True Orange, July 17, 2000, Part 2 ,
 Part 2

The Pre-Season Blue Chips

Here's my updated list of the top Texas football recruits. The ones in bold
type are my Fabulous 40. I have significantly upgraded kids who are drawing
heavy recruiting efforts from top Division I programs because the top D-1
coaches are the final judges of who's who in recruiting. They know more abo=
ut
it than anyone else. The ones who don't won't be around very long.

(Note to E-Mail Subscribers: I have put **** at each position category to
separate the Fabulous 40 players from the rest)

The Early Elite 80 Recruits

Quarterback (6)
Matt Nordgren, 6-5, 225, 4.7, Dallas Bishop Lynch (UT, A&M, Fla, LSU)
Jason Carter, 5-11, 180, 4.5, Caldwell (Neb, A&M, TCU)
****
Mike Pankratz, 6-3, 200, 4.8, Katy Taylor (A&M, UCLA, OU, KSU, ND)
Davon Vinson, 6-3, 185, 4.5, Kilgore (A&M, Ark, OU, Bay)
Tye Gunn, 6-4, 200, 4.62, La Grange (A&M, UT, Pur)
Kevin Ford, 6-0, 188, 4.5, Madisonville (Rice Commitment)

Running Back (7)
Cedric Benson, 5-11, 200, 4.4, Midland Lee (UT, Ala, ND, A&M, OU, Ark, Az)
David Underwood, 6-0, 220, 4.38, Madisonville (Michigan Commitment)
Anthony Johnson, 5-11, 195, 4.4, Jefferson (KSU, UT, FSU, TCU, OU, LSU)
Donta Hickson, 5-9, 180, 4.4, McKinney (FSU, Neb, A&M, OU, Mich, Tenn, TT)
****
David Williams, 5-11, 180, 4.4, Carrollton Smith (FSU, A&M, Colo, UT, OU, M=
ia)
Anthony Evans, 5-9, 195, 4.5, Pearland (Bay, A&M, Az, KSU, UCLA)
Cody Thibodeaux, 6-1, 200, 4.5, Winnie East Chambers (A&M, Neb, UT, Ok St,
LSU)

Fullback (2)
Darnell Sims, 6-2, 230, 4.7, Aldine (A&M, UH, LSU)
****
Mark Pierce, 6-2, 218, 4.6, Weatherford (Bay, OU, A&M, UT, TCU)

Tight End (2)
James Moses, 6-3, 225, 4.7, GP North Shore (UT, A&M, Az, Mich, Colo)
****
Brian Wang, 6-6, 250, 4.9, FW Southwest Christian (TCU, A&M, Bay, Ark, OU)

Wide Receiver (10)
Armon Dorrough, 6-1, 168, 4.4, Lancaster (ND, Tenn, Mia, Fla, FSU, A&M, UT)
Brandon Jones, 6-3, 205, 4.4, Texark. Liberty-Eylau (Ky, Ark, A&M, FSU, UT)
Bennie Brazell, 6-2, 168, 4.4, Houston Westbury (LSU, UCLA, Ark, Ky, LSU, M=
ia)
Thomson Omboga, 6-2, 175, 4.5, Grand Prairie (UT, OU, ND, Ga, A&M, Mo)
Cedric Williams, 6-0, 170, 4.4, Jefferson (KSU, FSU, LSU, Neb, A&M, OU)
Keith Mills, 5-11, 175, 4.4, Garland (A&M, UT, FSU, Fla, Ark, TT, OU)
****
Terrence Thomas, 5-9, 175, 4.4, Houston Washington (Mia, FSU, UCLa, A&M, UH=
)
Corey Roberts, 6-4, 190, 4.4, Carthage (LSU, A&M, SMU, TCU, UT)
Jesse Woods, 6-4, 190, 4.5, Katy Taylor (A&M Commitment)
T. J. Jenkins, 5-11, 180, 4.4, Dallas Hillcrest (FSU, TCU, Fla, UT, TT)

