maybe. They called it a fumble on the field at least as corner Brandon Foster appears to rip the ball out as the ASU running back falls to the ground. Looks like he had it out before his knee was down and doesn’t look like there’s 100% evidence of the contrary. Replay confirms, Texas ball!
• Hot damn! Hey there John Chiles, I vaguely remember you buddy. The young dual threat QB is in there and on the first play Charles takes the zone read hand off close to 50 yards. On the very Next play Chiles keeps it on the same play off the left end for the touchdown! (Psst… where has this been all year?)

Arizona State 0, Texas 14

• In case you hadn’t noticed, yes I’m about 5 minutes behind live on the DVR. I’ll be caught up after one or two commercial breaks.
• Wonder what the wind situation is like. Hunter Lawrence’s kickoffs have all been pretty short.
• Has Roger Clemens hired investigator to “discredit Brian McNamee” or two prove that he didn’t take steroids? Those are two very different things.
• Not only did senior Robert Killebrew not get the start at linebacker but I haven’t seen him in on defense at all yet tonight. Two series in a row where it’s nothing but the young guys and Derry is off the field as well.
• Erick Jackson got really burned on a deep pass but gets back just in time because of the underthrown ball (and maybe a little early) and the ball is tipped up and safety Marcus Griffin has the ball come right to him for the interception.
• I like the fair catch trash talk by the ASU punt returner. “Did you see the way I waved my arm and caught the ball. You can’t handle this!”
• Killebrew, Derry, and Rashad Bobino in there for this series.
• Can Musberger get anyone’s name right? It’s Dick Tomey, not Toomey. Dufus.
• Finally. McCoy scrambles and throws deep on the run and get its to his open receiver Cosby for a huge 55 yard gain. That a boy Colt.
• And Charles runs tough and right through the Sun Devils’ defense for the 15-yard TD run. Heck of a run and refusal to get tackled by one guy. The Horns are now up 3 scores and it’s still the first quarter. Come on guys keep this up, don’t let an ASU score or anything swing this momentum.

Arizona State 0, Texas 21

• Veteran linebackers in for second series in a row. Henry Melton getting some early playing time at defensive end.
• Bobino shaken up. Now both middle linebackers have needed to be helped up by the medical staff but both were able to walk off on their own power.
• We’re bring multiple linebackers on every play and if we don’t start getting to Carpenter a step quicker we could be in trouble.

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The Texas Longhorns held their annual football banquet Friday night (photos) where they honored team members for their accomplishments on and off the field. Though fans and recruits do attend, the event is definitely a night for the players to look back on the season and to honor the careers of the outgoing seniors.

Quarterback Colt McCoy and running back Jamaal Charles were deservedly named the team MVPs. McCoy didn’t have as good of a season as he did his freshman year but he definitely is the player that made this team go (when it went anywhere). Charles was also named Darrell K. Royal Most Valuable Offensive Player while the Mike Campbell Most Valuable Defensive Players were Brandon Foster and Marcus Griffin.

In a team vote Dallas Griffin, Tony Hills, and Derek Lokey were honored with the D. Harold Byrd Leadership Award. Also, in a shocking development quarterback McCoy was given the Outstanding Quarterback Award.

In a move that infuriated Internet Coaching and Motivational Experts Rashad Bobino, Scott Derry, and Robert Killebrew shared the honor of being the team’s Outstanding Linebackers. I’m not sure what else you can really do though as no linebacker really deserved the honor and it would be pretty embarrassing to not hand out an award for the position.

A list of all the award winners is after the jump.

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Nothing gets me more fired up than watching Ducks Unlimited TV before a big Longhorn game. Do you think Versus would show a show about hunting and killing ducks if Oregon was playing instead of Texas and Baylor? That might be a little awkward.

If you’re not one of the many Texas fans who made the trip to Waco you’ll have to surf through about 1,000 channels before you’ll find Versus and you’re probably only getting it if you have satellite or digital cable. Versus is on channel 603 on DirecTV, channel 151 on Dish Network, and on 470 if you’ve got Time Warner digital cable in Austin.

