It's been some time since Texas football fans have been able to watch the Longhorns practice. Not since August of 2010, in fact, after head coach Mack Brown closed all practices to the public both in the spring and in the fall. However, that will finally change as the football team enters spring ball with no changes to the coaching staff, the university announced on Thursday.
Fans will be able to watch their 'Horns practice on March 2nd and March 3rd at DKR, with both sessions beginning at 4 pm CST.
Now for the bad news -- the annual Orange-White game will only be televised on the Longhorn Network, but so a trip to Austin might be worthwhile for those interested in catching the 'Horns go at each other on April 1st. The game is set to kick at 2 pm CST.
Spring practice starts in exactly one week.
So, after waiting for the Big 12 to resolve West Virginia's exit from the Big East to get the Mountaineers into the league this season, the long-awaited release of the conference schedule finally went down Tuesday morning.
Here's a look at how things will go down for the Longhorns in the 2012 conference season:
Peter Jinkens figures to see early playing time on special teams at Texas. (Photo Courtesy Of Under Armour)
Name: Peter Jinkens
Position: Outside Linebacker
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 208
Speed: 4.45
School: Dallas Skyline (Dallas, TX)
Ranking (Rivals): Four out of five (5.8)
The high school all-star game season may be finished with the exception of the International Bowl in Austin on National Signing Day, but it's just getting in to full swing for former Longhorns prepping for the NFL Draft in April.
Offensive lineman David Snow and safety Blake Gideon competed in the East-West Shrine game last weekend, while linebackers Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho are currently in Mobile along with defensive tackle Kheeston Randall preparing for the Senior Bowl. Fullback Cody Johnson was slated for the East-West game as well, but was unable to participate.
The games are important measuring sticks for evaluators, who get accurate measurements of height and weight and a chance to see the players in person in advance of the NFL Combine and school Pro Days in the spring.
For the two East-West Shrine game participants, one player elevated his stock, while the other probably hurt it with his performance.
The start of the spring semester at Texas on Tuesday also marked the first day of classes on the 40 Acres for the six early enrollees from the 2012 class -- quarterback Connor Brewer, offensive lineman Camrhon Hughes, linebacker Alex De La Torre, defensive back Orlando Thomas, and the two junior college prospects, offensive tackle Donald Hawkins and defensive tackle Brandon Moore.
As is typical with early enrollees, the expectations for each new Longhorn are vastly different, with several players expected to contribute early and several expected to need some growth and development time at Texas before contributing. Here's a look at what Texas needs and wants from each this spring.
When Texas junior safety Kenny Vaccaro announced on Twitter following the Holiday Bowl that he was planning on returning for his senior season without seriously exploring his draft possibilities, it seemed like an interminable wait for January 15th to see if he would indeed make good on his promise.
To a much lesser extent, the same was true for fellow junior Alex Okafor, the Pflugerville product who significantly raised his level of play during the second half of the season.
For Texas fans, then, no news was good news on Sunday night, the deadline for underclassmen to declare their intentions to enter the NFL Draft. It passed with no declarations from either, so both players will return to help bolster a defense that loses only Kheeston Randall, Keenan Robinson, Emmanuel Acho, and Blake Gideon, and was among the best in the country near the end of the season.
Two more Longhorn football players will miss spring practice following surgeries, the university announced Thursday. Junior defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat and redshirt freshman Greg Daniels won't be healthy enough to practice after having shoulder issues repaired, joining sophomore defensive back Adrian Phillips, who had revealed his own shoulder surgery on Twitter. All three should be recovered in time for summer workouts.
The most remarkable story is that of Jeffcoat, who sustained a torn pectoral muscle against Texas A&M, but was able to play a significant role in the Holiday Bowl victory over Cal, recording two sacks and three tackles for loss. Dude is tough. And while it would certainly benefit his development to practice in the spring, players like Reggie Wilson and Cedric Reed probably need the reps more than does the more experienced Jeffcoat.
Recruiting season is now in full swing as the completion of the high school all-star games leads into the wild final stretch before Signing Day, which will give way to the Texas Junior Days in February, but for current Longhorn football players, the most important person in their life when they report back to campus over the weekend will be strength and conditioning coach Bennie Wylie.
Widely considered one of the most important hires of last offseason, the strong finish against California was in no small part a result of the work that Wylie put in with the team both before and during the season. By halfway through the fourth quarter, the Golden Bears were gassed, beaten up, and ready to quit. On the other side of the ball? It seemed as if the Longhorns were simply getting started and could have played another quarter.
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