Offensive Line (12)
Jonathan Scott, 6-7, 290, 4.9, Dallas Carter (UT Commitment)
Jami Hightower, 6-4, 295, 5.2, Jacksonville (UT, A&M, FSU, OSU, TCU)
Ben Wilkerson, 6-4, 265, 4.9, Hemphill (A&M, Mich, ND, Neb, Ark, LSU, OU)
Abe Robinson, 6-6, 270, 4.9, Jersey Village (UT Commitment)
William Winston, 6-6, 330, 5.3, Houston Madison (A&M, UT, LSU, Mia, Syr)
Mike Garcia, 6-5, 280, 5.2, Galena Park (UT Commitment)
****
Will Allen, 6-5, 300, 5.2, Cypress Falls (UT Commitment)
Roman Reeves, 6-6, 295, 5.2, Livingston (UT Commitment)
Terrance Young, 6-6, 330, 5.5, Longview (A&M, UT, Ark, LSU)
Shane Simms, 6-2, 300, 4.9, Tomball (A&M, Ark, Bay, OU, Colo, Neb, TCU)
E. J. Whitley, 6-5, 290, 5.3, Texas City (Ky, A&M, Mia, OU, Ok St)
Clint O'Neal, 6-6, 290, 5.2, Weatherford (Colorado Commitment)

Defensive End (8)
Kevin Everett, 6-5, 225, 4.6, Port Arthur Jefferson (UT, ND, Colo, Pur, Mia=
)
Lawrence Hooper, 6-4, 255, 4.7, Aldine (A&M, PSU, LSU, Colo, Fla, OSU, UCLA=
)
Simeon Jones, 6-3, 240, 4.7, Houston Jones (A&M, UH, Colo, UT, Bay)
McKenzie Tilmon, 6-3, 235, 4.7, Irving MacArthur (KSU, UT, A&M, Tenn)
Jamie Jackson, 6-3, 225, 4.7 Andrews (TT, OU, A&M, UT)
****
Colin Allred, 6-3, 225, 4.7, Dallas Hillcrest (UT, Neb, TT, TCU, Mich)
Bret Rayl, 6-7, 265, 4.9, Lewisville (A&M, FSU, OU, PSU, TCU)
Quintene Newhouse, 6-2, 250, 4.7, Emory Rains (A&M, Ky, Mich, UT, Bay, TCU)

Defensive Tackle (7)
Tommie Harris, 6-3, 280, 4.8, Killeen Ellison (UT, FSU, A&M, Mia, UCLA)
Thomas Derricks, 6-1, 275, 4.9, Dallas Jesuit (ND, PSU, A&M, NW, Colo, Neb)
****
Clayton Harmon, 6-6, 260, 5.1, Stephenville (A&M, TT, UT, Colo)
Sharod McGowan, 6-2, 250, 4.7, Waco (A&M, UT, TT, NC, OU, NC)
Brandon Goodlett, 6-2, 280, 5.1, Conroe (Ky, OU, Neb, UT)
Jeremy Calahan, 6-3, 260, 5.0, Pflugerville (UT, ND, A&M, OSU, Stan, TCU, V=
an)
Fred Thwreat, 6-2, 270, 4.9, Midland Lee (TT, A&M, Az)

Outside Linebacker (6)
Derrick Johnson, 6-3, 205, 4.5, Waco (UT, FSU, A&M, OU, Ark, UCLA, TCU)
Jonathon Jackson, 6-2, 220, 4.56, GP North Shore (PSU, UT, LSU, FSU)
Lance McFarland, 6-2, 225, 4.6, Jefferson (UT, KSU, Ark, OU, FSU, LSU)
Lee Foliaki, 6-2, 200, 4.5, Euless Trinity (A&M, UT, FSU, Neb, KSU, TCU)
****
Shawn Willis 6-2, 215, 4.6, Flatonia (A&M, FSU, UT, Bay, TT)
Justin Crooks, 6-1, 210, 4.6, Round Rock McNeil (Rice, TCU, Bay)

Inside Linebacker (2)
****
Jeff Billings, 6-2, 232, 4.7, Pasadena Rayburn (A&M, Ky, Az, ASU, NW)
Yamil Lebron, 6-2, 240, 4.7, Killeen Ellison (UT Commitment)

Cornerback (7)
Byron Jones, 5-10, 180, 4.4, Bay City (LSU, UCLA, A&M, NW, Ark, Ky)
Cedric Griffin, 6-1, 180, 4.42, San Antonio Holmes (A&M, Neb, UT, Colo, Was=
h)
Moses Harris, 6-1, 170, 4.4, Dallas Carter (UT, FSU, OU, Mia, TCU, Gramb)
Dee Durham, 5-11, 174, 4.4, Mansfield (Colo, Mich, Mia, OSU, VT, UT)
****
Warren Wilson, 6-0, 170, 4.4, Texas City (Pur, A&M, LSU, Ky, Az)
Anthony Kelly, 6-0, 175, 4.5, Ald. Eisenhower (A&M, LSU, Colo, KSU, Bay, UT=
)
Courtney Sterling, 5-7, 170, 4.4, Dallas Carter (Arizona State Commitment)