Here we go…

First Quarter

• I like the straight zone run play with Jamaal Charles than the zone read or the counter. Gives Jamaal a chance to hit the hole fast and get going north/south quicker.
• I like that a professional football announcer doesn’t know the difference between the zone read and a counter. Not even run out of the shotgun is a zone read.
• Three attempts towards Jermichael Finley already. One good completion, one ball he should have caught, and one that he and Colt McCoy had a miscommunication on.
• And another pass towards Finley. Texas attempts a fake field goal after he goes out wide and uncovered but Jordan Shipley can’t get the play off quickly enough and then can’t get the ball out to him before the defense adjusted. Versus missed the whole play because we were zoomed in on kicker Ryan Bailey’s helmet.
• Erick Jackson has been serviceable at safety this season but he is absolutely awful at adjusting to the ball in the air. He was there in coverage on a terrible Baylor pass but couldn’t make a play on the ball. Looked similar to the unnecessary pass interference penalty he picked up last week.
• Baylor offensive lineman Dan Gay IV commits a holding penalty. How unfortunate is that last name? Especially with the IV after it. You can essentially put any noun after that and hilarity will ensue.
• I’m surprised how empty Floyd Casey Stadium is. Enough Texas fans normally make that trip to fill up the place a little better.
• Second time already that I thought the Baylor defensive back got there early on pass coverage. Quan Cosby doesn’t drop many passes, it looked like he got bumped early.
• Great punt but Jackson can’t down it before it bounces into the end zone. The only good thing to come out of the Kansas State game is punter Justin Moore.
• Versus really likes to use the camera angle from the roof of the press box. The damn thing is so high i can’t tell anybody’s number.
• John Chiles and the second team offense is in there for this series. I actually like the timing of this one better than last week. The first team offense didn’t have much momentum so it’s not really going to disrupt them.
• Chiles has to be more careful with the football. First downs are important but not as important as holding onto the football. Don’t stretch the ball out in traffic on your own 40 yard line.
• Smithson Valley sucks!
• Big run by Vondrell McGee up the middle. 18 yards on the carry is probably the second teamers biggest gain against first team defenses. I think as Chiles gains more experience running the zone read the whole offense opens up. Right now he looks a little like he’s keeping and handing off randomly and not doing a great job reading the defensive end. That’s a tough read and you can only really learn in live game situations.
• Set your feet before you throw John.
• Ryan Bailey nails the 46-yard field goal into the wind. Right down the middle.

Texas 3, Baylor 0

• How sad is Baylor that the announcers are talking about their defense getting a victory by holding the second team defense to only a field goal?
• Not sure if this is their first series or not, but the young group of linebackers are in there now for Texas.
• What did they rule that play on the field? I thought I saw an official pointing that he was down before the fumble. Looks to me like the ball is coming loose a little before the Baylor running back hits the ground.
• Not sure how they ruled he was down after reviewing that play. Looked pretty clear from one angle that the ball was loose before his butt hit the ground.

(more…)

Today’s matchup for the Longhorns against Iowa State should be a rout, but there’s been lots of games like that this season and Texas only took care of business against Rice. The Horns need to continue the solid play from last week against Oklahoma and if they can they should be able to come home with a comfortable win.

Follow with me and my random thoughts during the game below:

First Quarter

• I wonder when FSN Southwest will be in high definition on DirecTV? It looks like the game is being shot in HD and if I had FSNMW I could be watching it in HD. Oh well.
• Ryan Bailey kicking off, is Hunter Lawrence hurt?
• Same starting lineup on defense that we’ve seen all year.
• Texas is only 7th in the Big 12 in punt returns? Quan Cosby is solid back there so I don’t really blame him for that number. With Limas Sweed out for the year it might be time to protect Cosby and put one of the young WR/DB’s back there.
• Long bomb from Colt McCoy to Jordan Shipley on Texas’ first offensive play. McCoy does nice job buying time in a collapsing pocket and finds Shipley wide open. 58-yard touchdown for the Horns.