Safety (5)
Dewayne Brandon, 6-3, 198, 4.46, Temple  (UT, Neb, FSU, A&M, Ky)
Rufus Harris, 6-0, 180, 4.4, LaPorte (A&M, LSU, Az, Mia, Ky)
****
Kendall Briles, 5-10, 175, 4.5, Wolfforth Frenship (UT Commitment)
Jarvis Mayes, 6-2, 180, 4.45, Dallas Kimball (A&M Commitment)
Jaxson Appel, 6-0, 190, 4.5, Friendswood (A&M Commitment)

Athlete (6)
Joseph Addai, 6-1, 195, 4.5, Hstn Sharpstown (KSU, UT, Neb, Kan, Mich, A&M)
Quan Cosby, 5-10, 180, 4.4, Mart (UT, A&M, UCLA, FSU, Bay)
Gainus Scott, 5-9, 170, 4.4, La Porte (FSU, Az, Tenn, Mia, ASU, Ky)
****
Ryan Gilbert, 5-11, 180, 4.4, Dallas Hillcrest (UT, Mich, Neb, Mia, Tenn, F=
SU)
Braden Johnson, 6-2, 200, 4.5, Euless Trinity (UT Commitment)
Brian Carter, 5-11, 180, 4.5, The Woodlands (UT Commitment

* * * *
The 25 "Difference Makers"

These are Texas' top 25 players, in my opinion, and I have seen all of them
play, either on tape or in person:
1. DT Tommie Harris, Killeen Ellison
2. OL Jonathan Scott, Dallas Carter (Texas)
3. OL Jami Hightower, Jacksonville
4. LB Derrick Johnson, Waco
5. RB Cedric Benson, Midland Lee
6. S Dewayne Brandon, Temple
7. RB David Underwood, Madisonville (Michigan)
8. C Ben Wilkerson, Hemphill
9. QB Matt Nordgren, Dallas Bishop Lynch
10. OL Abe Robinson, Jersey Village (Texas)
11. WR Armon Dorrough, Lancaster
12. DE Kevin Everett, Port Arthur Jefferson
13. WR Brandon Jones, Texarkana Liberty Eylau
14. Ath Joseph Addai, Houston Sharpstown
15. DE Lawrence Hooper, Aldine
16. Ath Quan Cosby, Mart
17. WR Bennie Brazell, Houston Westbury
18. LB Jonathon Jackson, Galena Park North Shore
19. RB Anthony Johnson, Jefferson
20. TE James Moses, Galena Park North Shore
21. CB Byron Jones, Bay City
22. DT Thomas Derricks, Dallas Jesuit
23. LB Lance McFarland, Jefferson
24. OL William Winston, Houston Madison
25. RB Donta Hickson, McKinney

Out-of-State Prospects

Texas is recruiting several out-of-state players. Here are the ones who are
still considering UT:
Quarterback
Bret Rawls, 6-5, 200, 4.7, Shreveport Evangel (LSU, UT, FSU, baseball)

Running Back
Jabari Davis, 5-11, 224, 4.5, Tucker, Ga. (Ga, Tenn, UT, Neb, Ala)

Fullback
James Buchanan, 6-2, 240, 4.7, Sarasota, Fla. Mooney (FSU, UT, ND, Fla, Mic=
h,
Neb)

Defensive End
Eric Hall, 6-3, 232, 4.5, Clarksville, Tenn., NW (UT, FSU, Tenn, Neb, LSU)

Defensive Tackle
Marcus Spears, 6-5, 275, 4.8, Baton Rouge Southern Lab (LSU, A&M, Mich, UT)
Marquise Hill, 6-7, 290, 4.8, N. Orleans De La Salle (FSU, LSU, Mich, A&M, =
UT)