Texas 7, Iowa State 0

• FSN’s wonderful coverage continues. They take a TV timeout and miss both the kickoff and the first ISU play after it. Sad.
• FSN announcers are apparently using an OU roster instead of Texas.
• On third down play it looks like defensive line slants to the field and Robert Killebrew lets the ISU runner get wide for the first down. Might have been Lamarr Houston’s fault. Terrible defensive fundamentals.
• I was just going to complain about the lack of pressure from the Texas defense then Lamarr Houston comes untouched off the end for the sack.
• Face raped? Yikes. Not sure you should say that on TV. That was a definite face mask but the reason the helmet comes off is that it’s not fitted correctly. Your helmet should never come off that easy. He said face rape again.
• Is our defense really this poorly coached? We’ve got guys flying inside to avoid blockers on every play. If you’re a defensive end and have a linebacker blitzing to your inside you can’t try to get in the same gap. Ugh.
• Derek Lokey playing defensive end on that play. He got whipped man on man and gave up a big run.
• Texas holds on third down and forces a field goal. Field goal is wide right. Break for Texas as Iowa State had put together a very solid drive.
• Mental mistake by wide receiver covered up Jermichael Finley. FSN announcers are morons.
• Looks like Chris Ogbonnaya is seeing increased playing time already over Jamaal Charles. If we’re going with the wide open offense that’s a good idea since he’s a better blocker and pass catcher than Charles.
• Looks like McCoy is growing a sweet mustache. Couple more weeks and that might be thick enough to show up on camera.
• Ogbonnaya and Vondrell McGee get the two Texas redzone rushing attempts. Hope Charles can keep his head up, figure out the issue, and earn these attempts back.
• Not sure that was a well advised throw by McCoy but man did Cosby get up and get that one. No good camera angle but I think that might have come out a little when he hit the ground. Another good scramble to buy time and find a receiver by Colt.

Texas 14, Iowa State 0

• Hunter Lawrence kicking off on this one. Wonder why it wasn’t him in there on the first one?
• Young linebackers in there for this series.

(more…)

Texas takes on Iowa State and former Texas coach Gene Chizik today at 11:30 on FSN and the team is still looking for it’s first Big 12 win of the season. Riding a four game conference losing streak the Horns are looking to get back on track against an ISU team that has struggled mightily this season under their new coach.

The Longhorns are big favorites, but here are three things to watch for in today’s game:

1. Hold on to the freaking football.

Jamaal Charles’ fumble last week wasn’t the only mistake the Longhorns made in the loss to Oklahoma but it was certainly a back breaker. He’s run hard and pretty well despite an inexperienced offensive line and a sometimes questionable offensive scheme, but at some point that doesn’t matter if you can’t hold on to the football consistently. For me that point was last week. It’s time to get Vondrell McGee more touches and keep Charles on the sideline when the Horns get inside the red zone.

2. Play more young guys.

McGee isn’t the only youngster who needs to start seeing increased playing time. Texas is a program that should be (and has been) a perennial top 10 team but they’re not likely to end there this season so it’s time to start looking towards 2008. This doesn’t mean throw in the towel on this season, on the contrary playing guys like Sergio Kindle, Deon Beasley, McGee, John Chiles, and Michael Huey should give the Horns a boost in 2007 as well. I hope these guys can get some meaningful early minutes and that Texas pulls away enough to get them even more time in the second half.

3. Try a double pass or other trick play.

Trick plays sure worked well against Texas’ Gene Chizik coached defense last year so today seems like a great day to finally execute the Colt McCoy to John Chiles double pass. The Horns tried it last week against OU but couldn’t hold off defenders long enough to give Chiles a chance to throw. Chiles just needs to play more in general and not just on trick plays. So far every time he’s been in the game the play call has involved him so defenses are able to key on him and be on the lookout for trickeration. Line him up out wide and send him on a normal pass route a few times per game.

John Chiles gives UT extra dimension. I love QB’s wearing number seven, it just looks right.

Vegas oddsmakers have Texas as 39 point favorites over Arkansas State tomorrow night so winning shouldn’t be a problem. But the Horns will need more than just a victory to be satisfied. Here are the three keys for the game:

1. Don’t get anybody hurt

The game against Arkansas State is essentially a glorified scrimmage so the number one goal for the game has to be come out as healthy as possible. The Horns have already been bitten by the injury bug this fall and have a tough game next week against TCU, if another wide receiver goes down I might have to suit up.

2. Let John Chiles play with the first offense

Since a redshirt is no longer an option, Chiles has to log a few minutes with the first team offense before the game is a laugher. Mack Brown said there would be no QB rotation but that doesn’t mean we can’t throw him out there for a few special plays to showcase his talents. Colt McCoy is no veteran either and needs enough work to make sure he’s ready for week two, but Chiles needs more than just garbage time snaps.

3. Seriously, don’t get anybody hurt

Did I mention this already? Get the first teamers rolling, give them a chance to come out for a series or two after halftime, and then get them the heck out of there.

Mack Brown says we’re going to like what we see out of John Chiles. Hope to see some special stuff with him and Colt on the field at the same time.

Just a few weeks after declaring John Chiles’ career at quarterback over for the Longhorns based on a misinterpreted Mack Brown quote, the guys over at the AAS’ blog Bevo Beat have seen the light:

Mack has never accused Bevo Beat of being slow or contemplative or even a very good judge of football talent.

So, naturally, none of that will stop us from making the following declaration: John Chiles is a quarterback.

Yes, the very first practice of August has just wrapped up out at Denius Fields, and we watched Chiles throw all of a couple dozen passes. But that was enough to see that Chiles has a natural, fluid motion that results in a terrific ball flight with zip and accuracy. We already knew he was a great athlete with exceptional speed.

Chiles’ status as a potential backup quarterback is one of the more intriguing storylines of the fall. He’s a true freshman who, they say, is eager to get on the field this season. He might decide that his best shot in 2007 lies at receiver or kick returner, but he showed plenty of quarterback skills tonight.

It’s very early but it’s great news to hear Chiles is impressing at QB. There’s no doubt he’s athletic but he was only a full time quarterback for one season in high school so there was some question if he’d be able to play the position at this level. If he’s a QB all the way hopefully he’ll be able to redshirt this season and put a little more separation between himself and Colt McCoy and Sherrod Harris.

I am pretty sure no one will ever be able to do what Vince did for Texas, but John Chiles sure looks promising. Chiles speed is impressive and he can juke like a running back. Needless to say he needs to get some playing time in the near future.

John Chiles looked good in first two spring practices, is there a battle brewing for the backup QB spot?

Name: John Chiles
Position: Quarterback/Wide Receiver
Ranking:

Hometown: Mansfield, TX
School: Summit
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 195 lbs

Background

Rivals stole John Chiles’ fifth star right after the U.S. Army All-American Bowl when he was injured and at a position he hadn’t played in a year. Scout still has him up there at the top where he belongs. Lightning quick athlete who was recruited as quarterback but could play there or at wide receiver for the Horns, but he the football needs to be in his hands as often as possible

Chiles spent his sophomore and junior seasons at wide receiver for Carrollton Ranchview. As a junior he had 694 yards receiving, tacked on 491 yards on the ground, and had 17 total touchdowns. Senior year as a QB he had 900 yards and 12 TD’s passing and another 700 rushing.

Immediate Impact

John Chiles is certainly not going to be the Longhorns starting quarterback this season but that’s not going to stop him from seeing snaps there this season. Texas fans will be clamoring from day one for Chiles to play a little receiver and to line up at QB in a special package designed for his incredible skills. Chiles and Jamaal Charles in the backfield together running the zone read and the option could be special. Put him in the slot and get him the ball on hitches and reverses. Mix in a reverse pass just to mess with opposing defenses.

Future

The sky’s the limit for Chiles. He’ll start his career at Texas as a quarterback spending enough time practicing as a receiver to get him on the field as early as possible. He’ll get every opportunity to take over at QB after Colt McCoy leaves but even if he fails he’s got a hell of a fall back plan. No way of knowing where he ends up but he’s going to make an impact for the Horns somewhere before he leaves.

The first Rivals100 list is out for 2007 and it had a decidedly burnt orange hue. Nine Texas Longhorn commitments are on the list and three receive five-star status. Guard/tackle Tray Allen is the highest ranked Horn at number eight, followed by the two quarterbacks John Chiles and John Brantley at twelve and thirteen respectively.

Not a ton of controversy (and keep in mind this is an early list that will definitely change) over the rankings but there are a couple of things that stand out. Hempstead wide receiver Terrance Toliver is a tremendous raw talent but hasn’t put up big numbers despite playing at a small school. Definite potential but a bit of a reach as the nation’s number ten overall prospect. Interesting to note that Toliver has big time talent but Mack Brown has decided not to pursue him, there’s usually a reason for that.

The omission of future Texas linebacker Keenan Robinson from the list is a little surprising, Robinson’s camp performances have been impressive and he’s been rising quickly. His latest performance at last weekend’s Texas Junior Day had people talking. There are reports that he’s a near lock to be on the next top 100 list.

To put things in perspective, the Longhorns have more top 100 commitments than any other school has total commits. With three, or possibly four, more spots available, it’ll be interesting to see how the coaching staff decides to use those final scholarship offers.