Basketball Team in Early NIT

The Texas basketball team will host Navy on Nov. 13 in the first round of t=
he
Preseason National Invitation Tournament. The starting time will be announc=
ed
later.
The winner of the Texas-Navy game will advance to play the winner of the
Mississippi State-California first-round contest in the second round on Nov=
.
15. The site for the second-round game has not been determined, but it will
start at 7 p.m. and will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
The field also includes four other teams who advanced to play in last
season's NCAA Tournament (Duke, Temple, Indiana and Pepperdine) and six
squads which played in last season's postseason NIT (New Mexico, California=
,
Princeton, Villanova, Marquette and Delaware).
The other teams selected for the 16th Preseason NIT are Fairfield,
Mississippi State, George Mason, Navy and South Alabama.
The semifinals and finals will again be played at Madison Square Garden in
New York City. The semifinal round is Nov. 22, with both games televised
nationally by ESPN. The third-place game and championship game are Nov. 24.
The championship game will also be televised nationally by ESPN. No game
times for the semifinals or finals have been announced.
This is Texas' third appearance in the Preseason NIT. The Longhorns lost at
Iowa State in the first round of the 1988 NIT and finished in fourth place
with a 2-2 record during the 1991 Preseason NIT.
The Longhorns concluded the 1999-2000 season with an overall mark of 24-9 a=
nd
advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They had a final AP
ranking of No. 15, which was the highest post-season ranking ever at UT.
Here is the complete schedule:

First Round
Game 1  Monday, Nov. 13     Delaware at Temple
Game 2  Monday, Nov. 13     George Mason at New Mexico
Game 3  Tuesday, Nov. 14     Pepperdine at Indiana (6 p.m., ESPN)
Game 4  Tuesday, Nov. 14      South Alabama at Marquette
Game 5  Monday, Nov. 13     Mississippi State at California (11 p.m., ESPN2=
)
Game 6  Monday, Nov. 13     Navy at Texas
Game 7  Tuesday, Nov. 14     Fairfield at Villanova
Game 8  Tuesday, Nov. 14     Princeton at Duke (8 p.m., ESPN)

Second Round (at campus sites)
Game 9  Wednesday, Nov. 15  Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
Game 10 Friday, Nov. 17     Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
Game 11 Wednesday, Nov. 15      Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner (7 p.m.,
ESPN2)
Game 12 Friday, Nov. 17     Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (6 p.m., ESPN)

Semifinals (at Madison Square Garden)
Game 13 Wednesday, Nov. 22      Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner (tba, ESPN=
)
Game 14 Wednesday, Nov. 22      Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner (tba, ESP=
N)

Finals (at Madison Square Garden)
3rd-Place Game  Friday, Nov. 24 Game 13 loser vs. Game 14 loser
Championship    Friday, Nov. 24 Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner (tba, ESP=
N)

Barnum Hopes Fade

The Longhorns' hopes of getting Greg Barnum, the great center prospect who
left Tennessee after his freshman year, are fading.
Vol coach Phil Fulmer has refused to give Barnum a release, which would for=
ce
him to pay his own way for a year if he comes to Texas as things now stand.
Since he would be a walkon, it also would require him to meet UT's transfer
guidelines for regular students.
As a regular student transer applicant with one year of college behind him,
he would have to have 24 hours of C grades or above to transfer to UT.
Under Fulmer, Tennessee football players have the worst graduation rate of
any of the major NCAA Division I powers.
Barnum was a good high school student who might have 24 hours of C or above
grades at Tennessee. If he does, he would certainly have been one of the to=
p
student-athletes on the Tennessee team.

UT Baseball Players Sign

The pros have signed three UT baseball juniors  =01) second baseman Tommy
Nicholson, relief ace Charlie Thames and shortstop Todd West =01) plus a to=
p
recruit in catcher Scott Heard of Rancho Bernardo, Cal.
Junior pitcher Phil Seibel is still negotiating with the pros, but has not
signed so far.

Basketball Recruiting

Guard Carlos Hurt of Alief Elsik has committed to Louisville.
The Longhorns were recruiting him, but their primary target for their only
remaining scholarship is 5-11 T. J. Ford,  who led Fort Bend Willowridge to
the Class 5A state title.
Ford, one of the nation's top point guards, is strongly considering the
Longhorns. But teams like Kentucky and Duke are also under strong
consideration.
Maurice Williams, a 6-1 point guard at Murrah High School in Jackson, Miss.=
,
also is considering Texas.
Williams and Ford are both rated among the top four point guards in the
country.
Texas already has a commitment from 6-10 center Chris Wright of Redwater.
With only two seniors on the team, coach Rick Barnes has only one more
scholarship to give unless some underclassmen leave the team.

Aldrich Makes Olympic Team

UT track and volleyball star Erin Aldrich made the U. S. Olympic Team Sunda=
y,
finishing second in the high jump with a 6-3 leap at the Olympic Trials in
California.
Aldrich was a senior last season, but she gave the Longhorns some good
publicity at the trials, wearing her UT track uniform.

How About Those Odds?

It's been so long since Texas has been a pre-season favorite in every
regular-season game that I frankly can't remember it. It probably was back =
in
the glory days of Darrell Royal.
But there is an early line from the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas that alrea=
dy
has posted early odds on three of the Longhorns' key games.
The Imperial Palace has the Longhorns favored by 7 points against Oklahoma =
in
Dallas, by 6 points against Colorado in Boulder and by 9.5 points against t=
he
Aggies in Austin.
I thought the Boulder game might be the only one this season where the Horn=
s
would rate as a pre-season underdog. I also thought the game against the
Sooners in Dallas was the second toughest game on the schedule, and the Agg=
ie
game was in the running for the third toughest test.
So, if Texas is a pre-season favorite in those three big games, I think I c=
an
guarantee you that when the Imperial Palace publishes the odds for the
remaining Longhorn games, UT will be favored in each of them.
That, of course, doesn't mean Texas will go undefeated, but I always prefer
to be favored and that's what the Longhorns will be heading into the season
in all 11 of its games.
If they stumble early, all that will change, so let's hope they don't stumb=
le
early =01) or at all.

The 90's - A Mixed Bag for Texas and Nebraska

The Longhorn football team has had a lot of success historically, but the
1990s weren't all that great.
Nebraska fans might disagree, however. The Huskers went 108-16-1 in the 90s=
.
That was the second highest win total ever recorded in a decade. Florida
State went 109-13-1 in the 90s to set the record.
But Nebraska went 1-3 against Texas in the 90s. If the Cornhuskers had won
any of those three games they lost to the Horns, they would have tied FSU f=
or=20
the most wins in a decade. If they had won two of them, they would hold the
record.

Baseball Recruit Shines

Vincent Sinisi, one of the Longhorns' prize baseball signees, led The
Woodlands to the Class 5A State Championship last month. He pitched a six-h=
it
11-1 victory over powerful Duncanville in the simfinals, then, after a
four-day rain delay, hit a two-out double in the sixth inning to score the
winning run over Corpus Chrisi Moody in a 3-2 championship game.
Speaking of baseball, the Longhorns have signed another lefthanded pitcher.
He is Brantley Jordan, 6-0, 190, of Texarkana JC and formerly of Round Rock=
.
He was 11-0 last season and he has two great pitches =01) a 90 mph fastball=
 and
a hard-breaking curve. He was a freshman at Texarkana, so he has three year=
s
of eligibility remaining.

High School Subs at 154

True Orange is going to 154 schools, thanks to several generous subscribers=
.
Neil Kidwell of Phoenix, Arizona, renewed Mineral Wells, his home town, plu=
s
Abilene Cooper, San Antonio Lee, La Porte and Texas City.
An anonymous donor renewed 10 subs =01) Beaumont Central and West Brook, Ba=
ytown
Lee and Sterling, Angleton, Arlington Houston, Andrews, Brownwood, Navasota
and Jersey Village.
Rick Glasscock of Midland started new subscriptions for Odessa and Big Spri=
ng.
Dr. Allan Spence of Raymondville started a new subscription for Dallas
Highland Park.
James W. Brantley of Fort Worth started a new subscription for Fort Worth
Eastern Hills. He is a 1961 graduate of that school.
Several schools have expired, if any of you are interested. They are Austin
Crockett and McCallum, San Marcos, Gainesville, Belton, Copperas Cove, El
Paso Austin, and two Oklahoma schools =01) Jenks and Duncan.
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e
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rn
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Next Issue August 7

The next issue will be e-mailed on August 7 and will have a thorough previe=
w
of pre-season practice, with comments from coach Mack Brown and the
pre-season practice schedule.
It will also have a report on the pre-season Big 12 football meetings in
Kansas City and the Big 12 writers' predictions, and, as always, lots of
football recruiting news.

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